《A Foul Light Shines》


 1: Of Nightmares and Celebrations

    Of Nightmares and Celebrations


    A teenager in a threadbare gray nightgown walked through the woods. Her eyes are closed, and her footsteps are unsteady across the soft, now crunched beneath her bare feet. The painful blistering cold against her soles isn''t enough to wake her. The village behind her is serene; soft plumes of black smoke waft from the chimneys of the log cabins. Lom-Itoti was a small village, practically a hamlet nestled along one of the many rivers of the Empire of Fire and Water. Two scents waged war in the brisk night sky. Thick and rich pine and warm sea breeze crashed into each other, each struggling for dominance. The gentle breeze of the salt-soaked sea wind won the exchange, gently pushed against the girl. The wind ruffled her long brown hair as it guided her further into the safety of the woods.


    The snap of twigs underfoot finally awoke Naya from her trance. Her feet stung, and her heart raced as she cast wild glances around the thicket of oak trees she stood in. She was alone, thankfully. She had fallen asleep in her bed. That was a fact, yet a casual glance at the ground revealed only a single set of tracks in the snow. Naya pulled her arms tight to her chest and trudged back the way she had come against the sea breeze. A feeling of dread crept over her, to her own surprise. Lom-Itoti was a safe village; it was the woods so full of monsters and animals one needed to be wary of. A black cat pounced onto the path before the young girl and hissed at her. Naya gave it space and stumbled around it. She needed to get home to the fire before frostbite could settle in. It continued to growl, its ears pinned back as she put distance between herself and the angry cat.


    As she neared the edge of the woods, the lack of torchlight or the warm glow of hearth fires caught her attention. Only the moon''s silver glow, thankfully large in the sky, gave her any light to move by. She slowed and bent her knees like her father had taught her. When hunting, you moved softly; you bent with the land beneath your feet. As she neared, she caught sight of something strange in the corner of her vision. A massive gnarled tree root slithered between two log cabins. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, unsure if she had imagined it. She traced her way slowly through the dirt streets. The moon hanging so high overhead indicated it was late, perhaps why she didn''t see any firelight. Her house was no exception; there were no lights on inside, not even the soft glow of the fireplace. She struggled to open the hefty wooden door. She slipped inside and found only the barest relief from the cold. The fire had burned down, and only angry red veins coursed through the charred black wood. Nothing seemed amiss or out of place. The bench with a spool of harvest orange yarn and two wooden crocheting needles resting on it was right where they were left. The only thing out of place was a figure who stood eerily still.


    At the edge of the room stood a man she only recognized by the twin scimitars held aloft in his hands. "Dad?" She asked as she moved closer in the dark towards him: nothing, no motion, and no sound. "Dad?!" she repeated, louder as she crossed the few feet between them. She reached out for him, and when her hands touched his outstretched arms, she bristled up against soft leaves where skin should have been. In the moonlight glinting off his swords, she saw that he was made entirely of bark, vines, and leaves. She recoiled and ran for the other rooms to check on her mother.


    A pain in Naya''s gut brought her jolting up. A campfire crackled a few feet away from her. A red fox sat behind her head, his orange-red eyes glued to her. The heavy head of a red wolf rested upon her stomach. Her leather armor and swords lay just a few feet to her side. The wolf huffed, his nostrils flared wide as they sent a puff of steam into the cold night''s air. Naya absent-mindedly stroked his head as she glanced toward the fire.


    "Rem says you had bad dreams," Alvec said groggily as he pulled himself up to sit beside the fire.


    "I was dreaming about my village," she confirmed, letting the silence fill the air between them. In the flickering camp light, her traveling companion looked almost sinister; he was a tiefling a few years older than herself. Perhaps eighteen or twenty. Slender, of average height, with black curly hair and ram''s horns curling out of his head. His skin was a soft bronze, almost mistakable for a well-tanned individual. His clothing was simple, clean, and a colorful blue. He was the first tiefling she''d met. They were humans tainted with the blood of devils. Alvec, thankfully, looked almost human outside of the horns and a thin, flexible tail. Some had strange eyes, ears, and other hellish traits, making them look more like beasts or monsters than humans.


    "We''ll charter a riverboat after the birthday party," he said as he fluffed the air around where his head had been resting. The air seemed to shimmer and respond to his touch.


    "We should be heading straight there. Who even is Cellocht? And why is he more important than getting to Lom-Itoti?"


    Alvec chuckled. "I keep forgetting how small Lom-Itoti must be." He grimaced as he glanced over at their final two companions. Another boy about his age lay in a sleeping bag. Brown hair, sharp angular features, and a thin build. Beside him, with incandescent red eyes, was a rabbit made of clockwork. Its head swiveled to and fro with rhythmic ease. "No lectures tonight. I don''t want to wake Mavec. Suffice it to say that Cellocht is Emperor Ageneon''s favorite bard. Not to mention, it''s his 111th birthday."


    "By the spirits, what''s so special about 111?" She asked, gently pushing Echo off her as she sat up.


    "In halfling culture, on the 111th birthday, the host is expected to give gifts. I''ve..."


    "External Gyroscopes. Why does it have external gyroscopes?!" Mavec groaned from his sleeping bag before he rolled over and placed his back to the fire.


    "Right, looks like you weren''t the only one having nightmares. Let''s get back to bed; we''ve still got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."


    "Wait, Alvec, can you toss some bones into the fire?" He raised an eyebrow at the question and rummaged through his backpack.


    "Will powdered bone work?" He asked.


    "I guess?" She said as she laid back down and let out a sigh. She watched Alvec take a pinch out of a small vial of gray material and sprinkle it into the campfire.


    "I don''t get it, but if it makes you feel more safe than your wolf and our animal companions, then it''s a small price to pay. Night, Naya," he said as he laid back down and let sleep overtake him again.


    Cellochts party: Illaria


    "Now, you be remembering not to take your musket out unless someone be asking to see it, alright, Bait?" Illaria reminded her fellow Blue Banner army companion. The pair were on shore leave from the Blue Banner''s Coffin Flotilla. Their commanding officers were ecstatic to have such memorable representation headed to the Emperor''s favorite bard''s 111th birthday party. Away from the Coffin Flotilla Bait stood out even worse than she did. The green-skinned goblin, barely half her height, looked up at her.


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    "Bait goes boom when Bait wants to boom." She got a few feet ahead of him to maintain her position upwind of her friend. He wore a tattered shirt and pants, and his green skin and clothes were caked in mud and grime. The only clean thing on him was a near-pristine musket. He stunk, and she hated that about him. Convincing him to bathe would require a literal plate of fine cheese. Even then, she wasn''t sure he''d bite. Illaria wasn''t sure if all goblins prided themselves on their stink or if it was just a Bait thing. She hoped not to find out.


    Circumstances had brought the two of them together in more ways than one.


    Both were searching for lost family. Illaria knew who had taken her parents from her: Cutthroat Crowley, the scourge of the seas. She pushed the thought out of her mind. Today was a day of celebrations. It would do no good to dwell on the past right now.


    "We''re headed to a party, Bait; if you be wanting to enjoy the food, you''ll be needing to mind your manners, no using your gun unless there be an emergency. You''re an independent contractor with the Blue Banners. At least try to act the part."


    "Bait is independent compactor; Bait knows when to boom." Illaria let out a sigh and continued to take the lead. Before long, Cellocht''s manor came into view. Two well-armed guards dressed in the finest brown leather chest pieces and wearing bright polished steel helmets monitor the perimeter wall. Pikes rested against the wall behind them, and each carried a sword. The two guards stood behind a table just off the roadway; both young men were slack-jawed and stared at Illaria. A reaction she was unfortunately used to, especially with first introductions. Their faces quickly changed to disbelief as they caught sight of Bait.


    "Hello, we''ll need to see your invitations, please," the guard on the right said as he stepped forward and stood as tall as he could, chest puffed out over much. Illaria produced the slightly bent letter from her pack. Bait removed a crumpled and grime-stained letter.


    "This can''t be real, right?" The second guard asked as he flipped the invitation over a few times.


    "It''s real, says right here," the first guard said before he pointed to a line on the scroll on the table. "A stunning lady, Aasimar, and a goblin with a gun. I''m looking right at a stunning lady and a goblin with a gun."


    "Yeah, but just... a goblin? With a gun? Don''t you find that strange?" The second one asked.


    "We''ve had Gold Banner, we''ve had Red Banner, now we''ve got some Blue Banners, and let''s not forget that trio that came in with a fox, a wolf, and a clockwork rabbit. You want to fixate on the goblin being weird?" The first one asked. "You''re both free to enter. Welcome to Cellocht''s birthday celebration. We''ve got tons of things to do for entertainment. Everything you''d expect from a legendary bard. Just be sure to watch yourself if you go near the spell tent. I''m a little worried about the drinking and the spell casting."


    "K bye," Bait muttered before he walked off into the grounds.


    "It''s a pleasure to be here; if you be seeing Master Cellocht before I do, please pass along my well wishes," Illaria said as she hurried after Bait.


    "Hey, wait... damn it, she''s already gone. I was going to ask her to dance later." She heard the comment but continued forward anyway. She was used to this sort of attention outside of the Coffin flotilla, but it didn''t mean she was comfortable with it.


    Once inside the outer gate, Illaria swept her head from side to side, taking in all of the attractions Cellocht had planned for them. A fine wooden stage currently had many people singing and dancing. A tent further back, with a fenced-off area running down from under it, had various figures mingled and slung spells down the enclosed track at targets. A young man with a mechanical rabbit stood further back from it and watched with a look of disdain, a lit cigarette in his mouth. On the perimeter, there were several fenced-off sections of lawn where various figures sparred with wooden swords. A muscular orc woman with jade skin dominated the competition... for now, Illaria mused to herself. She caught the flash of the Red Banners sigil on the woman''s clothing. A sly smirk crossed her face; she''d return here soon to test her mettle. It wouldn''t rightly do to let the Red Banner have the run of the place. It would wound her pride as a Blue Banner, with the coffin flotilla no less. But first, to sing, Sholsatta be damned, there wasn''t a ship to sink in sight. She''d let her voice ring loud for all the times she''d had to keep her songs low so the spirit of shipwrecks would stay away.


    Illaria strode to the stage and quickly made her way up once the last group of tieflings had cleared it. She belted out a boisterous and jolly sea shanty. The crowd around the stage struggled to dance to it but were quickly transfixed by it. A quick rhythmic clap began somewhere in the back and worked to the front, further accentuating her song. When Illaria was done, she swept her red hair away from her face and descended into the crowd met with cheers and applause. It was exhilarating; perhaps she''d have been a bard like Celocht in another life.


    Illaria didn''t linger long in the warm, receptive audience. She had to get back to those fighting pits after all. Her arrival saw the pit in use. A young girl shorter than herself faced off against the Red Banner army member. She wielded two short wooden swords against the wooden sword and shield of the orc. It was clear that the young woman was self-taught. Her stance was sloppy, almost feral, but it wasn''t without its bite. The orc woman towered well over her and struck down hard and fast. The girl rolled to the side of the strike; she sliced low toward the orc''s leg before she spun to strike her once more as she danced a circle around her. The first strike clipped the orcs leg, and the second thudded against the Red Banner Armies shield. The orc''s wooden sword plunged towards the girl''s heart. This time, the blade was batted away with one sword while the other returned an attack, barely clipped past the Red Banner''s shield. It was only seconds before the girl''s onslaught scored her third point on the Red Banner Army''s representative.


    "Well met!" The orc roared as she placed her wooden weapons down. "I''m Pacta, here on behalf of the Red Banner army, the best banner to join if you''re looking for some action. What''s your name?"


    "Naya." the girl said, waved, and smiled wide at Pacta. The young human girl was mousy but fierce. The woman who had called herself Pacta had broad, solid features and a very muscular frame honed through intense training.


    "Well now, that''s not entirely true now, is it? Blue Banner''s got just as much action if that''s what you''re after," Illaria cut in. The orc puffed her chest out with false bravado.


    "Oh, how about we settle it with a duel? Friendly, of course; the first one to three points wins."


    "I can be your judge," Naya interjected.


    "Sounds like a right good time to me," Illaria replied as she picked up the closest replica to her real weapon she could find. It was a basic shortsword but had a smidge more curve than the rest. It reminded her of her well-used and well-worn wakizashi. Illaria found herself without the height disadvantage that the girl Naya had. She was north of six feet tall, meaning that she and Pacta were nearly the same height. The two women bowed to one another, and the fight began. A quick thrust of the sword followed by a bash with the shield launched at Illaria. She deftly slapped the sword away and sidestepped the shield. A quick twist of her wrist and the first point was scored. One for the Blue Banner. The following exchange didn''t go as well. The wooden shield clipped Illaria even as she slapped the sword away; she frowned. One for the red. Once more, they exchanged blows; this time, Pacata overextended on a thrust and was swiftly punished with two strikes.


    "Alright, alright, Blue Banner wins this round. Jeez, who exactly are you with?" Pacta asked as she placed her weapons down.


    "Hey, out of the ring; I''m up next!" Naya said as she vaulted over the wooden fence and grabbed two shortswords again.


    "Alright, I''ve got another one in me," Illaria said as she took a practiced stance against her. The fight was short. While there were no shortages of expert parries, Naya was relentlessly launching attack after attack. She pressed the advantage of her speed, and while her defenses were sloppy, it proved too much for Illaria to parry. Three points for the stranger and 2 for the Blue Banner. "You''re not half bad, ya know; the Blue Banner would love to have you."


    "I saw her first blue; Red Banner would love to have her too," Pacta responded, a big toothy grin spread across her face.


    "Sorry, I won''t be joining either of the banners. I''ve got my own issues to sort out right now. I''ve already got two wizards coming along to help. Enjoy the rest of the party!" She said before she stepped away from the two of them. Rows of chairs were being placed out in front of the stage. A halfling oversaw the project from the podium facing the chairs. Illaria took the cue to head over and grab a good seat for whatever presentation they would receive.

 2: Dangers of Gold

    Cellocht¡¯s party: Alvec Snaptail


    The two wizards stood far from the tent, where other spellcasters slung spells downwind at several hay targets. "Scorching ray," Alvec cited before the magic bolted from one of their outstretched hands.


    "Acid Arrow," Mavec responded as he tilted his head towards the next caster in line. "Don''t you think this is a little dangerous?"


    "I mean, I''m not worried about it; they put up some decent wards. We should be safe."


    "So you agree, it''s dangerous."


    "You don''t put wards up if it isn''t."


    "What is Cellocht thinking?" Mavec asked as he pulled out a cigarette and ignited it.


    "It''s flashy, alright; maybe that''s the point. Just a little bit of flair Celocht didn''t have to pay for. A well-timed fireball could look really cool."


    "It''s dangerous and dumb," Mavec said; he eyed the other spellcasters with mistrust.


    "Well, you can sit here if you''d like and glower in their direction, but Naya left Echo with me, so I guess I''ve got to feed the boy. We''ll chat later," Alvec said as he motioned for Echo to follow him. Alvec was used to having Rem, whose intelligence he was entirely certain of. The fox could read, and if his vocal cords allowed it, he would have been able to speak. Heck, the little fellow could even help with alchemy, and they were working on teaching him how to activate wands. Echo, on the other hand, Alvec couldn''t get a good read on. He was more intelligent than an average wolf, or at least better behaved... but he certainly wasn''t doing anything other than what Naya told him to do. Thankfully, those instructions today were to stay with Alvec and protect him. So the wolf did just that with a goofy, open-mouthed smile staring up at him the whole time.


    It didn''t take long for the trio to find the food. Several white tents were set up with tables beneath them, all overflowing with food. "Rem, can you help pick things out for Echo? I didn''t exactly brush up on what wolves can eat, and Naya ran off to those fighting pits before I got a chance to ask." Rem stretched slowly, uncoiled himself from his nested position between Alvec''s horns. Resting on Alvec''s head had become one of his favorite pastimes. The fox hopped onto its master''s shoulder and then onto the table. Where it proceeded to yip at specific products. Alvec took the hint and began to load his plate up for Echo first. Rem and himself were solid omnivores, so filling a plate for themselves wasn''t hard. Once a fair bit was gathered on the dishes, the trio returned to the open air under the sun. Alvec sat down and placed the plate of meats in front of Echo. Rem and Alvec shared the second one he had assembled.


    It was, thankfully, a nice day. It was relaxing just to rest on the grass for a moment. How long had it been since he had been able to sit upon short-cut grass and not fear an animal attack? Another tiefling made his way over toward them. Alvec stood up to greet him properly. He brushed his pants clean as he stood. The man was older than him by a decade and wore nice fancy clothing of a rich charcoal black. His horns were straight and jutted up like deer from his skull. His skin was a soft red, and his eyes were tinted, almost an amber brown.


    "A pleasure to see another tiefling here. I worried I''d be the only one. Lahzan, master of the Bellforge," he said as he extended his hand.


    "Alvec," Alvec replied curtly as he shook his hand.


    "So what got you the invite? I hear each of us is in some way an exceptional individual. For me, it''s undoubtedly the founding of the Bellforge and my efforts to associate our kind with the arts. What better way than through the art of music." Alvec frowned at the man as he pondered why he had been invited. A man of Cellocht''s stature might have known his real name. Being a Reynore came with many perks within the magical community. There was another possibility, he thought as he anxiously bunched up his cloak.


    "Did you hear about Rust Hill?" Alvec asked.


    "Yes, a bunch of fire elementals ran amok in a small forge settlement. Red Banner helped evacuate, and some beastly barbarian tiefling held the line."


    Alvec laughed heartily. "The tales really do get exaggerated. I''m a wizard, and I''d hardly call myself beastly."


    "That was you?" Lahzan asked. The man took stock of the young man in front of him again. He smiled at him and gave a quick nod of his head to the boy.


    "Yup."


    "You''re braver than you look. Thank you for your service to our kin."


    "It was nothing, really. A child was in danger; I just did what anyone would do."


    "You''re a good chap, Alvec," the man said. Lahzan clapped him once on the back. "I''d be honored to host you at the Bellforge. If you don''t mind, I''m going to take my leave. Get myself some food and mingle with others. I''d love to secure a few more investors." Lahzan wandered off to seek out more privileged individuals, and Alvec, Echo, and Rem were left alone once more.


    Officially, all subjects of the Empire were equal in the eyes of the law. After the end of Ageneon''s War, his Third Ascension Decree swept away old oppressive laws against Tieflings, Orcs, and Goblins. That said, perceptions of Tieflings were slow to change. Alvec knew all too well how the prejudices lingered. Devils had run amok during the Anarchy... hell his no-good grandfather Iridel had summoned them and cut deals with them. One of which led to Alvec''s father''s birth and the spawning of this bastard branch of the Reynore family.


    "Bait have cheese knife, what problem?" A sharp voice from the nearby food tables cut off Alvec''s musings. A goblin appeared to be arguing with a man over cheese. Despite his grubby appearance, the goblin held two beautiful cheese knives decorated with stylized animal heads on the end of the handles. Upon closer closer, Alvec''s breath caught in his lungs. The human man was wearing one of the more casual uniforms of the Gold Banner Army. Stylish black slacks, a black jacket with bright golden trim, and an unmistakable armband prominently displayed for all to see.


    "Echo, Rem, stay here," Alvec commanded as he walked briskly over to the pair. Echo moved to follow, but Rem gently bit his tail and tugged him back.


    "You''ve not answered my questions yet. Who are you, and how did you come to be here?"


    "Bait have cheese knife, what problem?" The goblin repeated as he tried to push past the man to acquire some cheese.


    "He''s clearly a guest," Alvec said as he arrived behind the goblin.


    "And you are?"


    "Alvec Snaptail. Abjurer," he replied as he produced a bronze medallion from his coat and displayed it like a badge. The man''s eyes narrowed as he assessed Alvec.


    "Do you know this goblin?" He asked.


    "Bait want cheese, cheese for guests, Bait guest!"


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    "No, but presumably, he had to come through security like the rest of us. It might be faster to ask the front guard. I''m sure they''ll remember this goblin," Alvec replied.


    "What Bait need do to get cheese?" The man looked at the pair with distrust or disgust; it was hard to tell which emotion was behind the sneer. Alvec had been warned many times about dealing with the Gold Banner. They were granted immense power with very little oversight. There were rumors that they could arrest and execute simply on gossip. Their crusade against threats to the throne meant that all tieflings were viewed with an extra layer of scrutiny. The man stepped back, allowing the goblin to rush to the table and stab at the cheese. He took a clump of cheddar and eagerly licked it off his blade before going in for another. The Gold Banner agent stepped forward again.


    "You will use a plate," The agent insisted.


    "But Bait have cheese knife, knife better than dumb plate."


    "Friend, I really would recommend using a plate," Alvec said to the goblin. "You can load it high as you want with cheese, but please humor me and use a plate."


    "You boring, remind me of Illaria, use plate Bait, don''t go boom at party Bait, mind your manners Bait." He begrudgingly took a plate and used the serving utensil to fill it as high as possible before he scampered off a few feet and used his cheese knives to eat it; he licked the knife clean between slices.


    "I''ll be checking with the front guards now," the Gold Banner agent said before walking briskly away from the food tables. Alvec let out a nervous sigh. He didn''t want to be known by the Gold Banner Army. It was best to stay as far away from them as possible. It wasn''t wise for him to have interceded, but it wasn''t right to do nothing. He clutched at his small necklace, a simple hammer pendant hanging by a smooth leather cord. Gods help him.


    Cellocht''s party: Mavec


    Alvec was taking forever. Mavec glanced down at Piccora sitting patiently by his feet. Perhaps he should begin doing routine maintenance; finding a quiet and safe space to work on her here would be easier than in the middle of the woods. Mavec was sick of wandering through the wilds but grateful for the company, even if Naya''s spirituality was spiritual bullshit. Sure, the spirits existed, but why would he pray to something so volatile? Meanwhile, the gods were right there and far more interested in cultivating a following. Mortal opinion mattered to gods; spirits just did whatever the hell spirits did.


    "What do you make of this?" a man said as he approached Mavec, who stood beside the magic tents. A quick glance over the man revealed him to be Gold Banner Army. Mavec shrugged in response. He''d also heard rumors that some of the Gold Banner wore masks to obscure their identities, but he''d never confirmed that. This man didn''t have a mask. His hair was brown and thin, and his skin was clammy and sunken. Mavec knew the work must be challenging, but this man looked downright sickly up close.


    "It''s irresponsible, dangerous, and dumb," Mavec replied cooly. He had no opinions on the Gold Banner. They were a thing that existed, and his life ran pretty far away from their concerns. The man nodded in agreement. There was something off about him. While he gazed at Mavec, it was less that he made eye contact and more like he was looking through him. It gave Mavec the chills.


    "Yes, Cellocht encourages this sort of play, but it is unpredictable. It is good that he has set up sufficient defenses this year. Seeing someone watching the festivities rather than participating in them is even more impressive. Forgive me for asking, but are you perhaps an artificer?" Mavec shuffled through his pockets and produced his bronze badge. It was similar to Alvec''s. Both were cast in bronze, with the name of the institution they attended carved into it, but Mavec''s looked more like a cog with toothlike edges. "I see. What are your views on Alusai?" The man asked, watching him closely. Mavec let out a big sigh.


    "How could one of the brightest minds of Artificy be such an idiot when it came to choosing sides? His designs are fascinating, and I''d love to study his work, but I''m not interested in why he didn''t take up Ageneon''s First Amnesty," Mavec replied, attempting to thread the needle between truth and lie.


    Alusai wasn''t just good; he was downright brilliant. His creations revolutionized the field of Artificy. Hell, much of Piccora''s designs were only possible by standing on the shoulders of the giants, Alusai in particular.


    "A very wise take. There is much to be learned from studying the man''s work and nothing from learning about his ideologies." Mavec took another drag off his cigarette and faced back down towards the drunken spell-casting celebrants.


    "Fireball," he muttered, continuing the game he''d been playing with Alvec.


    "Excuse me?" The Gold Banner agent asked.


    "Sorry, another wizard and I were playing a game. Guess what spell they cast. He was ahead, but if he doesn''t return soon, I think I''ll win by default." The man, a good twenty or thirty years Mavec''s senior, opened his mouth to speak. A loud boom echoed through the grounds as brilliant vermillion flames sprouted through the sky, followed by a shower of blue sparks and green wisps of flame.


    "Praise to the father of creation and father of destruction!" Shouted a wild-looking halfling with a mop of hair framing her head like a lion''s mane made of fire, with marigold flowers braided into it. A sudden hiss caught Mavec off guard, and he shuffled to the side, turning to face the Gold Banner Army agent.


    "Are you ok?" Mavec asked. The man proceeded to cough a few times into his hand.


    "Yes, the smoke is just getting to me," he said as he pointed at Mavec''s cigarette. "I never could stand them."


    "Oh, oh, sorry. I''ll put it out. Didn''t mean any disrespect," Mavec said as he passed the lit cigarette to Piccora, who promptly squished the lit end with her metal paws.


    "It''s alright; I have other business to attend to. If you''ll excuse me," the man said before he bowed and walked towards the manor.


    "What was that about Piccora?" He asked down at his metallic companion. Two beeps came from her in response. "I didn''t imagine that, did I?" Another beep from Piccora affirmed that she heard the man hiss. "Yeah, it was fucking weird."


    Cellocht¡¯s party: Naya


    Hope blistered bright as the sun in Naya, the sky filled with wild colors of fire, and the name thundered over the crowd. Alvec and Mavec weren''t followers of the spirits. They wanted to go to her home and get samples to study what had happened to her village. She was grateful for whatever help they might provide, but if this was due to the spirits, then who could say if arcane magic could even help? They had been traveling for weeks, and she had only seen a handful of people honoring the spirits. She raced from the fighting pits towards the halfling woman with messy red hair.


    "Excuse me?!" She said as she neared the woman. Up close, she could see that she was barefoot, and her clothing was clean but simple cloth with lots of charms and talismans scattered over it¡ªearthen colors, bright red berries, and sea glass stones.


    "Yes, child?" The woman asked as she greeted her with a wide, bright smile.


    "You mentioned you worship the spirits?"


    "Yes, and we should all worship them and honor the old accords," she nodded.


    "I need help; my village, the people were all turned into plants," Naya pleaded.


    "Slow down, child. We haven''t even exchanged names yet. I''m Lina, and you are?"


    "Naya, from Lom-Itoti, it''s a pleasure to meet you," Naya said as she dipped into a slight bow.


    "The whole village turned to plants? How did you escape this fate?" Naya frowned. Her memories of it were still very hazy. She had been asleep in bed; the next thing she knew, she was deep in the forest. The trauma of seeing her family and her friends turned into plants had also not helped cement the memories of that night in her skull. Alvec had suggested that they consult an enchanter. Perhaps they could help untangle the emotions and help paint a clearer picture of what had happened to her.


    "I went to bed and woke up in the woods with a strong urge to keep walking." The halfling smiled, wrinkles crossing her brow.


    "It sounds to me as if Enner Jut was looking after you. Attempting to protect you from whatever was afoot. I wish I could tell you why she could only save you." Naya frowned; she had thought as much herself. Enner Jut was one of the Three Sisters; they were some of the closest spirits to mortals.


    "Is it possible to commune with them?" Naya asked.


    "Perhaps, but the spirits have trouble communicating with mortals¡ªespecially ancient and mighty spirits like the Three Sisters. Perhaps you should try to seek out the Children of Akrixy instead. They are tree spirits who live all over the Empire. They are much closer to mortals and may be able to give you information more directly. Speaking with the spirits is far more art than it is science."


    "Do you know where any of them are?"


    "No. The last I heard, there was one somewhere near the city of Sha-Laial. Beyond that, I do not know where they make their homes. I wish you the best of luck in finding them. May they be able to shed some light onto what has happened and if anything can be done about it." She pulled a metal canister from a satchel and walked away, shaking it as she went. Seeds fell from it onto the ground. "A parting gift for Cellocht, his manors flora is too boring." Naya liked this woman quite a bit. A crowd had begun to gather in front of the stage. It was time to find Alvec and Mavec and find some seats.

 3: Gift or Curse

    Cellocht¡¯s party: Bait


    A plate full of cheese now happily in his stomach and morsels of more cheese hidden in his clothing, the goblin wandered the grounds of the party. Illaria had told him to be on his best behavior, so that meant not taking things from people unless offered. Bait hated that. Bait like things. Bait LOVE things more than the silly people hoarding them. Use gold to buy cheese; they use gold for what? Taxes? Cheese better than taxes. Bait wanted to shoot things, clean man had been mean, and horn-head had treated him like a child. He wasn''t a child; he was a full-grown adult, a full six years of age. He hadn''t seen a whelping cage in years. His eyes lit up as he saw several people practicing archery on a small range. There was a small table where someone was coordinating the event. Bait grumbled; more fun to run up to the field and unload¡ªbait best behavior, for gift. Cheese gift, he hope. Full wheels, enough to fill a wagon! The stinkiest, the creamiest, the best cheese. Salivating more than a little, he approached the table.


    "Hi, Bait shoot now," he said as he unholstered his musket from his back. A mild look of alarm crossed the guard''s face as he peered over the table at Bait''s large green head.


    "The targets?" The guard asked.


    "Which one, Bait''s?"


    "No one is using that one," he said as he gestured to one of the targets on the far right.


    "K, bye." With alarming speed, Bait trotted to the shooting line and leveled his gun at the target. He waited a moment for the breath to filter out of his lungs and then squeezed not one but both triggers. Why make a small bang when he could make big bang?! Twin gunshots rang out as two bullets slammed dead center into the straw target, blowing the whole thing apart. Bait frowned; targets on the ships made of driftwood. Punch clean holes through them with bullets. Straw not sturdy enough to handle shots. Bait grumbled again. Boom fun, result not. He spotted a flash of bright red hair approaching the wooden stage. A bunch of chairs were assembled in front of it. Bait reloaded his musket first and scampered in the direction of his friend. Illaria''s bright red hair and height made her stand out amongst other humans. Though she wasn''t a human, she was an... an Asseeemaar. That''s right, Asseemaar.


    "Hi, I got cheese!" Bait said as he procured a lump of brie from his pockets.


    "Pardon me asking, but did they know you were shoveling it into your pockets?" Illaria asked.


    "No one said Bait couldn''t. Want to smell it?" He asked before taking a long whiff of the cheese.


    "Need I be apologizing to anyone on your behalf?" She asked sternly.


    "Clean man was mean, but the horned guy talked at him until he left. Made me take a plate and use tongues, the clicky ones."


    "Ya mean tongs, right? They didn''t make you lick the cheese to pick it up, did they?" Illaria asked.


    "Yeah, Bait wanted to use cheese knives. Where you be?"


    "I did some mock fights."


    "You win?"


    "Won one, lost one."


    "Ooooh, someone really strong."


    "Aye, she''s fast."


    "How lose? You best with slashy-slash."


    "She was using two swords," Illaria replied.


    "Oooooh, two swords better than one," Bait agreed with a sagely nod.


    "Anywho, what do you say to us finding good seats? It looks like our host is making ready to speak to us all."


    "Bait want front row!" The mismatched pair promptly found seats in the front as Bait had suggested.


    It didn''t take long for the crowd to assemble around them and for the man of the hour to appear on the stage.


    The Ceremony: Mavec


    Calls for people to gather around the stage began to circulate. The trio chose seats on the left where Echo, Rem, and Piccora could stretch out and enjoy themselves. It made sense; Echo made people nervous. He was a wolf, after all, not some domesticated dog. Hell, the first few nights Mavec had been with Alvec and Naya, he had been skeptical about how under control Echo was. He figured he''d have to fight the mutt off at some point; thankfully, that wasn''t the case. Echo was a good enough boy, Mavec begrudgingly admitted to himself. Getting a better look at the crowd, there were many individuals here, but one thing stood out. For a 111-year-old halfling, many of the guests were far younger than he had expected.


    A party like this should have been primarily old hands, right? The sort of people who fought in the war. People who shared life experiences with him, and yet, many of them were young. Nearly half the guests by his rough count. Granted, varying life expectancies made it hard to gauge with several attendees.


    Mavec''s musings were cut short as Cellocht took the stage. He was old for sure; 111 was hardly unheard of for a halfling, but reaching this age was still impressive. His hair was white, and his clothing was colorful but light and loose. A vibrant red button-up shirt and a pair of black slacks. "Good evening, everyone." His melodious voice echoed magically through the courtyard. "I pray to Kushang that you have all enjoyed my hospitality. I''ve lived a very long and exquisite life, and as I enter my twilight years, it is only fair that I plant trees under whose shade I will never see. With that in mind, I will be giving out many gifts to causes that I support, and also with a vision bent towards the future, our future. The youth of the Empire, still earnestly rebuilding from the Anarchy and Ageneon''s War, deserve a share of the spoils I have won in my life. Without further ado and with no further ramblings from this old man, let us begin. May Pacta of the Red Banner army please rise and come to the stage?" he said as he gestured to the crowd.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Rumor had it that Cellocht had been influential in some of the declarations of amnesty handed down after Ageneon''s War. Specifically, offering citizenship to Tieflings and other races had been a point which, rumor had it, was pushed by none other than today''s host. They enjoyed legal protections in the Empire which were non-existent elsewhere, or so Mavec had heard. Honestly, as much as he had grown to like Alvec since he was another learned mind to bounce ideas off, his infernal heritage still freaked him out.


    An orc woman wearing a red armband and basic soldier''s gear took to the stage and humbly bowed as low as she could till the top of her head was level with the substantially shorter halflings. He produced a piece of clothing from nowhere and handed it to her.


    "To you, Pacta, for your distinguished service to the Red Banner army, I humbly present this tabard of fire resistance. May it keep you safe no matter what dangers may come your way. You needn''t worry about the size; it is enchanted and will resize to its owner," he said, as he gave her a curt nod and motioned her to exit the stage while encouraging people to clap for her.


    "Now, we can''t be giving the Red Banner a gift without giving the Blue Banner a gift. Illaria, will you kindly take the stage?" A tall woman with long red hair in the front row stood up and walked onto the stage. A goblin in the front row hollered support. "For your distinguished service helping protect our coast from the pirate threat. I gift you this exquisite cloak of protection." The garment he presented her was beautiful blue, white, and black, depicting the ocean waves on a turbulent sea. The woman gave a bow and headed back down to the front row. "However, that is not the only member of the Blue Banner army here. Bait, get up here," Cellocht said as he motioned to the goblin in the front row, who scrambled out of his chair and up the stairs. The reaction from the crowd was mixed. Many of the older folk present gave a sigh. However, those born during the peace barely batted an eye at the goblin. So far, this Bait fellow was the only person the same height as their host. "For you, this horn of fog." He held the horn out to the goblin, whose eyes went wider than Mavec could imagine before he swiped it from Celloch''s hands and immediately blew it. A thick fog flooded the stage and the seats. "Bravo, Bait, and praise Ageneon for welcoming all of Kian''s peoples. For joy and wonder you spread in small acts of chaos like this."


    Mavec waved his hand in front of his face to help clear the fog. It was harmless and all but annoying. Maybe that extension of rights was wrong after all. Not all of us found the chaos fun.


    "Next, for saving a dear friend of mine in the markets of Ord-Sinis Naya, please come to the stage." She stood up, quickly commanded Echo to stay with her hand, and then walked up the stairs tepidly. "So that you may always land on your feet, a ring of feather fall." Mavec leaned over to Alvec and whispered.


    "No offense to Cellocht, but coming here with you makes all the gifts feel irrelevant. You''re already rocking more enchanted items than I can shake Piccora at."


    "I like the messaging, though," Alvec said as he surveyed the assembled crowd. "It''s a nice thought to encourage us to reach higher."


    "Next up, will Lahzan please take the stage? In recognition of your hard work healing the harm from the wars and doing it in a way that speaks true to my heart, I offer you this watering can. While it may not regrow forests overnight, it will certainly speed up the growth of new woods to replenish what you use to craft new instruments." Lahzan gave a deep bow and accepted the gift; a smile was plastered to his face the whole way back to his seat.


    "Next, an ambitious artificer who aided the town of Jai-Anorona, Mavec, please take the stage," Cellocht motioned towards the crowd. Mavec stood and slid past Alvec and Naya and walked up the stairs to the stage. It was strange that he was being acknowledged for this. Warren Alston had stolen the credit for the water purifier. While Mavec hadn''t been run out of town, he certainly didn''t feel welcome there anymore. Even though he''d gone so far out of his way to fix so many of their problems, he wanted nothing more than a long drag off his cigarettes just for having to remember the unfortunate affair. Worse, Warren had stolen some of Mavec''s original designs he used in making Piccora. Find someone else who could make such delicate joints on a small scale. You''d have to have been Alusai to have done better. I guess it wasn''t surprising that Cellocht knew the truth about who led the effort to aid Jai-Enora. He was a very connected man, one who was used to people bullshiting him. "For you, I have this light cap; I think you''ll find the inscription quite to your liking," he said and handed him the magical lamp. Mavec bowed deeply and headed back to his seat.


    Once situated again, he ran his hands on the underside till he found the inscription: A single word etched in the bronze plate. Alusai. Others were called to the stage, but Mavec ignored them. He was too busy examining the inscription. This couldn''t be real; in the eyes of the government, Alusai was a traitor. He had fought on the wrong side of Ageneon''s War and had disappeared into exile. He was a master of Artificy, and many of the war constructs were either designed by him or based on designs he had made. How on earth did Cellocht get this? Were all of these gifts spite gifts? Someone clearly would have wanted to recover this. Was Cellocht ill? Like deathly ill? Maybe the reason for giving these things away was to keep them out of hands he knew would try to pilfer them the second he was gone. "Alvec!" Mavec sent the thought out via magic; a simple cantrip let him send short little bursts wordlessly at close range. "This is Alusai''s! How did Cellocht even get this?!" Alvec glanced over and took a look at the light cap.


    "Not sure. He has lived a storied life. I wouldn''t be surprised if Cellocht tried to recruit Alusai to Ageneon''s side. Everyone wanted his talents, after all. They may have even been friends before the wars," Alvec replied.


    "I wonder if we''ll ever know what happened to him." Mavec thought back.


    "Now, for the last of our gifts for the night. Will Alvec please join me on the stage?" Alvec obliged and snuck past Naya. Rem wiggled his butt and pounced, clawing his way up onto Alvec''s shoulders and eventually on top of his head. The pair took the stage, and Alvec''s tail flickered anxiously. For someone who wanted to found his own magical shop, he still needed to develop some more confidence, Mavec mused. "For your brave defense of Rust Hill when the forge elementals went mad, I gift you this¡ªthe deed to a property in the city of Sha-Laial. The stories say you fought alone to ensure the Red Banner could beat a safe retreat." Alvec accepted the scroll tube and bowed deeply before he returned to his seat.


    Cellocht bowed low to the audience. "With that, we end our gift-giving. May the future be bright and shine on all of you. With that, you are dismissed. Enjoy the food and celebrations."


    "Wait! Bait have question!" the goblin in the front row shouted.


    "Ah, yes, Bait?"


    "Where buy cheese?"


    "If you want to get the same cheese I provided, you''ll need to find Master Ben in Archer''s Market," Cellocht said before he let out a soft chuckle.


    "Illaria, we go, buy stinkiest cheese," Bait proclaimed loud enough for all to hear before he blew the fog horn again.

 4: The Journal and the Monster

    The Road: Alvec Snaptail


    Alvec examined the deed as best he could; it didn''t contain much detail, just a lot number and the street name. Scythfell Street, in the city of Sha-Laial. He''d have to get there first and then figure out the rest later. Mavec and Naya waited with their animal companions, ready to depart. The festivities at Cellochts had been only a few hours, and there was still plenty of daylight left for them to travel by.


    "So why are we going there first?" Naya asked again. Alvec nodded to her.


    "I''d been planning to go to the academies with whatever samples we find, but if we have our own base of operations, I can conduct studies on it myself without needing to get them involved," Alvec said with a smile.


    "Do we not want them involved?" She asked as she furrowed her brow.


    "Look, Naya," said Mavec. "The academies are full of smart people, but everyone is looking for their breakthrough. They might help cure your village, but they''ll also parade them around for the world to see beforehand. Alvec and I will keep it a lot more hush-hush. Make a small publication of it to show off what we''ve done but without all the fanfare."


    "Alright, to Sha-Laial, it is," She said while as she burried both hands in Echo''s mane and fluffed it violently. A pair of footsteps approached the group. One long and one excited and short.


    "Excuse me, but I was wondering, would you happen to be heading to Sha-Laial right away?" Illaria asked as she neared the trio. "If so, my companion Bait and I would like to be joining you. Bless him; he''s got his heart set on getting more of the cheese they were serving here, and Archer''s Market is only a day or two walk from Sha-Laial. Thought perhaps we could be traveling together, safety in numbers and all that."


    The group exchanged more official introductions. Bait needed a few reminders of who people were, as he hadn''t paid much attention to names or deeds, doubly so after he had acquired the fog horn. Mavec was not thrilled to travel with a goblin but begrudgingly agreed that having two extra sets of eyes would make him feel safer as they traveled toward Sha-Laial.


    The group headed down the lightly wooded roads. Pine trees, maple, and oak made up the majority of the trees in the Empire. The further north you traveled, the more Pine and Spruce you saw. Alvec liked the scent of it in the air. They proceeded in near silence; their goal was to make it to the river town of Jai-Olninlo. A few hours passed, with short little breaks and casual conversations. A scream and the sound of combat eventually broke this trend. Off to the side of the road was a lone traveler, something which defied any name Alvec knew. The creature stood about 6 or so feet tall in total. Its legs were that of a crab, but only three existed. Where its torso should have been, there was nothing. From its waist drifted up underwater plants like kelp, and a glowing orb rested obscured within them. From it also came an extraordinarily long whip-thin tail dripping a yellow ichor as it darted around. The man, wearing a forest green cloak over a cream shirt and tan pants, did his best to fend the creature off with a short sword. They exchanged several blows as the party closed the distance.


    Eventually, the tail pierced the man, and he fell backward, and screamed in agony. Illaria moved first, unsheathed her wakizashi and closed distance on the creature with surprising speed. Her sword struck it in a flash. The wound sizzled when exposed to air, and the same strange ichor sept from the injury, while the wound emitted a scream like a deep whistle.


    Alvec wasted no time calling up a familiar spell, a translucent veil of arcane energy wrapped around him, mimicking the look of a chain shirt as he closed the distance. Rem hopped off his master and grabbed the wand of healing stored in a holster on Alvec''s leg. The fox rushed to the man and attempted to activate the wand. The tip flickered with white light but failed to fully start. Activating wands was still tricky for the young familiar. If he had a lot of time, he could pull it off, but in an emergency, it was risky. Rem yipped in annoyance.


    Mavec stayed back but sent Piccora charging forward. He muttered the usual incantations, and Piccora flickered with electricity the moment before she barreled into one of the creature''s legs. The contact was enough, and the spell''s deadly electricity coursed through the creature''s shell. Bait took aim and shot two bullets into it. The creature reeled and stumbled somewhat unsteady as it took an exaggerated swing at Alvec.


    The stinger, still dripping with that angry yellow substance, nearly found purchase on Alvec. At the last second, he interposed his shield and saved himself from whatever foul fate awaited the man on the ground. Naya and Echo arrived a moment later. Naya got in a single good slice on one of the leg joints, and Echo bit down where her sword had sliced and shook it violently. The sinew of its legs tore like ropes fraying, and Echo pulled the entire leg off. The creature stumbled on its remaining legs for a moment, its tail whipsawed around, trying to stabilize itself, before it finally collapsed and started to smoke and dissolve. Alvec pulled out a glass bottle with a solid rubber stopper from his pack and tossed it to Mavec. "Get a sample, quick!"


    Mavec caught the vial and quickly scooped some of the creatures dissolving flesh into it. Alvec crouched beside the man, grabbed the wand from Rem''s mouth and made ready to use it.


    "Tyir!" The man gasped and thrust a leather journal at Alvec. "Trust no one¡­ K-Kaavas," The man''s right eye swelled out of his skull. It popped, spraying blood and pus over Alvec. With one last heave of breath, the man went limp, his head deflated like a rotten melon. The man''s body dissolved before their eyes.


    "What in the hells was that?" Naya asked.


    Mavec moved over Alvec''s shoulder to inspect the man but quickly backed away. He pocketed the sample and grabbed a cigarette, his hands shook as he lit it.


    "Which part, the creature or the exploding eyeballs? By the gods, what the fuck is going on here?" Mavec asked. Kaavas: it was a name that much was clear to Alvec. He couldn''t hazard a guess as to what or to whom it belonged. Tyir, another name. This one stood out to Alvec, though. It was a name that sounded Tiefling in origin. He frowned at the thought. Whoever this Tyir was, getting this journal to him was more important than trying to heal the damage. Not that Alvec was confident they could have saved this man even if they had tried. These wounds were inconsistent with the sort of damage he had used wands to heal before.


    "I don''t rightly know what that was," Illaria replied while she inspected her sword. The beast''s blood was evaporating from the blade as well. Alvec pulled out his spell book and, in the back pages, did a rough and dirty sketch of the beast from memory. He''d have loved to have had the time to draw a detailed diagram, but its dissolving left little time to act. It was about preserving as much truth as memory permitted before it slipped out of focus. The group spoke for a moment, as they observed the surroundings. With no body, it was clear they wouldn''t need to dig a proper grave for the strange traveler. Instead, they placed a few stones stacked upon each other to mark where he passed. Perhaps if they found this Tyir, they could learn the man''s name and give him a more proper service. The odds of Tyir being out on a country road seemed slim. Who could say how long it would take to find the man. If they ever could. When they got a chance to rest off the roads, Alvec would do his best to see what this journal contained.


    "Well, there isn''t anything else we can do here for the poor fellow. Shall we be moving on? I''d like to be off the roads before we have a chance to run into any more of them," Illaria said. The party exchanged glances before heading forward again. Despite their detour in the woods, the group had made good time getting to the next riverside town. The sun was only beginning to sag toward the horizon. "I''ll be finding us suitable transportation," Illaria announced as she broke off from the group.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Hey, I''m coming with you; we need to make sure they can accommodate Echo and Rem," Naya said. Bait said nothing as he wandered off into the crowd.


    "Be back by sundown!" Illaria shouted after him as his short green head disappeared into the small crowds at the shops.


    "I''m hitting the library. Maybe they''ll have something about whatever the hells that was," Mavec stated. With that, the group broke in various directions.


    Alvec walked with Rem nestled on his head and Echo at his left hip. He appreciated Naya sending Echo with him, but it was also a little irksome. Sure, he was a wizard, but he wasn''t as frail or fragile as Mavec. He clapped a hand onto his mithril buckler, reassuring himself that he was fine and didn''t need a guard dog. This small shield, made of rare and special metal as strong as steel yet light as a feather, was all he needed to defend himself. Admittedly, Echo would make short work of any bar fights, but Alvec wasn''t really planning to start any. He entered the first tavern he found, and the room went silent. He let out a discontent sigh. While Ageneon''s proclamations protected Tieflings from legal discrimination, they did little to change public opinion. One walking in with a giant wolf at his side and a fox on his head must have made for a strange and possibly intimidating sight. "An ale, please," Alvec said as he reached the bar and gave Echo a quick hand sign to sit. Echo thudded his butt onto the worn wooden floor.


    "Coin first for newcomers, 5 copper." Alvec whistled at the cost.


    "Little steeper than I usually pay. Wonder if it''s a little better," Alvec mused loudly as he slid five copper coins onto the table. He wouldn''t accuse the man of overcharging him, but he wouldn''t pay the price happily or quietly.


    "Best in town," The bartender countered, sliding him the mug. Alvec took a long drag. He wasn''t particularly fond of alcohol, to be honest, but it was customary to buy a drink in a bar. Coming here and asking questions without partaking in their beverages would be strange. It wasn''t too bad, certainly not too strong, and honestly, without a cleric with them to purify water or without breaking out his portable alchemy kit, it was the best way to make sure he got some clean water. As far as its quality, it was middling. He probably should have paid a piece of copper less. It was tough to say, though, if this was usual for a passer-through or if it was... well, something else.


    "Do you happen to know a fellow named Tyir?" Alvec asked after waiting a few moments. "He may be a Tiefling like me."


    "Can''t say I do; we have all sorts passing through here. Most don''t give a name." Alvec nodded; it had been a long shot, but it was better to take a shot and miss than miss an easy shot. He finished his drink, left a small tip of two more copper, and returned to meet his traveling companions. There was a lot of road and river between them and Sha-Laial.


    Bait


    The small goblin weaved in between the people in the crowd. Mostly humans, many of them too clean and well groomed. None of them carrying emergency cheese, a great insult to Goblin kind, or at least to Bait. Illaria no tell Bait to be on good behavior. Bait free to do whatever he wants. The small goblin bumped into his first mark. Slow-looking human, plump, old, maybe a bit drunk. He''d never notice his coin purse a few gold lighter. His fingers quickly found their mark, and he slipped a few coins from the bag as he pushed off the man with his other hand. The pressure was far from where he had lifted the gold. He wouldn''t realize for many hours, Bait hoped. A few more easy marks, and he would have all the cheese he and Bahzugs could possibly want... for a little while. Perhaps Bahzugs and he could have stinky cheese. Muenster? Maybe soft cheese. Brie. All good, all making Bait''s mouth water. Bait loses track of Bahzugs a lot; Bahzugs best rat-dog; his dander make Bait''s skin tingle, great sensation; love the gentle tingle and the fantastic red coloration that spreads over his fingertips.


    Bahzugs good tracker; always find Bait, always find the emergency cheese. Strong scent help Bahzugs catch up. The goblin dog was currently off doing his own thing. This didn''t worry Bait in the slightest. The small goblin continued to wander the town; nothing caught his interest outside of the few small golden coins he had palmed. Town too small to have good cheese. With little else to do, Bait wandered to the docks to find Illaria.


    Mavec


    The town''s library was quaint... that''s the word you use when something is small, cluttered, and dimly lit. Run-down or decrepit might have been better fitted, but quaint was the polite word. Mavec approached the desk and knocked on wood a few times before he heard some shuffling from behind a corner.


    "One moment," A man in the barest sense of the word said before he lumbered up to the counter with a stack of books. He wore simple black robes with a simple bronze badge on a golden chain around his neck. His glasses were thick and wide lenses with simple metal frames. His hair was a curly blonde cut close to his head. Mavec pulled out his badge and set it on the table for the presumable librarian to see.


    "I''m looking for books on monsters. We ran into something strange on the roads. I''ve never seen anything like it before. Figured one of the field guides might have some info."


    "Ah, yes. One moment, we''ve got several."


    "Excellent, I''ll grab a seat," He said before he glanced around the library some more. A small table in the corner seemed like it could seat two people comfortably. He headed over to it and sat down, crossing one of his legs over his knee. The young man returned shortly with a handful of old books. Mavec dissected them for anything resembling the creature they had seen. Lots of sketches of creatures he had heard of. There were tons of depictions of the old war clockwork soldiers that Alusai had created. While some of the illustrations were great, it was clear the person making the sketch had only the faintest idea of how clockwork machinery worked. They better understood plants and animals judging by the notes scrawled along the side of the page in neat writing. Maybe they were a druid.


    Nothing sadly matched the description of that thing. Nothing even came close. Honestly, tripod crab legs, a body resembling kelp, and a glowing orb. A scorpion-esc stinger, and a toxin that caused the inflicted to dissolve into goop just like it had. It didn''t sound like anything that Mavec had ever heard of. He pulled the small vial out from his pocket. This was all they had left of the creature. Out in the middle of nowhere, they didn''t have the means to properly test it, magically or chemically. Leave it to Alvec, though, to be prepared. The guy seriously always had a plan, even if some were... questionable. Hell, his cloak required him to be exposed to fire before it would even work. It wasn''t a coincidence that he also carried Alchemist fire on him. He had a daredevil streak, his bookish nature obscured.


    After flipping through the last book, Mavec called out. "Hey, you have anything else? I''m not seeing anything useful in here."


    "Oh dear, we might have a few more exotic manuals... could you describe the creature a bit? Maybe I''ve seen it before?" He asked from behind the counter, a good 20 feet away.


    "Uh, yeah, let''s see... had three giant crab legs, a glowing orb where its torso should have been, somewhat looked like, I don''t know, kelp? Anyway, the kelp obscured the glowing orb, and finally, a scorpion-like tail dripping some noxious yellow liquid."


    The boy blinked and stiffened up. "And you saw this on the road near here?" he practically squeaked.


    "Yeah, my friends and I were heading from Cellocht''s manor on our way to Sha-Laial."


    "I... I don''t think I''ve ever heard of anything like this. I''m... I will tell the town guard when I close up for the night. You killed it, right? Do we know if there are any more?" He asked nervously, fidgeting with the book in front of him.


    "I sure hope there aren''t more; the one guy we saw get stabbed had his eyes pop out of his head before evaporating. I''m getting a little nauseous just remembering it," Mavec admitted.


    "By Kushang, think I''m barricading the doors tonight too."


    "Wish I could do that; we''ll be boarding a riverboat tonight. I''ll have to try the libraries of one of the academies. Maybe they''ll have something about these... things. If I find any information, I''ll send it along."


    "I''m not sure I want to know."


    "Ignorance does little to keep you alive; you should know that already," Mavec said as he pointed to his badge. With a heavy sigh, he got up and walked to the door, Piccora hopping behind him. He stopped outside the entrance to smoke a cigarette and glanced at the sky. Gray storm clouds were moving in. He could smell the rain on the salt air. They were in for another uncomfortable day of travel, alright.

 5: Trouble on the High Arrow

    Naya and Illaria


    The docks and the riverboats were easy to find. For a small town, Jai-Olninlo was situated on a busy river with plenty of trade. Naya and Illaria stood before a long wooden river boat with gold lettering painted on its side, "The High Arrow." It was a shallow boat with a stable-like structure built on top of it to accommodate animals and human passengers alike. A gruff orc man standing a head taller than Naya but several inches shorter than Illaria approached them. He wore rough, weathered leather and carried a set of daggers at his side. His hair was a messy, soft brown, which stood out against his mint-green skin.


    "Greetings; how can we at the High Arrow help you today?" Illaria took the lead, standing in front of Naya.


    "Hello, we''re looking for passage. We''re heading to Sha-Laial. Will she, the High Arrow, be traveling in that direction?" Illaria asked.


    "Aye, we''re planning to depart before sundown. We''d like to beat the storm clouds. A little surge of water could help us make great time."


    "Alright, we''ll be needing passage for ourselves... there are... five of us.."


    "Closer to ten. Echo, Rem, Piccora, and the two animals you have," Naya added.


    "What manner of creatures are these anyway?"


    "Echo is a wolf; he''s my companion. Rem is a fox. Piccora... is a clockwork, so I''m not sure she counts, but she''s a rabbit. Then they''ve got a cat and some weird rat-dog."


    "Their names are Jinx and Bahzugs," Illaria supplied. "They''re both reasonably ship-trained. Jinx is a natural mouser, and Bahzugs hasn''t caused any issues on the Blue Banner boats. Never bit no one, I swear, he''s barely got the brains to do anything other than eat and laze around."


    "Alright, 3 gold ahead, provided you lot can prove that your animals are well tamed. We aim to head out soon, so you best be gathering up," He said before he headed back onto the ship.


    "That went well, right?" Naya asked.


    "About as well as we can expect anything to go when traveling with a rat dog like Bahzugs. It''s good that he''s too dumb and lazy to cause problems," Illaria said as she nodded in agreement. "Bait will be wherever we least want him to be, so I''m thinking he''s in the market, helping himself to things he shouldn''t be touching. Hopefully, the town guard isn''t questioning him."


    "Sounds like an exciting friend. Though I must admit, you two strike me as an odd pair," Naya said.


    "No odder than your trio. What is a girl from the hinterlands doing wandering around with two city-raised wizards?" Illaria asked.


    "Alvec offered help when no one else would, and then he picked Mavec up along the way. No conditions, just a promise of safety, companionship, a share in our struggles, and a share in our victories. He''s like a dandelion seed floating on the wind."


    "I''m glad you both found someone willing to help. Bait, strange as it might be sounding, is the same way, give or take. We''re both searching the seas for people who we''ve lost or have been stolen from us. While our goals align, we walk together as comrades."


    "He''s got to be more than just a comrade. If he was just a comrade, you wouldn''t be sticking your neck out for him at every introduction," Naya stated. She wasn''t exactly wrong. In the Coffin Flotilla, the mortality rates were higher than anywhere in the Blue Banner army. We weren''t just comrades; we were damn near family.


    "Aye, you might be right. Let''s hurry along; we''ve got to collect everyone and get back here as soon as possible." The pair walked in silence as they raced through the small town. Bait was the easiest to find, surprisingly. He and Bahzugs were chilling out, eating cheese. No one asked him how they had acquired the cheese. Some things were better left unsaid. Mavec was right where he said he would be, standing outside the library smoking a cigarette. Piccora sat by his side, scanning the environment around them. Alvec, Echo, and Rem were near the tavern; Alvec was feeding the two animals slices of meat from a nearby stand. They stood in a circle together to exchange an overview of what they had learned.


    "No dice on Tyir; if he''s been through here, he wasn''t very social," Alvec informed the group.


    "Library was a bust, too; he''s never seen anything like we encountered. None of his books had anything useful in it either," Mavec supplied.


    "Bait, find these!" He said as he pulled out several pieces of gold, a few house keys, and other odds and ends.


    "You best be ditching those keys," Illaria insisted. Bait grumbled reluctantly and just casually dropped the keys into the dirt path.


    "We''ve got a deal for a boat ride, three gold a head, so we''ll each need to pony up six gold pieces," Illaria said. "They''re counting our animals as a head, unfortunately. It''s still a fair price; we''ll save a lot of time taking the riverboat. It''ll shave days off our travel."


    "All I have to do is prove that our animals are good," Naya stated cheerfully. "So let''s get this taken care of. We''ve got a city to see."


    The orc man was waiting for the group to arrive. The boat seemed just about ready to leave; the last of its cargo was being loaded up a short wooden dock plate to the ship itself. Several men with long oars were prepared to start rowing as soon as the signal was given. Their ages varied, but a quick glance showed that many seemed like seasoned rivermen. All of them looked at ease with their jobs. "Alright, let''s see it then. Prove to me it''s safe to let them all onboard," the orc said.


    Naya excitedly hopped in front of Echo. "Okay, boy, like we''ve practiced. Sit!" Echo wagged his tail and sat down, tilting his head expectantly. "Okay, lay down." The wolf grumbled but lowered himself entirely onto the ground at her feet. "Roll over!''" she shouted as she twirled her arm in a circle. He did so, coming to rest again on his stomach. "Alright, up and jump." He followed her commands perfectly, standing up and hopping lightly toward her. He didn''t touch her but fell back to standing right before her. He sniffed at her hands, expecting there to be some sort of treat for all his hard work. He grumbled a bit when he didn''t find any meat or cheese. "Ta-dah!" She said as she pointed both arms at Echo''s tricks.


    "Seems to listen well enough, pass on him. Who''s next?"


    "Do I really need to do this? She''s a clockwork?" Mavec asked as he pointed at Piccora.


    "A fair point; how dangerous is that thing?" He asked as he tilted his head at her.


    "Not really, it''s a construct. It listens to what I tell it to do; it doesn''t need to eat or sleep."


    The man stroked at his beard while mulling over the response. "Rabbit gets a pass. Next?"


    Alvec and Rem stepped forward on the dirt path. "Rem, write your name in the dirt." The fox chirped back at Alvec and gently dug his name into the pathway. Remington appeared in the dirt in short order. He looked up proudly, waiting for praise.


    "A pass for the fox, too; it writes better than some of my ship hands. I''m guessing that means he''s a familiar, and you''re a wizard. Alright."


    Illaria pointed to the black cat following her. "Nothing to see here, really, just a cat." Jinx threaded between her legs a few times, rubbing up against her.


    "Alright, there''s one more, right? Let''s see this ''goblin dog,''" He stated. Bait and Bahzugs wandered up to the man and stood before him.


    "Zugs, sit!" The giant rat tilted its head at the command. "Zugs, sleep." The giant rat tilted its head the other way. "Zugs bite!" He said while waving a small stick at him. Still nothing. "Zugs eat?" He finally suggested and presented a tiny bit of meat from a pocket. The rat-dog happily took it gently from his small hands and chomped down.


    "Well, I''m not convinced it''s... trained... but it doesn''t seem dangerous. Alright. That''ll be thirty gold in total for your trip. We''ll get you as close to Sha-Laial as we can." The man collected the gold, and the group boarded the boat, entering the stable-like area, claiming a bit near the back with clean straw.


    Alvec threw himself into the straw and began reading the book before him. The intensity with which he stared at the pages gave Naya chills. She wasn''t sure she had ever thought that hard at anything. Things just were, and she was okay with that. Teaching Echo flowed so easily to her; his type of magic and whatever he was doing to the book just didn''t seem worth it. Mavec sat in the center of the stable where there was the least hay. He had popped a panel off from Piccora and was working on her. What exactly he was doing, she''d never be able to say. Illaria and Jinx settled in the corner, and Bait and Bahzugs rolled around in the hay. "Bait make boat home."


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    "If you dare piss on the boat, I''m going to make you clean it with your tongue," Illaria reprimanded him. "You go off the back of the boat, just like the Blue Banner."


    Echo coiled up near Alvec, and Naya sank into his fur, using the wolf as a pillow. He adjusted himself, wrapping three-fourths around her before he laid his head over his criss-crossed paws. The boat began moving shortly after they settled in. There weren''t a lot of other passengers on the ship. Mainly livestock, with a few shepherds watching over them. Rain began to fall in curtains outside. The structure, while of rough construction, was good enough to keep most of the rain at bay.


    "Find anything interesting?" Naya asked to break the silence.


    "It''s not enchanted, but it is encrypted. I can''t make sense of it. Dates and times it reads like a basic travel journal. I can try to break the cipher, but it will take a LOT of time and effort, if possible."


    "Does that mean it''s important?" Naya asked. Alvec mused briefly as he put the book back into his pack.


    "It''s tough to say, Naya. We don''t know anything about the man himself. I don''t like it, though. Carrying a book he felt important enough to shove into my hands with his dying breath, having it heavily encrypted... this book contains something important, I''m sure... but to who or to what, I can''t say."


    "Another puzzle for team wizard to work on," Naya said.


    "Team Cheese Accolyte better." Bait chimed in.


    The rain continued to come down at an alarming pace. It was unsettling for Naya. She''d always been told to stay indoors during sudden and intense rainfall. The sky opening suddenly meant it wasn''t safe until the rain stopped. It was hard to say if this was a truth of nature or a truth of the spirits. Either way, she was glad for their temporary shelter.


    A scream broke her idle thoughts. Alvec sprung to his feet, his tail whipped around, and grabbed his shield while he pulled out a dagger.


    "You all heard that, right?" Naya asked as she got to her feet. A quick command roused Echo as well.


    "Yeah, and I didn''t like it," Mavec said as he slapped the plate back on Piccora and quickly spun her clockwork.


    "Now, let''s not be hasty. We''ve paid our fare; we should sit here and let it be. Going out in the rain isn''t safe," Illaria stated.


    "What do you mean the rain isn''t safe? Is this some coastal superstition?" Mavec asked as he cast a spell on Piccora. The air around her seemed to puff out with arcane energy.


    "Vramea, who dwells within the rain, sends sudden downpours as a warning to stay indoors," Naya said in agreement with Illaria.


    "Got it, backwoods superstitious bullshit," Mavec said.


    "People are in trouble. I''m not going to just sit here and do nothing," Alvec stated as he strapped his Mithril buckler on his left arm and mirrored the same spell Mavec cast. Unlike Mavec''s magic, Alvec''s was more noticeable. His mirrored real-world armor, in particular, a ghostly blue chain shirt.


    "Still, we can let them handle it. It''s their job," Illaria insisted.


    "What happens if the people steering the boat are killed? I don''t want to drown in some storm-surged river," Mavec growled.


    "Give me a moment; let me see if I can reach anyone," Alvec said. He raised a finger to his temple and whispered some words. His lips seemed to glow slightly with the same blue energy. "Is everything okay out there?" He sent out to the first mind he could just beyond the wall.


    A mind met his own; "It''s been a while since I''ve answered one of these. Not sure yet. Can barely see my damned feet." A few more moments passed before there was another scream.


    "That''s it. I don''t care what you do, but I won''t just sit here," Alvec said before a hum of protective energy enveloped everyone. He rushed out into the rain, which fell around him as if it had struck an umbrella no one else could see.


    "Come, Echo, we can''t let him have all the fun," Naya said before she exited onto the High Arrow''s rain-slicked deck. Begrudgingly, everyone else followed.


    "I still think this is a bad idea!" Illaria sang over the storm winds and surge of rushing water.


    Contorting themselves strangely on the deck were half a dozen creatures. They resembled muscular flatworms the size of an adult human, with human mouths at both ends. No lips, just teeth. Their flesh was a strange, ruddy brown color. They wiggled and flipped, and their teeth clanked together terribly. There wasn''t a word for what these were. Naya and Echo rushed to the rear of the boat, where four of the beasts were. The pair wasted no time laying into the worms with sword and fang. They emitted a similar hissing noise to the previous creature they had fought as they were pierced and slashed. They responded in kind, biting and flopping at the pair. The wounds were shallow, as human teeth aren''t as damaging as that of Echo or even Rems, but they were numerous. Both ends were bit in quick succession.


    Bait quacked like a duck before he leveled his gun and shot at one Naya was in the way of. The bullet narrowly missed her, blowing a jagged hole into the creature, which slumped down and sizzled away; viscera slid off the boat, taken by the rain. Piccora served as Mavec''s focus as the young wizard did his best to stay far away from the front lines. She slammed her small metal body into one of the creatures; a burst of electricity scorched its flesh upon contact.


    Alvec and Illaria ended up back to back on the side of the boat, squaring off against two creatures. They were fast, but the duo were faster. Illaria momentarily lost her footing on the rain-soaked deck as one of the creatures dove for her. She tried intercepting it with her sword, but it was moving too fast. Alvec''s tail half wrapped around her waist and tugged her back as he slid in where she had been and slammed his mithril buckler into its teeth, knocking it aside. Another hiss from behind her brought her attention and sword up to intercept. With better footing, she slapped the teeth off course and then, with one clean motion, slashed the creature in twain with her wakizashi.


    Alvec took a deep breath and gambled. He''d trust that his spells would be enough to shield him as he concentrated on another spell. Sensing his distraction, the creature in front of him launched forward, but the barrier of force around him was enough to slow the creature''s attack. Alvec slid effortlessly out of the way and returned the favor. Fire gathered in an orb in his right hand. He threw it, and the globe of flame slammed into the one in front of him, then splintered and arched playfully around himself and Illaria, seeking out and striking another one of the creatures a good fifteen feet away that was angling to attack Naya. The two worms burst into flame and crumpled to the deck, their corpses smoldering. Another gunshot rang out, and another of these strange creatures slid into the river below. Naya''s blades bit twice into the last one, and then Echo scooped it up into his jaws and snapped them shut, bisecting it in the middle.


    The group exchanged glances and a general sigh as the immediate threat seemed to have passed. Everyone began to relax when the boat''s back end was suddenly lifted clean out of the water. The sudden movement sent everyone clinging to the ship. Echo chomped down on the guard rail at the rear. Naya plunged both swords into the deck, holding them like climbing spikes. Mavec hit the floor hard, and only his position in the doorway far from combat gave him anything to cling to. Piccora nearly slid into oblivion, but Naya was able to wrap a leg around her. Bait grabbed Echo''s tail but struggled to hold onto the wolf and his musket. As his grip began to slip, he bit into Echo''s tail. Goblin teeth strong. Bait try not hurt wolf, but no lose musket, and no go overboard. Alvec and Illaria were slammed into the guardrail, and both grabbed it solidly.


    Rem, resting on Alvec''s head, took a plunge. Thankfully, Alvec whipped his tail out and grabbed his dear friend, pulling him back to the boat with a surge of adrenaline. Echo growled loudly at whatever was hoisting the ship into the air. No one had a clear view of it, thanks to the torrent of rain pounding down.


    Another form, barely discernible, came rushing towards them out of the night. As Alvec braced for impact, he caught sight of a massive snake head bearing down, jaws open wide. With a hiss like an erupting geyser, it slammed into whatever held the boat aloft. The ship slipped from its grip and plummeted back into the river, practically adrift as the current carried it away. Calls started to go out from the captain as he rallied his people to return to their posts. Thankfully, they were able to, and the boat righted itself moments later.


    "I told you this was a bad idea," Illaria chided as she righted herself and offered a hand to Alvec, who clutched Rem with one hand and the guard rail with his tail and arm. He graciously accepted, and she pulled him to his feet. The group gathered back up, and Illaria departed to speak with the captain.


    She found him with ropes tied around his waist, about to dive off the ship. "Excuse me, but might I ask what you might be doing?"


    He smiled at her. "What, concerned for my safety?" The captain asked.


    "Not particularly; I was just hoping to see how the High Arrow and crew were faring after... whatever those were, attacked," Illaria said.


    "Some of my men have minor injuries, nothing that will stop them from doing their duty... as for the boat. That''s what I''m about to find out. A riverboat like this isn''t designed to take the kind of shock we just did. I need to see if we cracked anything. Which is what I was about to be doing," He said before he leaped off the side of the boat and plunged into the river. The rope quickly went taunt. About half a minute passed before his head broke the water''s surface. Illaria quickly grabbed the rope and pulled him up. He grasped at the wooden deck and hauled himself over. Laying belly up on the deck of the ship for a moment. "Fraid I''ll be giving you guys a refund. There''s a sizable crack in the aft of the boat. We''ll be taking on water before long." Illaria nodded.


    "Will you be making it to the next dock? Or should we prepare to abandon ship?" Illaria asked


    "Oh, we''ll make it; I''ll ditch cargo to make us lighter if I have to. Losing some cargo is nothing compared to losing the whole ship. I''ve only got to make us last another few hours. Full refund if you or your friends have any idea how to plug the leak."


    "I''ll ask if they have any solutions," Illaria said before she took her leave to inform the group. Alvec and Mavec were the "problem" solving sort; they might actually have an idea that could work to hold this ship over till they could make port. Illaria returned to the group who were still standing and at the ready. No one knew where those creatures had come from, nor if there were more of them. The skies had cleared, and the rain had stopped. It was as if the brief storm had never even happened. The sun''s intense rays caused steam to rise from the slick wood of the boat''s deck. She reiterated to them what she had learned from the captain.


    "Mending, we''ve both got mending," Mavec said as he glanced at Alvec. "Got any better ideas?"


    "Since we seem to be only a few hours out... no, I think that''s our most cost-efficient strategy," Alvec agreed.


    "What''s the other option?" Naya asked.


    "I try to whip up some hydrophobic resin we can cram into the crack. If we had much further to go, I''d opt to try this while Mavec did what he could to mend it."


    "You boys, do what you can; I''ll get our money back."

 6: The Machines of War

    Mavec


    His socks were still soaked, even though his gold purse was three coins heavier. He hated the sloshing sensation in his boots as the group traveled the wide dirt road through the woods. The town they had managed to dock in was barely large enough to be considered a town. More of a rest stop than anything else. It was so small that it didn''t even have a proper inn. That said, the party had voted whether to keep going or rest on the outskirts of town. Mavec had been the only one to vote to rest. He''d have liked to dry his socks over a campfire and prepare some new spells.


    His book mainly contained electric spells, great against clockwork machinery and strong against flesh... but not quite as strong as fire. He''d need to ask Alvec if he could borrow his spell book sometime. That was one of the cool things about traveling with another wizard. It was easy just to trade spells. Eventually, the sun''s rays started to fail to pierce the thin veil of leaves above their heads, and the group decided it was time to set up camp and bed down for the night. Mavec set himself up as close to the fire as he could. As was tradition, Alvec maintained the fire till he was ready to sleep.


    Unfortunately, Bait also set himself up close to the fire and made a game out of spooking everyone as he threw small bits of black powder into the fire.


    "Would you knock that off?" Mavec finally snapped.


    "No, Bait test black powder. Not all black powder good. Some batches go boom, others go BOOM. Bait want to use BOOM, not boom."


    "That is the dumbest thing I''ve heard. Why does that make sense?" Mavec asked.


    "Because he''s right, though I''d prefer he does this in the morning when we cook breakfast; he''s upsetting Jinx and making it hard to relax," Illaria stated as she glared at Bait.


    "Bait almost done; Bait ready for bedtime cheese, best cheese," He confirmed as he pulled out a chunk of some near-molded cheese and slopped it into his wide open mouth tilted to the sky.


    "I take it Piccora will be keeping watch for us?" Alvec asked.


    "Of course, she doesn''t need to sleep," Mavec replied.


    "I''ll stay up late, too," Naya said.


    "Bait, sleep now, watch after." With the night watch mostly figured out, those not on the lookout bedded down. Sleep was surprisingly easy for Mavec to fall into despite how strange of a world he was living in right now. Perhaps it was the general exhaustion overriding his discomfort with his current situation. He had never been fond of the idea of camping. He was much more comfortable in a house, even a modest one. Four walls he could modify seemed much better than the cluster of trees just off the beaten path. Fewer bugs and fewer animals sounded like a godsend. He couldn''t wait to be back in a proper town again.


    The night passed without incident. Breakfast was lackluster; dried meats, twice-baked loaves of bread, and long-lasting trail rations composed the sad meal. Thankfully, Mavec''s clothing had thoroughly dried out.


    The group spent some time around the campfire. The two wizards prepared their spells for the day. In some ways, Mavec envied sorcerers. They simply "knew" a spell and could cast it. Wizards like himself had to carefully select each spell they wanted access to and then prime it in their minds. In a way, it was like a far more elaborate gun loading. Each spell is a bullet stored in a bandelier with a packet of black powder. Though guns had it better, a bullet was always a bullet. Some spells were duds if you didn''t encounter the right creatures or circumstances. Speaking of guns, much to Mavec''s surprise, Bait was crafting some sort of alchemical cartridge for his musket.


    "You know what you''re doing?" He asked casually as he examined the goblin''s work. His "station," a stump with various substances poured out over it, was a mess; in fact, a slug had climbed up onto it and seemed to be curiously checking out the substances. Mavec grimaced; working in such conditions was far from ideal. Bait, however, had no qualms with it or his new slug friend.


    "Yes, mix saltpeter, charcoal, and stinkfur together. Careful, add water, use a stone bowl like mine, no metal, or else it go boom too soon." Mavec blinked a few times in surprise. He was... right. Well, other than calling sulfur Stinkfur.


    "Alright, I''ll, uh, leave you to it," Mavec said as he retreated a safe distance from the goblin working without any protective gear. It wasn''t long before everyone was ready to go.


    They had a long day ahead of them. At best, Archer''s Market was a good two days out. That was if nothing crazy happened along the way. Around noon, the trees thinned out, and farmland and fields became visible. Some of them were plots clearly overgrown and abandoned. Others were clearly new, with small farms slowly fighting back the edge of wild growth. So much life had been lost during the Anarchy and in Ageneon''s War that there were still a lot of territories classified as Throne Land. Much of it had been awarded to many loyal to the emperor, but there was still just so much that sat fallow. Mavec could only muse as to why. Surely, some people would work the land if it were given to them. Right? Maybe not; he would rather have a lovely small home in a town than live on the fringes like this.


    "Could one of you wizards explain to me why Archer''s Market and Sha-Laial sound so different?" Illaria asked, breaking Mavec out of his thoughts.


    "Easy, Old Imperial and New Imperial. Archer''s Market was clearly built after Ageneon won the war," Alvec supplied.


    "It''s also probably Archer''s Market because Agenenon is an arcane archer of some renown," Mavec said.


    "Are the old names going out of fashion?" Naya asked.


    "Probably. It would fit with Ageneon''s general outlook on forging a new path forward," Alvec agreed.


    "Ok, but what about all the different prefixes?" Naya asked. "What is the difference between a Sha and an Ac?" Naya asked.


    "Size mostly," Mavec replied. "Sha''s are cities. Ac''s are truly massive cities. I only remember two of them off the top of my head. Ac-Rilir is the capital, and Ac-Azziza is the empire''s largest port city."


    "Lom is the smallest rough equitable to the word hamlet, with Enc being a village. Jy and Ot represent towns," Alvec added.


    The conversation on the road was cut short as a strange noise caught the group''s attention. They had finally come up upon a farmhouse on the right. Whirling gears and a busted open gate made him anxious about what was just out of sight.


    "Guys, wait," He whispered with urgency. "Listen." The group did as he asked and exchanged quick glances. "Yeah, not sure what that is. Can anyone sneak up there?" Mavec asked.


    "Bait go," he crept up to the gate without waiting for anyone else to volunteer. Mavec winced; it was hard to imagine Bait as anything other than loud. Much to his surprise, though, the small goblin was, in fact, as quiet as a mouse as he crept to the gate. He stood there a moment before he crept back to the group. "Ok. Three big machines. They going clank clank clank. Trying to break into the house. Someone in the windows shooting arrows at them. Bait think they tiny human."


    "Can you tell us more about what they look like?" Mavec asked.


    "Like mean bug, six legs, two arms, and a tail," he said while miming a pinching motion. That wasn''t good. Clockwork had been used extensively during the wars. The type Bait had described was one such model. It may have acted on old commands or guidance if it had been reactivated. It was absolutely a threat, and if Bait was right that a child was at risk... well... I guess there wasn''t anyone better suited to save the day. Mavec glanced at Alvec.


    "We''re going in? Right?"


    "Just as soon as we get all our spells up and ready," He replied as he wrapped himself in the familiar field of protective energy. The group drew their weapons and rushed to the gate. Bait had been correct; there were three of them. He had failed to provide adequate information about what the constructs were actually armed with. A quick glance at them revealed a lot to Mavec. These were old; they had clearly been around and functioning since the war. Perhaps they had lain dormant for years. Maybe someone had unwittingly reactivated one of them, and it had gone on to activate its brethren. The tails worried Mavec the most; it was a nonstandard design. They usually were equipped with some sort of ranged projectile or whiplike weapon. These ones were outfitted with some kind of fire dispersal system.


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    "They''re vulnerable to electricity," Mavec reminded the group. "Those tails look like some sort of flamethrower to me," Mavec stated.


    "Good, this will be my kind of fight," Alvec replied.


    Bait leveled his gun and pulled the trigger, and nothing happened. He let out a frustrated cry as he tried removing the jammed material. "Gun, why no BOOM?" A small, slender figure appeared in the window, clumsily balanced a crossbow too giant for their body on the windowsill, and shot down at the clockwork. The bolt connected but bounced off from the creature''s armor. Echo and Naya targeted the one furthest in. A strategy that Mavec was growing to appreciate. Naya uttered a word Mavec wasn''t familiar with, and Echo''s collar, crafted by none other than Alvec, flared to life with a green light that quickly spread over the wolf. He grew dramatically, doubling in size. Echo towered over the mechanical creature as he clamped his large jaws into the machine. Naya whipped both blades into its restricted arms. Her scimitars also shimmered with some strange magical energy; each impact seemed to slice deeper than her small swords should have.


    Illaria and Alvec engaged the target in the center of the wagon lot. It swung hard at Illaria with a buzzing saw. She managed to parry the spinning blade up and dodge beneath it. Just as she thought she was in the clear, its tail flared to life, and a jet of flame arched out from it. Alvec threw himself in the way yet again, pushing Illaria out of the flame''s path. He let out a blood-curdling scream, and the fire clung to him, charring his flesh in seconds, leaving only a burning dead husk on the ground. Mavec fought back the urge to vomit as bile flooded his mouth. There was no way; he couldn''t possibly be dead. This wasn''t real. He looked closer, and the illusion broke. The husk had no horns. A feeling of relief washed over him. There was no way the fire could burn away his horns faster than his flesh. Skin and muscle would char away far before any bone. This had to be an illusion.


    Alvec appeared in sight again behind the creature, his right hand sheathed in electricity, which he slammed into the flame-spewing tail. The ruddy red cloak shimmered with red and yellow light. Illaria seized upon the momentary distraction as the electricity made the device unstable. She sunk her wakizashi through its skull plate and brought it down. Piccora and Mavec focused on the only one not currently engaged in combat with the group. The one closest to the house. Mavec stayed back, and Piccora rushed forward. Mavec focused intently and pushed the electricity gathering in his hands through Piccora. Her petite body slammed into the much larger beasts, and it recoiled in pain as the electricity worked its way through its circuits and gears.


    Bait finally cleared the jam and reloaded his double-barreled musket. He enthusiastically leveled his gun at the one nearest the house. Piccora was small enough of a target that even the goblin could shoot over her head without risking her life. He squeezed both triggers, and his gun thundered. The two lead spheres slammed into the construct, punching sizable holes through it. Oil leaked from it as it staggered around before collapsing into a heap.


    Naya and Echo were still fighting; both had been hit, but both seemed in good spirits despite it. Naya spun wildly and struck it with both blades. Her twin scimitars eviscerated its neck joint and brought it to the ground for the last time. A few moments passed while the party evaluated the situation. They seemed to be down for good, and there didn''t look to be any more of them on their way. Slowly, the party began to put away their weapons. After about half a minute, the magic on Echo wore off, and he reverted in size. The wolf tilted his head back and forth a few times in confusion and excitement as he limped over to Naya.


    She pulled out two glass bottles, both containing a cherry red liquid. "Bottoms up," She said before she uncorked it and drank one herself. Her wounds slowly closed. She popped the cork out of the second one and motioned for Echo to hold his mouth open before she poured the liquid into his mouth. "Good boy," She said as she massaged his throat. His wounds also began to stitch themselves up.


    Illaria walked up to the door and knocked a few times. "Hello there, are you alright? Is anyone injured?"


    "Be right there," came a child''s voice from the second floor.


    "While you guys check on them, I''m going to see what I can salvage. These parts might be precious, if not to me, then to an academy," Mavec said before walking over to the first ruined model and pulling out his tools. Hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers, all applied with fanatical glee as he began to strip them of anything useful.


    Moments later, the door swung open slowly, revealing a girl no older than eight who struggled to hold up a crossbow as tall as she was. "I warn you, I''m a good shot with this if you''re robbers," She said. She attempted to pat the weapon''s side, which nearly made her drop it. She had short brown hair and a face full of freckles. Her eyes were a soft brown.


    "I assure you, we were just passing along when we saw you were in trouble. Is there anyone else home with you?" Illaria asked as she tried to peek around the young girl.


    "No. Mom and Pa went into Archer''s Market to sell some produce. They took my dumb brothers with them, too. They should be back tomorrow by mid-day," She stated cheerfully. Illaria frowned and glanced at Naya, who returned the look.


    "Gee, it''s getting awfully late already. We wouldn''t want to be traveling the roads at night, either. Do you think that we might be able to stay the night?"


    "I don''t know you; Mom and Pa wouldn''t want me having strangers stay over," She said.


    "I''m Illaria, and these are my companions." She introduced everyone by name and told the girl a little about each of them, focusing specifically on the animals. "And you might be?"


    "I''m Mel. Pa fought in the war. He told me to break this out if there was trouble while he was gone. I''m a good shot."


    "We saw you were doing a fine job. So what do you say? Could you let us stay the night?" Illaria asked again.


    "I''ll let you play fetch with Echo!" Naya bribed.


    "I guess you could stay in the barn," Mel said as she nodded in agreement. "I can make you guys dinner for helping out too!" She said gleefully, the excitement of entertaining guests getting to her. The group settled in, claiming the cleanest section of the barn to bed down in while Mel cooked. It was evident by the fact that the barn was empty that Mel''s family weren''t shepherds or herders. The barn looked to have only two stalls that were likely used for the horses to pull their carts into town. A fact Alvec was glad for, as it meant that much of the barn was clear and dry.


    Alvec and Mavec kept to themselves; they spent their evening working on their respective projects. The book continued to elude Alvec''s attempts to crack its code, leaving only a few possibilities of what style of cipher the original owner of this journal was using. It had to be a book cipher. Were he a diviner, perhaps he could have found a way to brute force the code with magic. Divination was outside of his purview. He''d neglected two other schools to learn how to use abjuration better. Divination and Enchantment were the schools he had not invested his time in. He had gone back and forth on whether to avoid Necromancy, but ultimately, animating the dead seemed less objectionable than bending the living to one''s will with magic. Either way, it left him no easy answer to the questions in front of him.


    Mavec had assembled several modestly rust-free gears that were still in working condition. The fight had done a number to the machines, but time had taken a more significant toll on them. Many of the rubber gaskets and seals were worn beyond being salvageable. Some of the rubber literally cracked and flaked at his mere touch. It was a wonder they had managed to walk and fight as well as they had. No doubt, it is a testament to the designer of this particular model. While there was no assurance that it was Alusai, there was no doubt that he was the leading influence on the world of Artificy and clocksmithing. Still, after he''d scrapped all three constructs, he''d found a decent amount of salvageable gears. Most of them were too large to be useful for Piccora. Still, they could likely be sold to the academy in Sha-Laial or used on a larger project. Not that he had any in mind; Piccora''s impressiveness was partially her scale. She was one of the smallest functional clockwork creations he had seen.


    Illaria sang a few sea shanties, drowning out Bait''s noise as he continued to work on his double-barreled musket, which had betrayed him in the last fight. There had to be a better way to make the alchemical cartridges. That or maybe some magic could be added to his gun. Bait no understand how to do that, but it sounded cool. Maybe gun could shoot fire and bullets! Fire is good, bullets are good, fire and bullets is great. Bait resolved to ask Wizards later. Bait try once, but both wizards busy. Not taking questions right now said the horny one. Not horny wizard just threw a wrench at him and told him to come back later.


    Naya and Echo made good on their promise to play with Mel. Several rousing games of fetch, followed by some playful wrestling. The pair went inside to prepare dinner when everyone was good and tired. This farmhouse felt a lot like home for Naya. A strange feeling she struggled to properly sort even in her mind, let alone speak. Homesick for a place that barely existed anymore. Stuck someplace between grieving and hoping that there might be some way to save her family. Someday, she''d have an answer, but for now, the carrots and potatoes would have to bear the brunt of her frustrations. It was a rough chop, but she took her time to cut them down into small pieces so they would cook quickly. Mel had opted for a simple stew. Something she was sure she couldn''t mess up.


    When it was finished, the group gathered in the small kitchen meant for a family and not a group of adventurers. The furniture and utensils were all solid in construction and very plain. It was easy to see that every bit of this house was lived in. Mel''s parents were clearly not wealthy, even if they were landowners. Likely, her father must have come into the land through his military service. It was a simple meal but a hearty one. Mel was a good kid, if a little talkative. She told them stories about living on the farm, her neighbors, and her siblings. "These machines, you ever see any others like this come around here?" Mavec asked.


    "Oh yeah, last year Pa and our neighbor Risbore killed one. Ol, Ris put a pitchfork through its skull after my father put a few bolts into its body," said Mel


    "Any idea where they came from?" The thought that there could be more made Mavec feel better about sleeping in the barn. He wouldn''t want to be caught unaware on the roads, nor would he like to leave a kid alone with constructs wandering the countryside.


    "Pa thinks they might be coming from the Auraman manor. It''s abandoned. They followed the tracks for a half day, and he said he thought it was leading off in that direction," Mel said.


    The conversations slowly switched to other, more mundane things. Before long, with full bellies and a warm, dry space to sleep, everyone laid down for the night.

 7: Sleepwalkers

    Remington


    Wordless motion awoke Rem. Not just that of his master Alvec, rising out of bed and shuffling towards the door, but of all the others doing the same thing. Rem chirped at Alvec and received no greeting or scritches, the highest offense possible. "Echo," Rem chirped. The wolf, many times Rem''s size, reared up next to his owner, Naya. "Are you seeing this?" Rem asked.


    The wolf shook himself out and stretched as he did so. "Yeah. What do?" He asked back with his body language and some minor vocalizations.


    Speaking with the other animals was hard, but Rem could manage well enough. Friend Alvec joked that he was part cat, part dog, and that was almost true. "I think they are... asleep?" Rem guessed as he quickly sprang and climbed to his usual perch on Alvec''s head. He leaned over the crest of his horns and looked at his friend. His eyes were open just a slit, barely enough to let light in. Rem yipped again right in Alvec''s face.


    No reaction.


    Concerned, Rem hopped down and watched his friends wander into the night without lighting anything to guide their path. They moved slowly, staggering and stumbling as they crept towards the woods. It wasn''t just their friends; other humans were also beginning to spill from their house, heading as if following an unspoken voice toward the woods. Rem, thoroughly disturbed by this, began trying to devise a plan. Bahzugs, the strange rat dog that had joined them recently, wandered up next to him as if looking for guidance. "Stay with them; get the other two and go with them," He squealed as he gestured toward the humanoids. The strange rat dog made a low hiss of acknowledgment and crept up beside his eccentric goblin owner, tongue lolling out of its mouth. What an odd creature. "Echo, can you pin Naya down?"


    The wolf didn''t bother responding; he swept between her legs and gently knocked her down before pinning her with his weight. She squirmed, but he held her reasonably still. "Piccora, can I get you to help me for a moment?" The mechanical rabbit silently appeared. "You ever hear of smelling salts?" Rem asked.


    The mechanical rabbit nodded its head.


    "Well, we don''t have any... but maybe a strong taste can wake someone up, too? I can mix up some sort of bitter agent from Alvec''s supplies. It might do the trick." The rabbit nodded, "I don''t have hands, so I thought you could help me get things out." The two went to Alvec''s bag and began pulling out exotic ingredients. With Piccora''s help, they uncapped the vials, and Rem sniffed them. He selected the ones that he disliked most, emptied them into a small stone bowl, and used the small stone utensil it came with to smash the items together. When done, he brought the strange mixture to Naya, and the three animals struggled to pour some of it into her mouth. Rem and Echo frowned as it seemed to do nothing. Piccora''s lack of facial movements made her disappointment hard to read.


    "Worried, no hurt, Naya," Echo said.


    "Let her up; we''ll just go with them and ensure they don''t get into too much trouble," Rem said begrudgingly. The wolf, fox, and clockwork rabbit all followed Naya as she walked into the woods past the farmland. Mel, the girl from the farm, and other humans also started appearing in the woods. Usually, this would have been extremely alarming. However, all of them seemed to be asleep as well. Sensing no malicious intent, Rem relaxed a bit. Eventually, the humans laid themselves down in a clearing in a strange pattern. Rem took the opportunity to run back to the barn. He grabbed a vial of ink and some parchment. Bahzugs and Echo were keeping a lookout. Jinx and Piccora wandered over to Rem to offer support. The three animals laid the paper flat on the ground and held it unfurled. Rem dipped his paws into the black ink and then did his best job to "finger" paint the formation. Having done all they could to gather information, they each took up watch over their friends.


    For the most part, the remainder of the night went smoothly. A few animals and bugs approached but were swiftly shooed along by the presence of a wolf and other animals. The only real threat came when a giant brown bear wandered up to the camp. Jinx spotted it first, and her hisses drew Echo and Bahzugs to its face. The size difference made even Echo look small in comparison. It was on all fours, still twice the size of Echo, and nearly quadruple the size of Bahzugs. Their growls and snarls didn''t seem to phase the beast at all. Piccora began slowly cackling with electricity as its internal gears spun to generate a nasty shock. Alvec carried a healing wand, but Mavec... Mavec had a wand of some fire spell, so that''s where Rem dashed first; he fished the wand out of the young man''s pockets. Once fully charged, the clockwork rabbit rushed in and slammed her body into the bear.


    It recoiled for a moment and swung down at her. Echo took this moment to bite at one of its other legs. Rem found the wand, a simple brown wooden rod with a burned black tip. He did his best to angle the wand at the bear and activate it. It was difficult; Rem couldn''t use magic even though he was magic. Alvec had been practicing with him, teaching him how to pull the magic out of the wood. Alvec called their training "project remedy, or was it project Rem, M.D." The nuance of the wordplay was lost on the poor fox. Burning hot sparks sizzled out of the burnt end of the wand. Rem growled as he felt the magic ebb too low, and the sparks fizzled out. He tried again, desperately calling out to the magic as his companions did their best to threaten this beast away.


    Echo was knocked back and yelped. With a clear shot and a sudden burst of anger, Rem pushed his will through the simple wooden wand. A jet of heat blasted out of the wand and struck the bear in the chest as it reared up over Echo and Bahzugs. The scent of searing hair quickly filled the area. The bear howled and backed away from them, a blistering wound on its chest. It turned around and wandered away. Hopefully, it had realized that it would not be the sort of easy meal it might have imagined of several sleeping people in the woods. They were not unprotected.


    Rem trotted happily to Mavec and deposited the wand back onto him. Sleepwalking was strange enough; having a wand out simultaneously wasn''t any stranger.


    Naya


    Naya awoke first, gagging and coughing as she rolled onto her side. She desperately held her hands together, cupped as tight as she could, and pushed out a thought to the spirits and nature. They responded; a surge of water flowed into her hands, and she desperately threw it back into her mouth.


    Oh, spirits, it was somehow worse with water.


    She gagged again, coughing and pounding the ground in agony. She spat the water out and repeated the process, the taste fading with each swig and spit. Her awakening was so miserable that it took her a moment to realize that she wasn''t in the barn she had gone to bed in last night. The rest of her party and several other humanoids were lying around this small clearing. The animals were also here, though they were all awake and perched nearby, watching their owners intently. Rem and Echo approached Naya. Both looked entirely too pleased with themselves.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Did you do this to me?" Naya asked Rem. She didn''t understand what the several yips meant but assumed yes. "Don''t... don''t do that again. Spirits, what even was that?" She stumbled up onto her feet and moved over to Alvec. He was on his side, horn digging into the soft dirt. Whatever had happened must have occurred after they were asleep. Alvec always cast this fancy spell that gave him a pillow of force to rest his head and horns on. He had claimed that he''d ruined too many pillows and beds over the years with his horns and that it was his first priority to learn how to prevent it. He was sound asleep, just like everyone else. She knelt down beside him and shook him by the shoulder gently. When he didn''t respond, she worriedly placed the back of her hand near his lips and nose. Hot breath met the back of her hand, and she sighed in relief. She shook him harder this time. He slowly rose, pulling himself to a half-sitting position on the ground.


    "What the hell, Naya? Why is there dirt in my hair?" He looked around, confusion becoming a mild concern. "And why are we in the woods?"


    "Not sure yet," she said, lowering a hand to him. He grabbed on, and she helped pull him to his feet.


    "Well, at least it''s not just us," he said as he took stock of the animals and the other people sleeping on the ground. Rem trotted up to the duo, holding a piece of parchment. Alvec knelt down and retrieved it. "Thanks, Rem." Unfolding it, he was greeted by a confusing image. It was some sort of pattern, alright, but it wasn''t one he recognized. He showed it to Naya. "This mean anything to you?"


    "No, can''t say it does." Alvec frowned at her response.


    "I mean, this is some sort of a pattern; this is very much intentional. Someone''s trying to tell us something, but I''ll be damned if I know what they''re trying to tell us... or how they even got us here in the first place." Rem yipped at them, curled up in a ball on the ground for a second, then got up and staggered away from them.


    "Is he trying to say we slept-walked?" Naya asked. Alvec smiled and nodded at his familiar.


    "Judging by the surge of excitement he just sent through our link, yes. We got up and walked here, I guess," Alvec said as his mouth tensed into a frown.


    "Can you ask him why my mouth tastes awful?" Naya asked.


    "Huh?"


    "Well, you didn''t gag when you woke up and try to flush your mouth with water," replied Naya. "So I''m assuming something different happened to me."


    "Rem, why am I sensing guilt?" Alvec asked; he raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. The fox yipped repeatedly and tried to convey what had happened by miming it, but the quadrupedal body language did not fully translate. "Is it any consolation that he''s sorry?" Alvec asked.


    "Plenty; I''m sure he was just trying to help, cute little buddy," She said as she crouched down and scratched him under the chin gently.


    "Let''s get everyone else in our group up first. We don''t know how these other folks will respond to this," Alvec said as he moved over to Mavec. He knelt beside him and gently shook him awake. Naya went to Illaria to do the same.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, what are we doing outside? I remember going to bed in some nice clean straw in a barn."


    "Yeah, we don''t really know yet. Rem says we slept-walked." She brushed her red hair out of her face and carefully swept away a twig tangled in her hair.


    "So, you can talk to animals? I didn''t know you were a druid." Naya laughed heartily.


    "I mean, anyone can talk to them and the spirits... but no, I don''t hear their responses."


    "If you don''t be minding my asking, what exactly are you then? You don''t quite seem the part of a Ranger either... and yet, you got that big wolf trained like a regular dog."


    "I''m not sure there''s a proper name for whatever I am," Naya replied. "I feel like I''m something in between those things. If you''ve got a suggestion for a title, I''ll take them."


    "Not right this moment, so what did the fox tell you?" Illaria asked. Naya recanted the brief exchange while the two of them roused Bait. The small goblin immediately leaped up, searching for his gun. When he couldn''t find it right away, he pulled the cheese from his clothing and eagerly ate it, muttering something about needing his comfort cheese if he couldn''t have his boom-maker.


    With everyone awake, it was time to wake Mel and the rest of the group. Naya went about it. The young girl shot up quickly, looking confused. Once more, they recanted what little they knew of the situation.


    "Okay, then, what are we waiting for? Let''s wake up my neighbors." Mel took the lead, walking up to a man old enough to be her father and shaking him awake. The man came too confused; to his credit, he grabbed the young girl and pushed her behind him as he stood up in a defensive posture.


    "Who are you, and what''s going on?" he asked, glaring at the group.


    "There be no need to be actin'' all defensive, good sir; we''re just as confused by this as you are," Illaria said, taking front and center. A good thing, too, Illaria mused. Mavec looked a little addled; Alvec''s infernal or abyssal heritage made him look scarier than he was, and Bait... Bait was Bait; even if he weren''t a goblin, he''d be terrifying to meet alone in the woods. The girl with the wolf wasn''t a great first impression either. Illaria, on the other hand, looked as if she''d stepped out of legend. She was beautiful, tall, and graceful, making her every movement feel weightless. Her voice was strong but crisp like a bell.


    "They''re alright, Norm, I promise. They helped me kill some metal monsters the other day," Mel blurted out.


    "Is this true?" He asked.


    "Yes, and when she told us her parents wouldn''t be back till mid-morning, we asked if we could possibly stay the night. The next thing we knew, we were all sleeping in this field. Strange seeing how we went to sleep in the barn. Do we have any ideas on what happened, my wizard friends?"


    "Yes, but also no," Alvec replied.


    "What does that mean?" The older gentleman asked, relaxing a bit with Mel''s assurances.


    "We know what happened, but not a lick of the how or why," Mavec replied.


    "And what''s that?" Norm asked again.


    "We sleepwalked here, all of us, seemingly unbidden. No idea what caused it or influenced it. We all just got up and strolled right on over. Our animals seem to have been unaffected and also came with us. We laid down in a strange pattern, but none of us know what it''s for. We''ll have to try to look into it. Do you know if anything like this has happened around here before?"


    "No, can''t say that I have. Well, nothing more than rumors, that is."


    "So, uh, not to be a bother, but could we move this discussion out of the woods. Piccora, bring us back to Mell''s." Mavec requested. The rabbit hopped slowly in the direction of the house. Mavec was quick to follow behind. Naya rolled her eyes. There were still other people to wake up. Whatever the artificer could handle himself, and Piccora was a construct. She had a perfect memory; it wouldn''t be too hard for her to bring him back home, even without the rest of the group. There were still people to wake up, which Naya proceeded to help with. Illaria and Norm shook hands, apparently reaching a decision on something Naya was too busy to overhear. In a few minutes, Rem and Echo lead the way back to the farmhouse and barn. Both were expert trackers by scent, and the distinct aroma of Mavec''s cigarettes made him easy to track, especially in the forest.


    When everyone arrived back at the house, Norm took a moment to look at the group of strangers in front of him again; this time, his suspicion was replaced with mild awe. "We fought these during the war. Nasty pieces of work." Illaria explained that the group would have breakfast here and wait for Mell''s parents to arrive. Then, they would be on their way again. With the late, strange start to the day, it was nearing midday before their breakfast had even been consumed. The group barely needed to wait beyond the washing of pans before a wagon rolled into the yard, and shouting began. Her father, a large man, swept her into his arms as Mell recounted how good she''d been with the crossbow. The whole story was quickly told to her parents. Many thanks were exchanged before the group made ready to hit the road again. Archers Market was just a few hours away by foot.


    Perhaps this would be as far as Illaria and Bait would come with them. They were headed there for fine cheese, after all. At least Bait was. Illaria was just following his lead for the moment.

 8: Cheese and Bureaucracy

    Bait


    When the group arrived at Archers Market, Bait hastily split away from his companions. Only Illaria went with him toward the cheese shop. He only had to ask one man where to find good cheese to get directions to the cheese forge. The shop had it all: a storefront for selling cheese, people making cheese, cows giving precious milk, and an orc man with a clipboard documenting things. Bait, of course, ignored the clean and sanitized shop entrance. Instead, he bee-lined it to where the magic really happened: the vats of curing cheese out back.


    "You can purchase cheese at the shop," the orc with the clipboard said as he placed a hand in front of Bait''s chest.


    "Cheese this way," Bait informed the man towering over him as he moved to scuffle past.


    "Yes, but you buy it over at the shop," he insisted.


    "Bait want best cheese; how Bait find stinkiest cheese if Bait no allowed to go see cheese?"


    "We have a fine selection in the storefront. Ben doesn''t allow just anyone to enter into our workshop."


    "Step aside, Biswell; I wish to see this cheese purveyor with my eyes." Came a voice from further back. A halfling hardly taller than Bait stood several feet back. He wore a simple black robe, and his hands were wrapped in clean white bandages. His hair was wild and graying, and the wrinkles on his face were deep creases in which shadows lurked. The orc man Biswell stepped aside. "Yes, yesssss," the halfling said as he sniffed the air. "You carry the sacred substance with you even now. I am Ben, the master cheese-smith at this establishment. I know much of cheese, methods of its craft which some consider to be... unnatural," he said, cackling quietly.


    Biswell took a deep breath and sighed in defeat, lowering the clipboard. "I''m going to do some actual work," he said as he headed towards the storefront.


    "Oooh, teach Bait? Teach Bait!"


    ¡°Ahhh, not so fast young acolyte. Before I share with you any of my knowledge, my power... you must first complete for me a quest," said Ben


    "A cheese quest?!"


    The elderly halfling man cackled again. "Yes, a cheese quest, young cheese acolyte."


    The goblin was practically bouncing in anticipation. "Find rare and exotic cheese ingredients and return them to me. I will use them to teach you how to craft the finest cheeses the world has ever seen. Any questions?"


    "Bait have one; what exotic mean?"


    "It means an unusual or strange ingredient others might not have thought to use before," Illaria said.


    "Oh, Bait, find those; Goblin food have many exotic ingredients."


    "Try to choose ones that regular folk will find appealing. Not all of us have your constitution, Bait," Illaria chided.


    "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I must go attend to the cows. I must figure out which cows have best friends, and then they must be paired together to extract the most delicious and bountiful milk I can. Good cheese starts with good ingredients." The halfling in dark robes wandered away, cackling the entire time.


    "Do you reckon he''s a druid?" Illaria asked Bait.


    "Bait, go find out?" Illaria pursed her lips together as she stared down at the small goblin.


    "Ya know what, go ahead; I''m curious as to how this will be playing out." Bait took off, his tiny feet slapped against the dirt road before he remembered that sneaking required sneaking. Bait knew how to be goblin quiet. You just did what you needed to do without worry, for you were supposed to be here. Worked all the time; Goblin secret. So Bait walked as if he belonged here because he did. Surrounded by cheese, making cheese, eating cheese, Bait belongs everywhere there is cheese. Behind the large wooden building full of various cheese vats, he found Ben standing in the middle of a field surrounded by cows. He was talking to them all right, but even Bait tell that he no understand them. Ben, no druid.


    "Yesssss, yeesssssss, you two look like fine friends. We shall put you in the same pod. Same for you three," he said as he pointed at a different group of cows. The bovines did not seem to appreciate Ben''s presence. One of which pawed at the ground and lowered its head as if to charge. Bait pulled out his musket and took aim over the field. No want hurt cow, cow sacred. Cow produce milk, and milk becomes cheese. Ben cheesemaker also sacred. Can''t let Ben be trampled by cow, who then makes cheese?


    As the cows charged Ben, Bait fired a round into the air harmlessly above their heads. The thundering noise startled the animals, diverting their attention from Ben. The halfling looked at him strangely. "Yes, Bait, do you need something more? You have my attention."


    "Bait want tour, then cheese." The halfling nodded and motioned for Bait to follow as he wandered the Cheeseforge. Occasionally stopping to fetch Bait samples from completed cheeses and scolding him away from those not nearly ready for market. Illaria finally reunited with the pair at the cheese shop, where she had already purchased some fancy samples.


    "Did we learn anything?" Illaria asked.


    "It take more than one whole gallon of milk to make one small pound of cheese. Bait will need many cows."


    Archers Market: Alvec Snaptail


    The banners turned out to be a military bar. Red and Blue flags primarily hung from the walls, along with old weapons retired from use and pieces of armor. Here and there, you could even find equipment from the yellow and green banners. He sat at a table, a single stein of ale pushed off to the side, bought more as a courtesy to the bartender than anything else. Parchment lay over the table. He copied the drawings he had made of the creatures, trying his best to be accurate and include further notes about the encounters in the margins of the page.


    Finally content with his work, he moved on to the next bit. He let out a discontented sigh. What to write to his no good, rotten, devil fucking grand-father. Alvec wasn''t pleased with the thought of writing to Iridel Reynore. Still, he was a powerful wizard serving in the Blue Banner army. Likely as a condition of his amnesty. That said, Alvec had a duty to report the creatures he had encountered on the roads to someone. Iridel was the easiest one to contact. Several of his aunts and uncles would have been good fits, too, but the Reynores were very spread out, and their positions changed with alarming frequency.


    Everyone wants to hire one of the best wizard families in the Empire. Anelle Reynore had made sure to help feed into the family''s public perception. She was the chair of conjuration in the Empire. Had Iridel not made a deal with an Eirinyes, which resulted in the bastard bloodline Alvec traced his blood through, it''s very likely the two would be a frightening, powerful couple. Possibly even within Ageneon''s inner circle, to be honest. Anelle had made a point of not publicly acknowledging any bad blood between her and Iridel. She''d tried to obscure the truth of his father''s birth. She''d tried to bury the fact that Iridel was his father entirely at first. Only abandoning that lie because it was too hard to keep Iridel''s conscription to the Blue Banner secret. They had tried to spin it as a specialist position at first.


    Even a generation later, Anelle''s anger burned too bright for any lies to completely smother. Alvec pulled the bronze badge out from his clothing and ran his fingers over it several times. She''d levied considerable resources to stop him from even attending the academies. Only with the intervention of some of his other extended family was he permitted to enter. She''d gone so far as to try to get him kicked out, fabricating records that might have disqualified him from studying altogether. Alvec''s father had masterfully outmatched her. She may have had tons of arcane power and all the arcane education to back it up. Still, Alvec''s father was a bureaucrat and knew how to work the system to dismiss Anelle''s extra efforts.


    With a sigh, Alvec set the bronze badge down on the table. He was a wizard. All of that and the stupid drama the Reynores brought about were none of his business. He was a "Snaptail," after all. He quickly penned a fairly bare-bones description of the creatures and the encounters he had with them. He wasn''t friends with Iridel. No doubt the man would only view him as another tool in his chest if Alvec amounted to anything of renown. There was no reason to do anything but let him know of a threat to the Empire. Perhaps it helped him, maybe it helped the Reynores... but that all failed to matter. They had resources that might save lives. Ignoring that was just as good as damning innocent travelers to a strange death. In that way, Alvec was benefitting too. He gathered the notes and sealed them into a letter. He headed to the bartender. It took only a few minutes and a few gold coins trading palms to find and get someone willing to bring a letter for the Blue Banner with them. While it was labeled for Iridel, it was so nondescript it didn''t matter if anyone broke open the seal to peek at its content. Had it been more sensitive, he might have tried to figure out how to keep the contents secret. On one final note, he asked again about Tyir, getting no response. Whoever this Tyir fellow was, he likely wasn''t local; that much could be said for sure, having now traveled the river and the outlying lands with no sign of the lad.


    The Gates of Sha-Laial


    Sha-Laial was the first large city Alvec had seen in some time. Nothing in the small towns they had traversed lived up to the grandeur of the earthen ramparts outside the city walls. Traffic lined up at a large portcullis where soldiers and bureaucrats alike inspected those entering the city. Their group wasn''t the best looking, but he was confident that no one would refuse their entry. His pockets may have been a little light on gold, but that was only because he had used much of his resources to procure the necessary reagents to enchant his gear. The stains of the Anarchy and Ageneon''s War were clear to see if you knew what to look for. While much effort had been placed into the clean-up, bumpy grassy fields were a dead giveaway of the use of siege engines. No doubt, the further they went towards the city, the less the damage would stand out to him. The group joined the line behind a wagon with a halfling at the helm. Plenty of odds and ends were visible through the back, ripe for picking, yet the goblin with sticky fingers paid no mind to it. Alvec could only begin to guess what mattered enough to so enrapture Bait. Maybe the cheesemaker had given him something to think about.


    The cart in front of them was inspected more thoroughly than Alvec had expected by a man who looked far too bored to be doing such a thorough job. He was an older man with a plump figure, wispy salt, and peppered hair. In his prime, perhaps he had been a guard. "Hello," He stated as he surveyed the group, his gaze lingering over long on Illaria. "What business do you have here in Sha-Laial?"


    "We''re here to check out a property we were gifted," Alvec said as he presented the deed.


    "Are you planning to become residents of Sha-Laial?" he asked as he read from a clipboard.


    "Not all of us, that''s for sure. Bait and I work in the Blue Banner Army; we wouldn''t be staying here as a primary residence. If the property has the space, it might be nice to have somewhere to take leave."


    "I''m just going to write property development," He stated dryly. "Now, onto the animals. Who owns them, and what are they."


    "Are we counting the clockwork rabbit?" Mavec asked as he pointed at Piccora.


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    "Yes, we include all ambulatory constructs."


    "Then this is Piccora; she''s a familiar. Do you need to see my academy graduate badge?"


    "Yes, I do, in fact. As you know, rogue magic is frowned upon within the Empire." Mavec produced his, and Alvec did the same. The two badges were nearly identical; their names were etched into the bronze, but the symbols differed. Alvec''s looked more like a shield, whereas Mavec''s was a gear. Alvec looked back and gestured to Rem. The words caught in his mouth for a second as he saw Naya edged toward the back of the group and stood behind Illaria, practically hiding.


    "This one''s mine," Alvec indicated towards his fox friend a few feet away, sniffing the nearby grass. Alvec reached out with magic, projecting his words directly to Naya. "Hey, what''s wrong?"


    "I can cast magic, and I didn''t go to a school; they''ll know, and then I''ll be kicked out or killed... or," Alvec fought hard not to laugh as he swept his head side to side, trying to actively dispel the thought.


    "It doesn''t work like that. They''re concerned with arcane magic; the sort you pull from nature, perhaps the spirits, is divine in nature and exempt from this particular ruling." She seemed to relax at the words before shooting him a questioning glance.


    "Why is that?"


    "During the Anarchy and Ageneon''s War, many wizards, sorcerers, and the like summoned devils to help gain the upper hand. The devils worked a lot of harm here beyond the purview of the war. It''s why we Tieflings are not all that well received."


    "Seems rude," she thought back before the man made his way in front of her and Echo.


    "Alright, miss, I can see that this is a genuine wolf; now, is this truly an animal companion, or is this fraud. Dangerous fauna like a wolf is only granted access if it''s a fully certified animal companion." He leaned over her enough that Echo started a soft growl in his direction.


    "What do you mean certified? Who does the certification? I, uh, haven''t heard any of this before," she admitted, breaking eye contact and staring a hole in the ground.


    "Follow-up question: where are you from?"


    "Lom-Itoti," she replied quickly, straightening out.


    "I''ve never heard of it, but with the prefix of Lom, that would explain that. What exactly are you doing in the city, miss? When did you meet these travelers, and do you have a history with them? He asked, his voice softening a bit. Concern had replaced accusation entirely.


    "I''ve been traveling with Alvec and Mavec for months; the other two are members of the Blue Banner. We met at a fancy party hosted by Cellocht, the... the Emperor''s favorite bard." His face flashed through several emotions quickly as he looked down at her.


    "It''s how we got the deed to the property," Alvec interjected. "He gave everyone a gift at his 111th. Mine was a property here in Sha-Laial."


    "How did you get invited?" The man asked again, appraising Alvec with a distrust that made his stomach churn.


    "Did you hear about the Red Banner''s evacuation of the mining town of Rust Hill? Some forge elementals went out of control. The army arrived to help civilians flee. During the tail end of it, a young child got left behind... I saved her." The man let out a laugh.


    "I heard the hero of Rust Hill was a hulking Tiefling that fought with a battle ax almost as large as he was. You''re claiming to be him?"


    "No, I''m claiming the rumor mill distorts the truth. You hear something far enough down the chain, and it''s unrecognizable." The man appraised him once more.


    "Alright, I can believe it. Now, miss, you''ll need to visit a temple or church and have a priest there just sign off that you and your wolf are the real deal. Please be sure to do this as soon as possible." He glanced over at Bait and Illaria. "You said you''re Blue Banner?


    "That would be right; I have my shore leave somewhere in my pack," she said as she shuffled a small bag forward and pawed through it.


    "No need, I trust you. I''ve met the sort of people the Blue Banners employ. You two look like you''re cut straight from the cloth. Alright now, move along so I can inspect the next group," he said as he ushered them forward.


    "Well, that suits us fine. Alright, Alvec, where should we head first?"


    "The first government building we can find? Get directions to whoever is holding the keys to this property, get it from them, and then head over to see what exactly we''re dealing with," Alvec replied.


    "Look, the second I know where we''re staying, I''m going to find myself the local academy and see if I can''t find anything else about the monsters we fought on the road," Mavec informed them.


    "Bait, go ask for cheese ingredients. Maybe someone have good idea?" He stated before wandering off to ask nearby strangers. "You know strange cheese ingredients?" he asked while stopping abruptly in front of a young couple who stuttered, unsure how to respond. Bored of their lack of response, Bait waved again, "K, Bye," before he wandered back over to Illaria, leaving the couple stupefied. "They don''t know anything."


    "Perhaps our neighbors might be knowing a bit more about where to find exotic ingredients, more so than a random passerby," Illaria said.


    The roads of Sha-Laial were well maintained; the stone beneath their feet was smooth and unblemished. The main street they were on followed the western side of the river. Thankfully, it took only a few moments for Alvec to find a city map. It was a large city, bigger than the one that Alvec had grown up in. Glancing at the map, the city was split by the river. About a quarter of the city was located east of the river, and most of the city was on the western side. While civil engineering wasn''t exactly a thing Alvec was versed in, he was pretty sure that Eastern Corner would wind up being one of two things. Either the wealthiest, most elite members of Sha-Laial''s society lived there, or it was the industrial slums. Judging by the lack of smoke plumes, he thought it was likely the wealthy district after all. The lack of chemical stink from this section of the river added evidence to his conclusion.


    The town hall was just on the western edge of the river, nearest the largest bridge. Alvec went alone into the building. There was no point dragging several clearly armed individuals into the town hall, doubly so when one was a goblin with a gun and another was accompanied by a wolf. It took a moment once through the heavy wooden doors in the stone building to find another map. Eventually, he found the correct room. He tidied himself up just a smidge before he entered the room; attempting to control his sheepish hair was a losing game, but he had to try.


    The room he entered was lined with small wooden drawers no larger than a shoe box all along the walls. An elderly elf man sat at a desk writing something by candlelight. "Oh dear, we have a client. How may I help you today?" He asked hastily as he stood up from his desk, nearly knocking the thing over, candle and all. He stood taller than Alvec and had a pale, well-wrinkled face. His clothing was simple in design but well maintained: a rust-orange tabard and a pair of brown pants.


    "Hello, I''m here to research and claim a property. I was gifted a deed; if I''m reading this right, it should be lot 1-32-75," Alvec said as he unfurled the scroll and handed the deed to the elf. He took it in his thin, bony hands and peered over the document.


    "You are reading it right; give me but a moment." He said before shuffling over to the wall of drawers and slowly cross-checking the numbers. Eventually, he found the correct box and pulled it open. Once the key was in his hand, he laughed momentarily before he handed it and the deed back to Alvec. "The church of Kushang will be most upset that someone has finally claimed this property. They have petitioned the city for the last ten years to give them the rights to it. Tell me, how did you acquire this anyway?" Alvec''s stomach sank. The church of Kushang was not inherently kind towards Tieflings; an alarming amount of anti-Tiefling rhetoric had come from the upper echelons of the Empire of Fire and Waters primary church for years. Knowing that he had inadvertently thwarted their efforts left a sour taste in his mouth. The last thing that he wanted was conflict. This was supposed to be a golden opportunity and was starting to look gilded instead.


    "Cellocht gifted it to me for my service to the country; he gave a bunch of causes and notable youths some gifts to help them out."


    "Ah, that would explain why their proposal was shot down so many times. If Cellocht owned it, they''d never be able to get it." Alvec nodded.


    "Could you perhaps tell me a bit about the property? Cellocht was celebrating his birthday and didn''t give us too much time to discuss the subject." Alvec asked.


    "Ah yes, 889 Scythefell Street. Located in the southwestern section of Sha-Laial, it has been fallow since the war. It was the former headquarters of an organization known as the Six Strengths. Believe it or not, I''m actually a newcomer to Sha-Laial. I lived in Ac-Aziza before the wars. So I can''t tell you anything more about who they were or what came of them for the buildings to have been vacant for the last twenty years. Perhaps your new neighbors can shed some light on that." Alvec gave a slight bow.


    "Thank you very much for that information. Do you think you could get me directions to Scythefell Street?"


    "Well, of course." The two spent a moment looking over a map before Alvec departed. Reuniting with the group, he shared what little new information he had acquired.


    "Six Strengths, never heard of them," Mavec replied.


    "Neither have I," Illaria added. "So they don''t have any connection to the Blue Banner, to be sure." The group made their way toward the property at 889 Scythefell Street. When they finally arrived at the road, they were delighted to find that it was a mix of small-scale businesses and residential housing, with a church of Kushang at one end of the road and a tavern at the other. Children played in the street and grassy plots in front of some houses. There was a single wagon parked in front of a fine tableware store. A bakery, a law office, and a large boarding house also dotted the road. The day, by this point, was mostly spent.


    "So what say you, we go open her up and take stock? Or we sleep at an inn for the night and start fresh in the morn?" Illaria asked.


    "It''s been abandoned for twenty years; we probably have a lot of cleaning to do. I vote we stay at an Inn till we can get it clean and bedding sorted," Naya chimed in.


    "Bait no mind sleeping in dirt. Dirt good, dirt tasty, dirt sometimes have bugs, bugs are crunchy and juicy. Dirt good."


    "Yes, but an inn likely has cheese," Illaria reminded him.


    "Bait change answer, inn. Need more cheese."


    "It''s still too early in the night to call it quits. Maybe we can go introduce ourselves a bit. Ostensibly, we''ll be here a while; we might as well get to know the neighborhood a bit," Alvec said


    "Sounds like a plan; let''s meet at the inn when we''re all done making the rounds," Mavec said. Bait rushed off to the property directly across the street, where two humans sat on a hanging swing. An old bald man and a woman with dull gray hair held hands together.


    "Hi. We live here now," Bait said as he pointed back at the still-locked and gated property. "Who you?"


    "Oh, what a charming young goblin. I''m Edis, and this here is my wife, Nora," the old man said as he waved hello to the goblin.


    "You know any good cheese ingredients?" Bait asked.


    "Oh dear, I like mine with a little kick in it. Some of those hot peppers. Reminds me of the ol'' days in the Green Banner army. The rations were terrible, so we added pepper sauce to everything."


    "K, bye," Bait said before he scurried back down their stairs and wandered up to a group of children. Alvec waved hello to the couple as he approached the porch.


    "Hello. I''m Alvec; we''re your new neighbors."


    "Oh my, a goblin and a tiefling, what exciting neighbors," Edis remarked, his tone far more delighted than Alvec had expected. "He sure does have a lot of energy."


    "Yeah, he''s Bait," Alvec said with a wide smile.


    "What a terrible thing to say!" Edis balked at Alvec, aghast at what he''d just heard.


    Alvec waved his hands before himself, immediately seeing where the wires crossed. "No, no, Bait is his name, I swear."


    "Oh, what an unusual name," he said while patting his wife''s hand.


    "Anyway, I''m Alvec, a trained wizard and academy graduate," he said as he extended his hand to them. "What may I call you?" He asked as the man took his hand and shook it.


    "I''m Edis, and this is my lovely wife, Nora," said Edis. "We run a boarding house here. We''ve got an academy student staying with us right now called Praha. Perhaps you could offer some tutoring to her. I don''t see a ring on either finger either."


    "Edis! You can''t just be trying to set the young miss up. Especially with someone we''ve only just met," Nora said, giving him a slight playful slap.


    "I''m flattered, but I must agree with your wife," Alvec said.


    "I''m sorry, Nora, the girl is too shy for her own good," replied Edis. "She''ll stay cooped up in that room if we don''t try to help her make a few friends. He studies magic; they''ve already got something in common."


    "I''d still like to meet her," Alvec said. "It''s possible, Mavec, or I could offer some tutoring. That and I know he wants to head to the academy the first chance he gets in the morning."


    "Oh, you have others living with you?" Nora asked.


    "Yes, we''ve got a few others living with us. We''ve got a young woman named Naya and her pet wolf, Echo. A young woman named Illaria has bright red hair and is taller than the rest of us, so she''s a bit hard to miss, and Mavec is another wizard."


    "Sounds like quite the lovely bunch. Pardon me asking, but is that fox with you?" Edis asked as he pointed at Rem, who was quietly stalking something.


    "Yeah, that''s Rem; he''s mine," laughed Alvec. "Don''t worry, he won''t be a problem. He''s an expert mouser, and he''s been told to stay away from cats."


    "Oh good, we could always use more rodent control. Is he friendly?" asked Nora.


    "Very. It''s safe to pet him, so long as you don''t surprise him." With the conversation petering out, Alvec said his goodbyes, asking for introductions to Praha tomorrow so that Mavec could get to the academy on his own without having to wander the city with a map.

 9: Urban Legends

    Bait: Scythefell Street


    Bait swept past Alvec, headed down the street. Introductions would be easy: say hi, ask question, do things. He came across a group of children a little taller than him playing in the street with a rough leather ball. Some smaller children were drawing on the sidewalk with many colors of chalk. Too much pink; needed more red and green, fun goblin colors.


    "Hi, I''m Bait. Live at house behind big stone wall; you know any cheese ingredients?" he asked as he stomped on up to them. The kids, mostly human, gave him strange looks.


    "Is that a gun?" The eldest asked, a look of concern flashing over his face.


    "Bait Goblin adult, six years old, allowed to have gun, allowed to shoot gun. Here for cheese research, not gun talk."


    "You live in the abandoned house? Have you seen the Gulp?" another asked.


    "What gulp?" asked Bait.


    "It''s the BIG Gulp; it eats everything. It ate my grandma''s packages from the store!" One of the kids stated. They''d formed a semi-circle around Bait. He felt important.


    "Shut up, Tobin. You just lost those packages!"


    "Nu-uh, I''m telling you, the big gulp got it! It even eats cats and stuff," said another one of the children.


    "Bait, not scared," he patted the butt of his gun behind his head. "Bait go boom, and big gulp go die." There was a general gasp.


    "Yeah, well, he can''t shoot it if it doesn''t exist. I still think you''re lying."


    The two boys continued arguing as Bait began to lose interest. "What big gulp look like?"


    "I heard it was flat on the ground and blacker than the night sky!"


    "I heard it had tentacles that tried to pull you in."


    "They say once you fall into it, you never come out again."


    "It can toss a person clear into the sky!"


    "It makes a sound like this," a child finished before shrieking at the top of their lungs directly in Bait''s large ears. He recoiled from them slightly.


    "Ok, ok. Bait, shoot it if he sees it. Now, most importantly, where find good cheese?" He asked again, looking at the small crowd of them.


    "Like a cheddar?"


    "Stinkier!" Bait insisted, stomping a foot down on the ground.


    "I''ve only ever had cheddar and gouda, and neither are too stinky."


    "Who have fancier cheese?" He was greeted by a lot of heads shaking no. Bait about to say K, bye. When one of them piped up.


    "Why not go to the tableware store? The elf that runs it goes to fancy events. Maybe he knows where to find fancy cheese?" Finally, a lead! If they could at least point Bait in the right direction, these human whelps might be key in Bait''s future cheese empire.


    "Where?"


    "We can show you; it''s not far." The kids escorted him down the road; Bait walked behind them as if he were king and they were his noble squires. Bait like idea of having so much status, cheese status, that he walks around with bodyguards. Feel like that sometimes with the group. The building they gathered in front of had a big fancy door almost too heavy for Bait to pull open. It required him to lean way back as he yanked at the handle to get them to swing forward. The children stayed outside while the grownups went to talk business.


    The room he entered contained nice tables by other folks'' standards. Far too neat and orderly for Bait or any respectable goblin. Where are goblin teeth marks? Why is there no mud? Bait no respect a clean table. Clean table not used by clan, used by people with too much time, and not enough friends.


    An elderly elf wandered forward to greet him. One eye was glazed over, a milky white over a brown iris. The other stared past Bait as if he were not there. His manner of dress was immaculate and ostentatious. Not a single rip or scratch on his white shirt or black cape lined with smooth red velvet. His shoes looked as if they had just been made, well polished and grime-free. This type of man likely knows of good cheese. "I am El-Beni; how may I help you?" He said in a voice flatter than a tabletop.


    "Bait want good cheese. Where find good cheese?"


    "I do not sell cheese here, but I have something that might interest you." The elf wandered off for a moment, returning with a cheese fork. It was gold, with a ruby gem situated in the handle. "Good cheese should be enjoyed with good utensils. Yours are well crafted but seem a bit worn. Adding a replacement to your collection would be best before they are unusable."


    "Ooooh, Bait take."


    "That will be 15 gold."


    "Bait take?"


    "When you supply me 15 gold coins."


    "Bait haggle. 10 gold."


    "I''m afraid I can''t go lower than 15 gold pieces. Please look again at it and notice how much detail is carved into the cat at the end of the handle. This level of filigree is worth every gold piece I am asking."


    Bait not admit it, but Bait like cats; Jinx is a good cat. The goblin grumbled as he fished into his pockets, plucked out the coins, traded them to the elf, and took the cheese fork. It felt so right in his hands. Now, to find some cheese to stab with it!


    "Where Bait find good cheese?"


    "Ah, to your original question, the tavern down the street offers a fairly wide variety of cheeses. They should be able to accommodate you should you not be able to make the trek to Archer''s Market. Ben, the cheese smith, is the best cheese maker in all the Empire."


    "Yes, yes, Bait know Ben. Ben send on cheese quest find rare cheese ingredients. You know rare cheese ingredients?"


    "Many years ago now, while at a function for the Sejob, I had the creamiest and richest cheese I think I have ever experienced. If I recall, it was made with Peahen eggs."


    "Where find Pee-egg?" Bait asked as he fiddled with his new cheese fork.


    "If memory serves, one of the mansions on the east side of the river has an exotic bird sanctuary. Perhaps you could find some peahens there."


    "Find Pee-bird, K bye!" He said before he rushed out of the establishment. Bait marched towards the river when he realized his stomach was growling. Can''t be goblin quiet on an empty stomach. Check out bar first.


    Naya: The Parks of Sha-Laial


    Naya was peopled out. The last thing she really wanted to do was to go around talking to more people. No one here was paying any veneration to the spirits. It made her a bit uncomfortable. Illaria had been the only one to even mention them! Alvec and Mavec didn''t know the faintest thing about them. At least Alvec seemed willing to humor her and learn what she could teach him. Mavec was a skeptic through and through. What she needed was a little bit of time away from the group. There was a large forested park within the city; Alvec had pointed it out on the map for her. It seemed like a good place for her and Echo to check out. The wolf trotted obediently beside her. Were he any bigger, Naya swore she could ride him into battle. She buried a hand into his soft red fur at the base of his neck and gave him a good hard scratch. His mouth lolled open, and his tongue hung out the side of his mouth over his large fangs.


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    The main path through the park was filled with people enjoying the fresh air the trees offered. Most on the trail gave her a wide berth. Some others with dogs attempted to play bow to the big dog with her. Naya gave him a gentle pat. "Not this time, Echo. I want to see more of this park before we play. We don''t have too long till nightfall. Remember, we agreed to meet back up with everyone."


    It was amazing to Naya that such a park existed in the middle of a big city. Glancing around at the terrain, she sort of understood why. There was so much granite here. There is too much granite to move quickly without magic. It was also expansive enough that a mining operation would require consuming all nearby houses. The best thing then was to preserve it as a natural space. A retreat from the buildings of stone and wood.


    Naya took a small footpath that forked off from the main trail. No one really seemed to be using these smaller paths. Perhaps they were dangerous. She hadn''t seen any fauna on the main pathway, but they had to exist. Maybe some small black bears could survive here.


    Two figures in the fading light stood off the beaten path. A sack of something lay on the ground next to them. They were having a quiet and hushed disagreement. Curiosity got the better of her. She approached the two of them, Echo in tow. "Hello," Naya said, waving a hand. Both men, in somewhat ragged, worn clothing, took one look at the wolf, and the girl, with two swords at her side, broke into a dead sprint, leaving behind the sack of goods. Naya wandered over to it, opening it up. Spoons, knives, forks, and what looked like watches? What on earth were they discussing with all this junk. "Do you understand this?" She asked Echo, who did his best to shrug his shoulders. She grabbed the bag and slung it over Echo. Maybe Alvec would have an idea what this was all about. He was from a large city. Perhaps they could track down the owner of the bag later. Echo must have scared them. It would be a good idea to return them to their owners.


    Eventually, the two found a campfire attended by a man in shabby clothing. A small tent was set up not far away, and he was cooking food over the fire. He gave her a curious look as she came into view. He was an older human with a full, bushy beard, mostly gray. "Been a while since I''ve seen a druid. You''re kind aren''t all that common in the cities; care to join me by the fire." Naya and Echo approached. Both took seats nearby. "I can offer some food if you''d like. I''ve got about six different varieties of beans."


    "Thank you. I can''t offer much in return. I only have some trail rations and can get you fresh water if needed." He smiled.


    "I tried for many years to figure out the trick to that magic but never could sort it out. I''d be extremely grateful for fresh, clean water. If you''d be so kind, I''ve got a bunch of containers you can fill before you leave."


    "It would be no problem," Naya said. The man produced clean bowls and utensils for both of them. He carefully, using tongs, poured the hot can of beans into each bowl and passed her one. It wasn''t a glorious meal by any means, but it would be hearty. Before either of them could take a bite of their meal, the old man took a bone and tossed it into the fire before also grabbing a pinch of salt and doing the same. "Why are you praying to two of the Sisters. This is a campfire; bone should be enough, right?"


    His eyes lit up in surprise. "I see even fewer these days who know of the spirits. You''re very much out of your element here, Miss Naya." He stroked his beard a few times. "There''s a saying, I guess, that home is where the heart is. These woods, this tent, they are my home. This is every bit as much a hearth fire as it is a campfire, so I pay tribute to two of the sisters. I would honor the third, but I''m no craftsman, and iron is expensive for someone who lives off the land and people''s kindness."


    She frowned at him. "Doesn''t it get lonely out here?"


    "Yes, and that''s the point. I don''t want to be around others. I don''t have the words for it, but after the war, I couldn''t return to how I lived before. I''ve considered striking out into the wilds for years, but Sha-Laial has always been my home. I''m not sure I know how to leave it behind."


    "I don''t understand," Naya said.


    "I don''t expect you to. Just accept that I am comfortable where I am and that I do not need anything more than the clean sky above my head and the forest for company."


    Naya nodded. "So, you know a bit about the spirits. Have you heard of any children of Akrixi nearby?"


    "Ah, the talking trees. They say one used to live in this forest, but it''s passed on. The last one I knew about was in a swamp in the outlands of Sha-Laial."


    "I hope you''re right about that. Another druid recommended I find them," said Naya. "My village, Lom-Itoti, was... transformed, and I hope to either find a way to restore it or perhaps seek revenge. My feelings about it shift like sand. Not knowing if they can be saved or if they are dead makes it hard to grasp what I feel. Just a little numb and scared."


    "If it''s not too much trouble, what do you mean by transformed?"


    "The whole village was turned into plants."


    He nodded. "I understand a bit better now. You think the Children of Akrixi can help you?"


    "It''s the hope," said Naya. "I don''t believe this was done by any arcane spellcaster or cleric. It feels like the spirits, but I don''t understand why."


    "They were all given purpose by Akrixi; perhaps he would know for what purpose," said the man.


    Naya laughed. As if she could just march up to the spirit of destruction and creation.


    "It seems safer to talk to his kin. The ones that don''t spew lava." The man chuckled as well.


    "I dare say you might be right about that." They continued chatting about the spirits and Akrixi for a while longer. Before the last bits of light could fade, Naya refilled his buckets with fresh, clean water and waved goodbye. She hadn''t expected to find someone who knew of the spirits here, but she was glad she had.


    Mavec: Scythefell street


    It was late in the day, and with nothing else to do till everyone was ready to meet at the Inn, Mavec wandered down the street. He stood in front of a law firm only a few houses down. Abal, Feng, and Krog: Property surveyors and lawyers. Glancing at their hours of operations, he noticed they still had about a half hour left. It seemed like the responsible thing to stop in and make introductions. After all, Alvec would likely need their services shortly. He''d also asked everyone to make introductions to the neighbors. Seemed like the best people to get in good with. He let himself through the front door into a slightly cramped but well-furnished abode.


    "Hey, is anyone in?" Mavec said before he wrapped his knuckles on the wall. The carpet beneath his feet was surprisingly lush and a pleasant shade of red. The walls were painted black halfway up, then had a white trim piece with a white patterned wallpaper above it.


    "Over this way, please." Came a shrill voice. Mavec followed it into a room. A halfling sat at a desk too small for Mavec to fit in easily. His hair was slicked back and a pleasant chestnut brown. His clothing was nice but informal. A basic button-up shirt and pants. "My name is Abal; what can I do for you?"


    "Hi, so I''m Mavec; we''re just moving into the property at 889 Scythefell Street. Thought we''d come to make introductions before we needed your services."


    "The 889 property!" Abal gasped. "Feng, Krog, get in here; we''ve got an interesting one! Pray tell, how did you come by that property, young man?"


    "It was gifted to us by Cellocht, the Emperor''s favorite bard."


    The halfling burst into laughter. "Krog, you owe me 5 silver; it was Cellocht! Never bet against the halflings!" He shouted further into the house. "Forgive me; we''ve had a bet going on about who owned the deed to that property for ages. We figured it was someone important, especially after the church of Kushang was repeatedly turned down in their attempts to acquire it. Krog bet it was Ghol, and Feng had money on the Emperor himself. Why any of them had or wanted this property is beyond me."


    "We don''t really know any of the history behind the place. Could you guys fill us in a bit?" Mavec asked.


    "I refuse to pay till I''ve seen the deed myself." A much deeper voice came through the doorway as an orc man who looked too big for this building squeezed through the doorway.


    "I don''t have it on me right now. Alvec does," said Mavec.


    "Then I''m holding onto my silver for tonight," Krog replied.


    "You wanted to know more about the property, eh? Since this isn''t business, we can share some of its history with you." Came another voice as another halfling, this one with graying hair, squeezed past the orc into this now very crowded room.


    "I''m Feng," said the halfling with graying hair. "I see you''ve already met Abal and Krog. It was a compound; perhaps the word dojo would be more correct for an order known as the Six Strengths. They were on the wrong side of the Anarchy, if you catch my drift."


    Mavec nodded his head. It was a phrase he''d encountered on several occasions talking about people who had passed away during the war. It didn''t literally mean they were enemies of the state, just that they hadn''t survived the wars. "Anyone know what they were about?" Mavec asked.


    "Not really," Feng said with a shrug. "They kept fairly quiet, and with such stringent rules for admittance into their order, no one is around anymore to ask about their beliefs and history. Suppose you should find anything in the property that details that sort of thing. In that case, we''d love to look at it, for intellectual curiosity if nothing else."


    "Just to clarify, none of you are children of Cellocht, correct? This gift was made to an unrelated party?" asked Krog.


    "Unless Cellocht is part devil, we''re in the clear. Alvec''s a tiefling, and both of his parents are accounted for." Mavec replied.


    "Good news then is that you shouldn''t be held liable for any back taxes," Abal chimed in. "Once you get settled, we can review and submit the paperwork. With that said, we would like to kindly invite you to take your leave. We''re going to wrap up here and call it a night."


    "Oh right, guess I should be getting towards the tavern myself. We agreed to meet the neighbors and then meet up there." With that, Mavec gave a light bow and made for the exit. The Six Strengths sounded a little like a cult, but they were no more and hardly a bother outside of curiosity.

 10: The Angel and the Pragmatist

    Illara: Scythefell street


    The group had taken over a table at the tavern at the end of the road. It was a fine establishment, for sure. The tables were thick, and the benches and stools were sturdy. Alvec and Bait were the first two here. The wizard was buried in papers and parchment, frantically jotting notes in black ink on canvas. He hadn''t fully explained the problem; he simply said that he needed to develop an actionable business plan and check out the church tomorrow as soon as possible.


    "What has you so in a tizzy Alvec? You didn''t seem bothered by those flatworms with human teeth, but one day in the city, and you''re a right storm of parchment and ink?" Illaria asked.


    "Mavec thought the gifts Cellocht was giving away were spite gifts. If he''s right, Cellocht just used us as a cat''s paw to slight the holiest church in the Empire, one that isn''t particularly fond of Tieflings, and if I can''t show how we''re adding value to society, who knows what manner of issues they might make for us! How much should I even charge for alchemist fire?" Illaria glanced over his shoulder at a long list of alchemical items. Some of which she recognized, others were a complete mystery to her.


    "You can make all of these?"


    "Yeah, reliably. I didn''t put anything on the list I wasn''t sure I could produce easily."


    "What even is chill cream?" She asked as she read over his shoulder.


    Alvec reached into a pocket and pulled out a small tube. "Here, give it a try tomorrow. It''s meant to make your skin less likely to burn in the sun."


    "And this instant foam, what''s that?" asked Illaria.


    "Does what the bottle says," Alvec said as he pointed at the label. Creates a thick layer of foam on contact with air. It can soften a fall pretty dramatically. Drop a few of them off the side of a building before you jump, and you''ll likely survive the fall without magic."


    "Now that I can see how it could be useful. Especially here in the city where the buildings can get quite tall." She frowned at him. "Do you really be thinking you''ll need all of this?"


    "Look, Illaria people stare at both of us, but for you, it''s awe, and for me, it''s distrust," sighed Alvec. "I just want to be ready. I hope it goes smoothly, but I can''t stand the thought of going in without a backup plan."


    Illaria nodded. They had traveled as a group briefly, but she had already seen the difference in how people looked at the two of them. It was similar to the look people gave Bait upon first meeting him. Bait, she could almost understand. He was a goblin, messy, smelly, and a curiosity among city folk. Alvec, she felt, shouldn''t stand out as much as he did. "I''ll leave you to it, oh wise alchemist," she said before she turned her attention to Bait, who was sitting at the lip of the table, flagging down a server.


    Another Aasimar responded to his frantic waving. He was perhaps the most sculpted man Illaria had ever seen. Tall and jacked beyond measure. His locks of hair were a crisp, curly gold that fell in waves behind his ears. It wasn''t hard for her to see their shared divine blood''s chiseled and angular features. The tieflings were descended from Devils and Demons; the Aasimar were descended from the angels and their like.


    "What can I help you with?" He asked.


    "Bait want cheese." The man gave the goblin a strange look. Unsure how to process the request.


    "Do you have coin?"


    "Bait have coin."


    "Can I see the coin?"


    Bait fished into his clothing and pulled out a copper piece.


    The man frowned at him. "That won''t be enough coin. Do you have any silver ones, perhaps gold?"


    "Muscle-angel meanie head."


    "Look, you want cheese; you need to pay coin; it''s that simple," he stated. Bait reluctantly plucked a few silver coins from deeper in his clothing and placed them on the table. The aasimar swept them up and returned shortly with a small cheese plate.


    "Dis all?" Bait asked, disgusted.


    "Yeah, you got more coins or better coins? You give them to me, and I give you more or better cheese. You get to pick which."


    "Fine, Bait, pick MORE cheese." He threw two gold coins at the aasimar, who caught them and pocketed them.


    "Coming right up, mister big spender."


    "Illaria, muscle angle is a poopy-head," Bait said. Illaria just nodded. She didn''t agree, but Bait didn''t need to be knowing that. Mavec and Naya arrived at nearly the same time. Mavec took one look at the table and scowled.


    "I''m just going to head straight to bed; we can catch up in the morning. It looks like you''ve got a lot of business going on. Are you planning to join me heading to the academy tomorrow morning?" Mavec asked.


    "Yeah, sure, we''ve got some wizard business to attend to after all," Alvec said as he took his bloodshot eyes off the papers before him.


    "Yeah, hopefully, someone at the academy can better understand what we ran into on the road. Still makes my skin crawl. Maybe we can also find something about the sleepwalking, too," Mavec said.


    "Shouldn''t we be heading to the property first?" Illaria asked.


    "Nah, they''ve got a boarding student who studies at the Academy; it will be easier to walk with them than to try to find the academy on our own," Mavec replied. She nodded her head in agreement. Her wanderings around the city thus far had threatened repeatedly to turn her around. Having an escort truly would make learning the city that much easier.


    "I see your point, Mavec; perhaps we should be meeting around mid-day instead," Illaria suggested.


    "That would be good for me; I wanted to check out the bakery tomorrow morning, then maybe visit Hobo Beans," Naya announced.


    "Nope, I''m going to bed; this is not my job," Mavec said before heading off to find the inn next door.


    "Ok, I''ll be biting; who exactly might this hobo beans fellow be?" asked Illaria.


    "I met him in the woods," said Naya. "He worships the spirits too. He gave me a tip on where I might be able to find a child of Akrixi."


    "Are you sure you''re not leaving anything out?" Illaria asked again.


    "Echo and I ran into some fellows arguing; they left in a hurry, leaving behind a sack of stuff."


    Illaria shot Alvec a look. "Mind if we take a look at this bag of stuff?"


    "Sure thing; they asked me to keep Echo outside; he''s guarding it. I''m going to order him some cheese and meat in a moment."


    "I''ll come take a look, too," Alvec said as he shuffled his dried papers together. "Naya, make sure Bait doesn''t ruin these." The pair exited the tavern and found Echo lying down, coiled around a large burlap sack. Alvec whispered a few words in celestial, "Illuminate these five points with the light of the heavens." Light erupted from his fingertips. He casually coiled a few into his palm to better control precisely how much light they needed. Illaria opened the bag and let out a large sigh. No doubt about it, these were stolen goods. Everything here was made of precious or semi-precious metals.


    "You''re seeing the same thing as me, right?" Illaria asked.


    "Yeah, I''m seeing a conversation with the town guard tomorrow or the next day," Alvec said with a sigh.


    "Leave it to me. I''ll handle this. My Blue Banner status might help us avoid any misunderstandings," said Illaria.


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    "Be my guest," Alvec said. No surprise to Illaria, the last thing a new Tiefling in town would want to do was barge into the town guards'' quarters with a bag stuffed full of almost certainly stolen property.


    Illaria cinched the bag shut and slung it over her shoulder. "Make sure that Bait doesn''t cause too much of a fuss; that Aasimar bartender seems to have him on a short leash, so I imagine he''ll be fine, but just in case."


    Illaria departed independently to solve this little problem as fast as she could. It only took a few stops for directions to reach the building she wanted. It wasn''t exactly a large or fancy building, but it was well-defensible. Stone exterior made assault by fire less damning, with narrow entryways and thin windows, meant it was ready to withstand a minor siege if necessary. A set of bored-looking guards stood watch at the door.


    "Halt," one of them said sternly as she got close to them. "State your name and business, please." He was firm but not particularly commanding.


    "I''m Illaria, and I appear to have recovered stolen property. I wish to turn it into the town guard. Could I possibly speak with whoever is in charge tonight? Inside, perhaps?" They quickly mumbled to each other under their breath, and one of them went inside. A few minutes later, the guard returned with a man maybe twenty years older than Illaria; his face was a forest of black stubble. He had a strong jaw and steel gray eyes. He stood about the same height as her. His armor and weapons were well-polished but also battle-marked. This man was no stranger to a fight.


    "Good evening. I''m Captain Siros. I hear you ''recovered'' some stolen property. Might I ask you to elaborate on the subject?" He asked, stepping closer to her. "I''d also appreciate it if you turned over your sword while we discuss this."


    "I''m afraid I''ll be holding onto my sword; as a member of the Blue Banner army, it wouldn''t do to be unarmed in the event of an emergency. I can provide you with my shore leave paperwork if you''d be liking to view it," she said, as she presented out a few well-maintained pieces of paper.


    The man stepped forward and took the documents from her before retreating out of melee range. He moved beneath one of the torches and glanced at it. "Alright, looks legit. So tell me, Illaria, what exactly is the story here?"


    "One of my companions stumbled across two men arguing," explained Illaria. "They dropped this sack of what we suspect are stolen goods and ran."


    "Why would they flee at the sight of your companion?" the guard asked.


    "I reckon it might have something to do with the wolf that travels with her," said Illaria. "I can''t imagine a common burglar wanting to be anywhere near a wolf and a girl in leather armor with two scimitars."


    "Alright, that answers all my questions." He handed her back the note and grabbed the sack of stolen goods, dragging it inside. "We''ll take these back and see if we can''t track down their real owners. You have yourself a good night."


    "You be enjoying your night as well. May all of your interactions go as smoothly as this one." He chuckled at her. She could only imagine that this would probably be the easiest thing he faced tonight. The cities were great but also terrible. With that, she returned to the inn; it would be a long day tomorrow as they started to sort things out.


    Mavec: The Academy


    Morning came too quick, and the coffee Mavec sipped on was far weaker than he''d preferred. Brewing a new pot in the lobby might have been rude, but he was considering it anyway. Piccora stamped her feet beside him, reminding him how limited their time was. Alvec was running late. The academies started their lectures early, and no doubt, this border across the street from them would need to start walking even earlier. He reached out with magic for Alvec''s mind, pushing his thoughts at him. "Hey, you awake yet? We gotta go."


    A bunch of chirping caught his attention as Rem barreled down the stairs, Alvec only a few frantic steps behind him. He was trying his best to tidy up, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to tame it. "Sorry, sorry. It''s been a while since my academy days. I forgot how hard waking up in the morning is. Remington overslept, too."


    "It''s ok; you don''t exactly have a clockwork familiar to wake you up on time. Anyway, no time for coffee for you; let''s go," said Mavec, heading out the door.


    Alvec grumbled but agreed, and the pair of wizards headed out of the inn and down the street. Edis and Nora were both standing on the sidewalk. The couple looked overjoyed to see the pair approaching. They weren''t alone; a girl just a few years younger than the pair stood a little ways off to the side, looking a smidge annoyed. She was a bit shorter than the pair, and her skin was dark with warm copper undertones. Her eyes were a deep amber hidden behind thick wire-rimmed glasses. The equipment she carried marked her as possibly an alchemist in addition to a wizard in training. Her clothing was clean and casual, what one would expect of someone whose daily life was pretty safe within the city''s walls and the hallowed halls of learning that are the academies.


    Alvec took the lead, moving in front of Mavec. "Edis, Nora, this is Mavec, a fellow graduate of the academies."


    "Pleasure to meet you," Mavec said while pointing at Piccora. "This is my familiar Piccora; I studied clocksmithing."


    "This here is Praha; she''s studying..." Edis paused for a moment, clearly unable to recall what exactly it was that the girl was studying at the academy.


    "Transmutation with an understudy in Alchemy," Praha supplied after a hearty sigh.


    "I studied Abjuration myself," Alvec stated. "We might not be experts in your field, but I''m sure Mavec and I can help you if you get hung up on any assignments."


    "We... we should get moving." She stated as she started walking down the street. Alvec was but a moment behind her. Mavec frowned. Not exactly the warmest of introductions. He shrugged it off and took his place behind them. The path to the academy was surprisingly straightforward. Though it was a bit further away than Mavec had hoped. He did not miss walking to class every morning when the sun was barely done kissing the eastern horizon.


    "So, how close to graduating are you?" Mavec eventually asked, trying to make some small talk. She took a moment to answer.


    "If things go well, I''m looking at another year," said Praha


    "Any thoughts on what you''ll do afterward?" Alvec followed up.


    "Hadn''t given it much thought yet," Praha said, rubbing her eyes. "There are lots of opportunities for transmuters with the imperial government. Assessing possible mines or working on new metallurgy projects. I''ll have plenty of options for sure."


    "Just don''t become an adventurer; it''s not all it''s cracked up to be," Mavec grumbled.


    "OH, hush you," Alvec replied. "It''s a good way to make money fast; it''s going to buy me my own craft shop someday."


    "Ha, if we live long enough to use any of it," laughed Mavec. "How often do you think we run into strange creatures before one does us in?"


    "Just get behind me," Alvec said, clapping a hand on his mithril buckler. "You just keep blasting; I''ll hold the line."


    "I still think you''re nuts," Mavec admitted. "I mean, what wizard goes around charging into the front lines like that? It''s gonna get you killed someday."


    "I''m with Mavec on this one; a shield wizard is a dumb concept," Praha said.


    "I assure you, it''s well calculated," Alvec said with a smile, his tail flicking slightly in annoyance.


    "Sure, you''re not just bad at math?" She asked.


    "You said you were minoring in Alchemy?" Alvec responded.


    "Yeah."


    "A gold piece says I can out-shine you making any product you name," he said, grinning a little too devilishly.


    "Come on, Alvec, that''s not fair; she''s still a student," said Mavec. "You make all of our parties alchemy needs and enchanting needs."


    "Really? He makes all your stuff?" Praha asked.


    "Everything but the clockwork, that''s my darling," replied Mavec.


    "Maybe... just maybe, he''s decent at math. Shield wizards are still a dumb idea," she stated. The conversation petered out for a few minutes as they continued making progress toward the academy. When the building came into sight, Mavec sighed contentedly. Alvec, on the other hand, looked as if he had gone tense, his head bobbing from side to side as if checking for enemies.


    "You expecting to get jumped here?" Mavec asked. His companion was oddly silent for a moment as his tail swept low to the ground back and forth.


    "At the academy, I went to... I didn''t exactly have a good time. Didn''t make many friends," his head tilted down as he spoke. "I don''t want to get into the details, but being here feels like home and a warzone."


    Mavec couldn''t see anything disturbing about the beautiful brownstone buildings before them. "Thanks, Praha, we owe you one. Something from the bakery, perhaps?" Mavec asked.


    She nodded her head in agreement. "It was kinda nice to have some company for a change. No need to get me anything."


    "Alright, we''ll, uh, see you around later," Mavec said, waving her goodbye.


    "You do know we still have to get her something, right?" Alvec asked.


    "Yeah, definitely something from the bakery. She doesn''t strike me as a join us at the tavern type." Mavec agreed.


    The campus was far larger than the one Alvec had gone to in Ot Najan- It looked to span dozens, maybe as much as a hundred acres. The one Alvec had attended was just a single brick building. It was large, by his town''s standards only. There looked to be at least four or five large brick buildings many stories taller than the ones back in Ot Najan- If this place hadn''t made him nervous before, the enormity certainly was doing the trick.


    The two wizards headed for the library. Flashing their badges got them access quickly enough, and the two got busy searching for more field guides. When nothing turned up, Alvec switched gears to local accounts. Perhaps something was buried in the local legend that could be helpful to them. Mavec, on the other hand, opted to check out other books on clockworking. Maybe there had been some new discoveries while he had been slumming it in the woods? While the academy had some new tomes, they sadly contained much the same information as what he had studied recently as a few years ago. He frowned; without a visionary like Alusai pushing clocksmithing beyond its limits, it was hard to say if the field would be able to maintain its status. Perhaps clockwork was just a phase after all.


    Nah, Piccora was the future, not the last link in the chain. It just meant there was a lot of room for Mavec to do some serious good. A few smaller units to purify water, maybe a more efficient water heater? He had a notebook full of project ideas. He''d only just started to sort out how to possibly process them. Alvec was right about one thing: the money adventuring brought in had already been a massive boon to his refining of Piccora. He was making progress all the time. He could only dream of being funded like Alusai had been. What great inventions could Mavec devise if he didn''t have to worry about earning enough money not to starve to death? It was a dream, one he hoped he''d get to realize.


    "Alvec, this sucks!"


    "Yeah, I''m not finding anything either."


    "Let''s call it a day and open the locked door already. See what the property actually has in it." The pair left the academy and returned to the tavern; it was time to meet up with the rest of the group and see what Cellocht had given them.

 11: Beware the Tall Grass

    Naya: Sha-Laial


    The main gate wouldn''t budge. Naya tapped her foot anxiously while Mavec and Alvec fiddled with the rope binding the main entrance together. "We''ll have to try the side gates; this one is not coming undone without some serious disruptive spell-casting," Alvec informed the group.


    "You''re an abjurer; you don''t have a way to bypass it?" Mavec asked.


    "Not yet, I don''t, but I''ll certainly keep it in mind as I study magic," said Alvec.


    "Let us be getting to the side gate then. Perhaps we can gain entry that way," Illaria stated before walking towards the side entrance. The whole group followed, and Alvec popped the lock open in moments. The group entered the facility for the first time. It was a large property with a three-story stone tower at the back. Its roof was a sunburnt orange, and each point on its hexagonal sloped roof had a statue of a gargoyle crouched on the lip of the roof. Near the front gate, still closed with that magic knot, was a series of small buildings not unlike a barn or stalls for horses. It was empty now, but Naya could almost imagine housing animals there. Surely, Alvec would have different ideas, though. He''d given no indication he didn''t like animals, but also none that he did. There was no reason to think he''d house horses here.


    Beyond that was an open-air building, a bit like a pavilion. Close by, she could see what looked like a natural pool of water.


    The group proceeded forward toward the tower. As they neared it, the mechanical sound of constructs whirling back to life caught their attention. Two of the same scorpion-esc constructs they had fought in the farms, not but a day ago emerged from the tall grass. One of which skittered up the tower wall about twenty feet and pointed its tail down towards the party. The other rushed forward at Alvec, who managed to dive out of the way, gathering arcane energy around himself and donning the same ghostly blue chain shirt made of arcane magic. Bait took aim at the one up high and pulled the trigger, but the round fizzled in the chamber. The goblin let out a frustrated screech and quickly cleared the round.


    Illaria, Naya, and Echo went toward the one on the ground. Illaria''s sword barely found purchase on the creature''s armored exoskeleton. Naya''s swords and Echo''s teeth struggled to sink in as they maneuvered to flank the construct. Mavec charged Piccora again with electricity and sent her in to deliver another jolt to the construct on ground level. The small rabbit connected, and the opposing construct sizzled as the electricity poured through it.


    While everyone''s attention was split on the constructs, something slithered out from the tall grass, an inky black mass with long tendrils whipping out blindly towards anything that moved. Naya felt something fluid wrap around her leg and pull her down to the ground. She let out a startled scream.


    "DAT BIG GULP!" Bait shouted. "WATCH OUT; IT EATS EVERYTHING."


    "How do you know this?" Illaria asked.


    "Children tell bait stories. Big Gulp steal packages, eat cats."


    The one on the wall aimed and shot a barb from its tail down at Illaria. She tried to get her blade up quickly, but the barb impaled her shoulder. She winced in pain but was hardly out of the fight. Alvec, now armored, rushed in towards the construct. He cast the same spell, electricity cackling from his free hand. He made contact with the creature''s tail as he slipped behind it. The electricity did its damage quickly. It was hard to tell under the amount of rust on these machines, but their movements were clearly beginning to degrade from the attacks. It shouldn''t be much longer till this one went down. It brought a sawblade at Illaria, who managed this time to intercept and deflect the spinning blade into the soft earth beneath their feet, kicking up small bits of sod. The tail recoiled from Alvec''s attack, and flames blasted him again. He rolled low as the flames encroached on him. The bulk of the fire had missed him. As a descendant of hell, the fires weren''t strong enough to scorch his skin. He chose not to activate his cape, which shimmered with arcane energy.


    Naya swung both swords on the ground at the "thing" that had grabbed her. Her blades passed through the creature as if it wasn''t there. There was no way to tell if they were doing anything at all. She began to kick her legs, trying to shake it off, but to no effect.


    "If someone could help Naya, that would be good. I''ve got this one," Illaria said, making another attack on the construct. Slicing deep into its neck joint. Echo abandoned the fight and rushed to his master''s aid. He bit at the big gulp, his fangs also failing to find purchase on the creature. It pulled Naya in further, dragging her down to her waist while wrapping another tendril around her. It shouldn''t have been physically possible, but her legs vanished into the inky blackness like she was sinking into a moving lake.


    "Do we know what this thing is actually called?" Mavec asked.


    "It''s big gulp; why no trust Bait."


    "I''m sure it''s called that by the locals, but does it have a more technical name?" Illaria asked. Alvec took a moment to look at the creature and frowned.


    "It''s a slithering ooze. It won''t kill her immediately, even if it drags her down; just don''t let it get out of sight and keep attacking it. We''ll have a good few minutes even after it drags her down," Alvec said


    "Not exactly reassuring!" Naya shouted as she ditched her swords and wrapped her arms around Echo''s neck.


    Mavec focused his attention on the one shooting barbs down at the group. He pulled a small pinch of butter out of his spell pouch and let the spell consume it. The wall under the creature suddenly became magically slick as a yellowed pool of grease appeared beneath its feet. It struggled desperately to maintain its grip on the wall but failed, plunging twenty feet to the ground, where it landed hard. The construct righted itself from its hard landing and turned its attention towards Mavec. Bait leveled his gun and pulled the trigger. This time, the bullet cleared the barrel and slammed into the construct. The bullet entered a joint where its neck connected to its body. There were several loud clangs as the shot ricocheted inside of it. The construct dropped lifeless to the ground.


    The other construct spun around and swung its bladed implement at Alvec. The rotating blade barely snuck past his mithril buckler and bit through the protection of his spells, slicing into his stomach. He rolled with the attack as best he could, minimizing how nasty the wound would be. Illaria deftly thrust her wakizashi through one of the tail joints. The whole creature shook before collapsing onto the ground in a heap. Naya tried once more to pull herself free with Echo. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t manage the task. She could feel her legs stinging as something sprayed over her and her clothing.


    "Echo, be a good boy and bite me," Naya said before whispering another word under her breath. The magic collar around his neck flared to life, and Echo''s form shifted, aided by arcane energy. He grew to double his height as his eyes looked alarmed at the command he had just been given. He sunk his fangs into her shoulder and pulled hard. Naya screamed but also refused to let go. The pressure holding her in place finally snapped, and she and Echo fell backward away from the open maw of inky black that had held her.


    Alvec grabbed two vials full of red viscous fluid and tossed them into the open hole where Naya had been. Two plumes of fire erupted from within it, and moments later, the creature violently started shooting items out of it like a geyser. Most of the objects were highly corroded, but some precious and semi-precious gems looked to have survived their time inside the pit. Eventually, the creature seemed to dry out entirely and flake away.


    "See, told you big gulp real!" yelled Bait. "You see any packages inside? Neighbor boy says grandmother never get package because big gulp eat it."


    "Odds aren''t good for that Bait; these things use acid to digest anything inside of them." Alvec supplied.


    "Oh, too bad den."


    "You sounded like you knew a lot about these; got anything you''d like to share?" Illaria asked.


    "Well, I grew up in Ot-Najan. It''s got a strong presence of some... unsavory characters," said Alvec. "I heard rumors that they''d throw people into them and interrogate them. The acids are weak; it would take at least a minute before a full-grown adult would go unconscious. At least two till death, maybe even longer if they were made of sturdier stuff. The adventurous sort might last five or more minutes, to be honest."


    "Hey, can I get some healing over here? Echo did great, but his fangs bite deep." Naya said as she sat on the ground, her legs coiled under her and one hand over a bleeding shoulder.


    "Anyone else hurt?" Alvec called out as he produced the wand from the holster on his left calf. He first pointed the wand at Naya and focused on pushing magic through it. Unfortunately, this was still somewhat difficult for him. Activating wands wasn''t a skill most wizards excelled at. It was more the territory of sorcerers with a firmer "feel" for the magic than wizards. It was more art than science. His first attempt fizzled, but before long, he caught the feel of it and could touch the soothing white tip of the wand to her bloody shoulder. The wounds closed instantly, leaving only dried blood and punctured clothing in their wake. Both required only the use of cantrips to fix. Once Naya was cleaned up, Alvec turned his attention to himself, healing the slight wound across his stomach before reknitting his clothing with some minor transmutation magic.


    Healed up and patched up, Alvec headed for the tower''s entrance. He pushed the doors open and stepped into the building. The moment he set foot in there, he turned around screaming and ran as far back away from it as his legs could carry him before stopping.


    "What the hell?" Naya said, looking back into the room. As far as she could see, it was empty. Nothing was even mildly alarming about the first-floor entrance to this tower. She stepped in. Fear blossomed in her mind, overriding all rational thought. Something angry and cold clouded her senses, and something in her screamed for her to run far away as fast as she could. Her faculties returned to her shortly after, and she stood about as far away as Alvec had run. He stood beside her, holding his chin with his right hand and his right elbow with his left hand.


    "Well, that was strange." Sure, that was one way to put it, Alvec. Horrifying seemed like the better word to Naya.


    ¡°Amatuers, step aside. Bait got dis." The goblin backed up and got a running start, throwing himself through the doorway. Again, as his bare green feet slapped onto the wooden floor, he too turned away, screaming, and ran as far as his little goblin legs could carry him.


    "Did anyone learn anything about this place while they were out yesterday?" Alvec asked.


    "Yeah, owned by the ''Six Strengths,'' some sort of dojo or temple. They were on the wrong side of the war; they died out. Not sure." Mavec said.


    "You said they were the Six Strengths? I''m going to try something possibly dumb," Alvec said as he readied his buckler and charged the door. He got only about two steps forward before the fear overwhelmed him again.


    "Bait, try again too!" The goblin threw himself at the door again just to go screaming away.


    "Damn it," Alvec said. "I was hoping that if I did something symbolic like charging right in like a warrior, it might allow me entrance. Let me take a look at the door real quick." He walked up to the doorway and began inspecting it. He shook his head left and right. "Looks like we''ll be staying at the inn again. There''s no arcane magic going on here, which means it''s either something divine... or some special ability used by some otherworldly power. Maybe a ghost?"


    "Bait, no give up!"


    Illaria chuckled as Bait attempted to get through the door again, only to be forced to run away. "As funny as that is, perhaps we need to be considering consulting someone else for help.


    "Didn''t someone say there''s a church of Kushang down the road?" Mavec asked.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "I still need to go to a temple to get Echo approved; maybe now is the right time?" Naya asked.


    "I''ll pass," Mavec said as he walked over to the scrap heaps. "Piccora and I can stay here and start cleaning the place up a bit. If we can''t get into the tower to sleep, we can ensure those other smaller buildings are safe. Camping in them would be better than camping outside."


    "Bait, keep trying; this fun!" He was now screaming as he charged at the door and ran away from it. "Scary door, dumb fun."


    "Then it''s decided. Bait and Mavec will stay here and clean up while the rest of us visit the church of Kushang." Illaria said.


    Alvec, Naya, and Illaria: The Church of Kushang


    He barely had his plan for opening an alchemy shop jotted down on a piece of scrap parchment. This was far less prepared than the young Tiefling would have wanted to be before visiting the church of Kushang. Especially since he had learned they had been very interested in the property that Cellocht had so casually gifted to him. If he could just spin it as a sound business proposal, perhaps the church would get on board. Maybe he could also craft something for them; a magic item to help smooth things over might not be a bad idea. There were any number of enchanted items he could gift to them. Granted, he was gold-poor right now, and doing such a thing would cost money he desperately didn''t have.


    "Alvec, if you don''t be getting out of your own head, you''re going to flub your introduction. You only get one first impression," Illaria stated as they neared the end of the street.


    "I don''t get what''s so important about this anyway. We''re going to ask them for help; that''s normal, right?" Naya asked as she walked in lockstep with Echo.


    "I hesitate to say you''re wrong..." Illaria trailed off.


    "But it''s a touch more complicated than on the surface," Alvec replied.


    "I''ll just have Echo bite them if they''re mean to you." The trio laughed at the joke.


    The church at the end of the street was anything but modest. Kushang, the God of civilization, who tamed the wilderness and turned it into orderly, smooth stone streets, demanded that her churches and temples be grand and practical. It was a big, boxy building that towered over the neighborhood''s skyline. Its construction was mostly of stone, but inlaid at every opportunity were the three colors of the currency. Gold, silver, and copper ran in veins throughout the architecture. The doorways were large and open, considering the mid-day summer heat. The trio entered the church. With no sermons being hosted, several people were milling about doing some cleaning tasks. Illaria approached the first person she saw around their own age. A girl with long black hair wearing a simple dress with only light accents of gold, silver, and copper in the outfit that denoted her affiliation with the church. She held a broom and gently swept dust and dirt toward the open door.


    "Hello, pardon the interruption, but I''m Illaria, and we could use some guidance." Illaria flashed a practically radiant smile along with her greeting.


    "Oh, hello. What seems to be the problem? Maybe I can direct you to who best can help?" the girl said.


    "You see, the property my friend inherited, we think it''s haunted," Illaria said as she ushered Alvec over. "I''ll let him explain more of the details. I''m going to go say a quick prayer at the altar. Haven''t said many to Kushang lately," Illaria said before walking away, leaving Naya and Alvec to their own devices.


    "Uh, hi there. I''m Alvec, and you are?" He stated, stepping forward and extending his hand to her. She hesitantly returned the gesture.


    "I''m Sarbie; welcome to the neighborhood?" she said hesitantly


    "Thanks," replied Alvec. "I''m a wizard, which is relevant because it means I''ve already checked out this problem from an arcane angle."


    "Alright, so why do you think it''s haunted?" asked Sarbie.


    "Well, we''re at 899 Scythefell Street, and every time we try to enter the tower, the second we set foot inside, we get hit with this wave of fear that drives us screaming back out of the tower," Alvec explained. "Since it''s not an arcane spell, it means it must be something divine or supernatural. Seeing how the previous owners, the Six Strengths, appear to have perished, I kinda just latched onto the idea of it being haunted."


    "Did I hear someone say something about the dojo!?" A young man''s voice came from several pews over. Sarbie''s shoulders slumped a bit as she let out a sigh and a small smile.


    "I''d have told him if only he''d given me a bit more time," she said just loud enough for Alvec to hear. "Yes, Hoc, these are the new owners," Sarbie said as she stepped back a half step so the young man could join.


    He was taller than the rest of the group, a full half-head taller than Alvec, yet his face was incredibly youthful. Perhaps the biggest baby face Alvec had ever seen.


    "You guys live there!? No way, it''s been abandoned forever! I''ve wanted to climb the walls so many times!" Hoc babbled. "I can''t imagine how freaking cool that place must be. When did this happen?"


    "Whoa, whoa, all things in time, friend. I think we should perhaps trade names before life stories," Alvec said, extending a hand to him as well. He took it unquestioningly and gave a sharp, curt shake.


    "I''m Hoc, a paladin in training here at the church of Kushang," he said eagerly. "Someday, I''ll swing around a golden sword, and people will praise my name."


    "Alvec Snaptail, Shield Wizard at your service. As for when this happened: today. We arrived in Sha-Laial late last night. We just opened it up today to take a look around. Probably a good thing you never did climb those walls. We encountered some clockwork and a slithering ooze near the tower itself."


    "Shield wizard?" asked Hoc. "Never heard of that before, some new order?"


    Alvec patted his mithril buckler. "Not quite; I just fight in the thick of it, unlike most wizards."


    "So why do you need the Church of Kushang''s help?" Hoc asked.


    "I was just explaining it to your friend Sarbie here; we think it''s haunted," Alvec said, gesturing to the girl. "Every time we try to set foot in there, we get hit with this wave of fear which sends us running and screaming out of the towers. It''s not some leftover trap, and it''s not arcane in origin. Only leaves us a few options."


    "Sarbie''s just great, isn''t she." Hoc nodded along to himself. "Well, I''ll come with you guys and see if I can help you. I am a Paladin-in training. The fear shouldn''t touch me."


    "It''s a bit sudden, but I''d be glad to have your help," Alvec said.


    "Just be sure to donate to the church after I solve this little problem," Hoc said. With that, the two boys headed toward the exit, leaving Sarbie and Naya alone.


    "He''s just a ball of sunshine," Naya said.


    "He can be a bit much at times, but his heart is in the right place," Sarbie said as she resumed sweeping.


    "Wait, I need one more thing. I was told to come to a church to get Echo certified," said Naya as she pointed at the wolf.


    Sarbie went stiff, for the first time noticing the presence of the well-behaved wolf standing quietly at the side of their master. "OH, uh, let me go fetch someone who specializes in that," she said as she beat a hasty retreat. A few minutes later, she returned with another cleric, an older man in simple robes of the same colors.


    "Well, hello there. I hear we''re looking to get an animal certified as an animal companion?" He asked as she gave a glance at Echo.


    "Yes, I''m from Lom-Itoti. This wasn''t really required out there, and it''s my first time visiting a big city like Sha-Laial," Naya said


    "So, what is this magnificent creature''s name?" asked the man.


    "He''s Echo. Do you need me to have him do some tricks? He knows a handful." Naya asked.


    "Yes, I will need to see what he can do."


    Naya frowned at him. "How am I supposed to demonstrate the combat ones?"


    "In the city, we''re more concerned with seeing that he doesn''t attack. So we won''t need a demonstration on attacking creatures," he replied.


    Naya nodded in agreement. She wordlessly stepped in front of Echo and held up a closed fist. The wolf sat down. Naya held out an open palm and walked away from him. He tilted his head slightly and remained where he was. She waved her hand towards herself, and he got up and sprinted over to her. He stopped in front of her and sat down again. She pointed to the ground, and he dropped to lying down with a lazy yawn.


    "Echo, growl." The wolf let out a low, menacing growl. "Echo, enough." He stopped as abruptly as he had started. "Is that enough of a demonstration?" She asked.


    "Yes, please have him come here; I just need to take one last test. Won''t be but a moment." He held his hand open, and Echo jogged over to him. His hand glowed softly before he touched Echo''s head. "Ah, yes, I feel the connection. It''s hard to explain, but this animal is a blessed companion. Praise Kushang. Sarbie, run along and fetch one of the tags; we''ll add it to his collar."


    "Yes, sir, right away, sir," she said as she shuffled off.


    "It''s nice to have so many young folks working for us. It would be nice to get the girl out of the church a bit more often, though. She''s a little too much of a homebody. Please call on her if you need more assistance." The cleric said before heading back deeper into the church. The girl, only a little older than Naya, returned with a golden tag. She looked hesitantly around.


    "Did Father Oren already leave? I was hoping he''d attach it." Naya nodded.


    "I can do it," Naya said, offering her hand.


    "No, no, you can''t. It requires a cleric to attune it." She looked at Echo and pursed her lips together.


    "Would you feel better if he laid down and you got to pet him first?" Naya asked.


    "Yeah, I might." She said, taking a deep breath and holding her hands in front of her chest clasped together around the small golden charm. This girl was skittish, but Naya could work with that. In some ways, she reminded her of a sheep, easily spooked and needing a little guidance. Echo laid down. Naya crouched beside him and rubbed his side and drumstick. Echo hammed it up, laying on his side with a big, contented sigh.


    "Here, pet his belly; I promise he loves the rubs," Naya said, pointing towards his upper stomach and exposed chest. Sarbie knelt down gently and did as she was asked hesitantly at first, but soon, she was comfortably giving him a tail-wagging good belly rub. A few minutes later, Sarbie placed her hands around Echo''s neck and latched the golden charm to the collar. She spoke a short prayer in a language Naya didn''t understand, and a golden light radiated through the thin piece of smooth, rounded metal.


    "There, it''s done. You shouldn''t encounter any more problems from city officials. He can come anywhere you go so long as he isn''t actively causing problems. You''ll want to make sure he''s good at getting quiet. That''s the one we usually get complaints about."


    "Thank you," Naya said, "Do you think you could do one more thing for me?" Naya asked. Sarbie looked at her with concern. "Don''t worry, it''s nothing dangerous; I just wanted to know a bit more about the gods. Back in Lom-Itoti, we didn''t deal with them much... and Mavec''s lectures... leave something to be desired."


    "Sure, I can tell you a bit about the gods of the Empire," Sarbie said with a visible release of tension in her stance. "You''re standing in a temple to Kushang, the mother of law and order. She stands for truth, justice, and community. She''s the daughter of Mother Sky and half-brother to Dahn-Daluzi, the God of travelers. She''s the most favored God in the entire Empire as the church was the first to formally back Emperor Ageneon''s claims."


    "Can you tell me more about Dahn-Daluzi? I think I''ve heard Illaria mention him before," Naya asked.


    "Yes, the God of travelers. He''s more concerned with personal freedom than community and law. He''s said to travel around the world pretending to be a mortal. Gifting his blessings to those who travel under his parents, Mother Sky and the Cloud Sheppard. His worship was nearly wiped from the Empire, as the wars and Anarchy made things like travel particularly dangerous. I heard a few merchants talking about roadside shrines popping up to him these days."


    "This has been a lot to take in. Are there any other gods I need to know about?" Naya asked.


    "There are plenty more; the pantheon is vast, but there are only two more commonly worshiped in the Empire, the husband and wife, Tozhen and Sarosa."


    "I''ve certainly heard both of those names. Alvec and Mavec offer prayers to them, usually before they work on crafting things." Naya said.


    "That makes sense; they are the crafting gods. They say the sun and the moon are the manifestation of their ideas that they gift to each other each day, passed between each other as they refine them. Hearing anyone say they were struck by a sunbeam or moonbeam means they had a good idea. One they think might just be divinely inspired." Sarbie informed her.


    "So what do they craft anyway?" Naya asked.


    "Sarosa is all about precision. Cooking, Alchemy, sewing. Those are all acts that she presides over. Tohzen is sometimes called the God of sweat. Most of his worshippers are hard men with hard jobs. I hate the name, but my father worships him too. He''s a carpenter. He likes to call him the God of fortifications."


    "And what about the spirits?"


    "They are the gods'' creations, here to keep the natural world in order. They aren''t really venerated." Sarbie said.


    "Seems a shame; the spirits are worthy of our praise." Naya insisted.


    "Perhaps the good news is that the gods don''t make you pick sides. Most people, clerics of Kushang included, pray to all the gods at some point in their lives. I mean, I don''t worship Tohzen or Sarosa all that much, but you know I don''t skip out on making sweets for my family on Ivy Day."


    "Ivy day?" Naya asked.


    "Do they not give handmade gifts during it where you''re from?" Sarbie asked.


    "No, I''ve never heard of it."


    "Well, the rules are simple: you give something you made to someone. These gifts are usually given to family... or well... lovers or love interests." Sarbie said. "Is there anyone you''re thinking of making any gifts for this year?"


    "Is it ok to make them for friends?"


    "It is, though you''ll want to clarify that it is a friend gift. You wouldn''t want to give anyone the wrong idea."


    "Speaking of the boys, I ought to follow them back home. I want to see how this whole haunted tower thing shakes out. If you get a chance, I''d love to host you as thanks after we set up the place. It would be fun to throw a ball for Echo."


    "Perhaps I could swing by sometime. We''ll have to bring Hoc, though. After tonight, I''d be surprised he doesn''t set up camp outside the towers. He''s always been fascinated with stories of military orders. Ageneon outlawed them after the war. The church or the army are the only options for someone who wants that kind of attention."


    "Alright, we''ll make it happen as soon as we can. It would be nice to make some friends in the city."

 12: Caper and Casing

    Alvec Snaptail: Sha-Laial


    "You catch Tower on fire if you stare any harder," Bait said while waving his hands in front of Alvec. The goblin wasn''t nearly worried enough. Their new acquaintance, the baby-faced "paladin in training" Hoc, had stormed into the house with no trouble. While it was impressive that he hadn''t come out screaming like the rest of them, it deeply troubled Alvec to leave so much of this up to someone else... and worse, to have them going alone into a dangerous situation. He''d never forgive himself if something terrible happened to the boy. Sure, they were about the same age, but boy felt like the right word for him. "Bah, dis bore Bait. I go find secret cheese ingredients. Pee-egg. Alvec, where find Pee-birds?" The question was strange enough to jolt Alvec out of his thoughts for a second.


    "Do you mean a peacock or a peahen?" He asked.


    "Yeah, pee-birds."


    Alvec opened his mouth, about to explain that they weren''t that type of pee... but honestly, there was no harm in him mispronouncing it. "Look, I''m new to Sha-Laial as well. If I had to guess, someone on the city''s eastern side might keep them as part of a collection." Alvec said, dismissing the question.


    "Ok, bye." Bait said before he sprinted off towards the side gate. Alvec let out a sigh and focused his attention back on the tower. He thought he could hear voices from the uppermost level, but it was soft. Attempting to improvise a spell to amplify the sound was a good use of the minutes he seemed to be wasting just waiting for news. Illaria and Naya hadn''t yet returned from the church. Mavec was around but preoccupied with working on stripping the two constructs. Leaving Alvec and Rem alone waiting on Hoc.


    "What do you think, Rem? Want me to try to use abjuration to shield your mind? You try to dive on in and see how the kids doing?" Alvec said as he grabbed the good boy off his head and held him in front of him, locking eyes. The fox yipped lightly, and Alvec felt a sense of curiosity between them. "I thought if it''s a human ghost, perhaps it will have trouble making you afraid. The fears of men and animals are distinct... or I guess I should say the fears of man are more varied and nuanced, but we share many basic fears. Anyway, want to test my theory?" A distinct shake of the head informed him of all he needed to know. Remington was not willing to participate in this experiment involving the nature of fear and animal intellect. "Fine, you want to start mousing then?" Rem yipped excitedly and dove off into the thick grass.


    Alone once more, Alvec resumed his vigil on the tower door. Hoc had been gone a concerning amount of time. He had hoped the boy would have returned after just a cursory glance or at least stopped at each floor''s windows to give him an update. After what felt like an eternity, Hoc and his baby face came back into view. He practically jogged down the stairs and out of the tower.


    "You''re never going to believe this," Hoc babbled. "It''s Nath, the ghost is Nath, the former head of the Six Strengths! OH man, this is fantastic. Can you believe it? Barely anyone remembers these legends, and I just chatted with one for an hour!" Hoc''s enthusiasm was near infectious, but Alvec bit it back. He needed to focus this conversation just a touch.


    "That''s awesome; what did he say about not letting anyone in here?" Alvec asked.


    "OH, that''s right," Hoc said, looking back at the door. "He says a wizard named Vato stole a funeral urn from the tower and that he refuses to let anyone enter his home until it''s put back in its rightful place of honor. That''s a tough break, huh. I can''t imagine what sort of demented individual would steal a funeral urn."


    "Do you think you could talk him into letting us stay here on the condition that we recover it?" Alvec asked.


    "Sorry, friend, I tried that, but he didn''t go for it," said Hoc. "''What good are mortal words when we need mortal actions to right the wrongs wrought by mortal hands.''" Or something like that. He wouldn''t teach me any neat sword techniques either; he said that was reserved for members only."


    "Any chance we can just... send him to his final resting place?" Alvec asked Hoc.


    The paladin spent a moment in thought. "I mean, it''s possible, but is it ethical? He''s here; he feels like it''s not his time yet and isn''t hurting anyone. Is that really so bad?" Hoc asked.


    "Far from me to deny the dead their respite, but we need a home, too," replied Alvec.


    "Agreed," Hoc nodded. "He seems open to letting you take up lodging here if you can find and return his funeral urn."


    "And the only hint we have is the name and that he was a wizard," said Alvec, tail swishing. "No, we have more information than that. We know that Nath died in the Anarchy, meaning that if he knew the wizard''s name, they also had to have been around during the Anarchy. So Vato must be at least between 30 and 40 years old at minimum. If they were active here in Sha-Laial, we could probably find information on them at the Academy... there can''t be that many wizards active in that time frame who match up with the correct age ranges."


    "You really are a wizard, pulling that much info out of two little sentences," Hoc said, looking slightly amazed.


    "It''s nothing much, really," Alvec said, brushing the comment aside.


    "Would you mind if I came back later to chat more with Nath?" Hoc asked. "It''s like talking to a piece of living history! I''ve got other chores to do around the church; leaving my friend Sarbie to do all the work wouldn''t be fair. I mean, she''d do it, but it''s not right or fair to her, you hear." Alvec nodded along.


    "Send along our thanks. She was about to go find you before you arrived." Alvec said just before whistling for Rem, who came bounding from the tall grass. "Well, see you soon, Hoc; I''ll tell you whatever we learn at the Academy. Mavec, you coming, or should I go alone?"


    "Sure, I''ve got a bunch of scrap to sell off to them. Let''s go figure out who this Vato guy was," said Mavec


    "Do you guys mind if I hang out here more?" Hoc asked.


    "Sure, just be safe," said Alvec. "There could be more slithering oozes around. Neighborhood kids were calling it the big gulp." With that, the two wizards headed out for the Academy once more.


    Bait: Sha-Laial


    Alvec said that if there were any pee-birds, they''d be east of the river. Bait have to find pee-birds. The small goblin wove through the crowd of larger folk with ease. Bait goblin sneaky. When he didn''t want to be seen, he had no problems disappearing into the streets. He quickly retraced his steps to the town building Alvec had dragged them to yesterday. The stone building is right near a large bridge over the river. Excellent point to start his search for Pee-bird.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    He scampered across the bridge. Cheese quest so important Bait not even a little tempted to take things he want from people''s pockets, no bothering even looking in pockets. Other side of the river too clean. Bait no belong here. People ask questions if Bait stand out too much. He scanned the surrounding wide street with smooth white stone. There! A cart with what looked like building supplies. Bait have idea. Look like belong here, then find house with pee-bird. He wandered up to the cart and helped himself to a bundle of bricks he cradled in his arms as he waddled down the street. Bricks heavy, this dumb, but people dumb and likely ignore Bait if he carries brick with purpose. Bait, just goblin, Goblin bricklayer. That what they think, then bam, no more pee-bird eggs.


    He wandered a good way up the road, passing by various fancy-looking estates before he stumbled across an enclosure full of pee-birds. His mouth began to salivate at the thought of how good this cheese would be. He set the bricks down in front of the house. The cocks were beautiful, with their enormous tails in green, blue, and purple. Now Bait just have to get in. The whole property was fenced with cast iron, and Pee-birds housed behind chicken wire, so dumb pee-bird no fly away. First fence, no problem. Bars wide, Bait small. The goblin turned sideways and practically oozed through the first fence. He quickly dropped to his stomach and inched his way forward. Bait need to be sneaky so that no one know he there. Green goblin blend in with nice lush grass. He could remove clothing, then be entirely green. Sound good, but if pee-birds get mean, Bait rather not be naked. No want to get pecked, not on pecker.


    When he reached the chicken wire, it took him a moment to dig his way under it. He squeezed himself through the hole he''d created, leaving his gun behind him. Bait no want to shoot pee-birds. Once in the enclosure, he moved slowly, still heading towards what must have been a coop for the dumb pee-birds. He grabbed a small stone from the ground in case he need distract them while he was moving up as silently as he could. The birds failed to notice him, and as he made it into the coop, he found himself face to face with a mother pee-bird. He tossed the stone onto the floor nearby. The noise distracted the bird, and Bait snatched a single egg from another roost before retreating.


    Getting back through without endangering his precious cargo was more difficult than getting in. He skirted the edge of the pee-bird enclosure till he could find the hole he had dug. He rolled the egg on through first and then slithered himself through. He left the egg on one side of the iron fence as he squeezed through, reaching back to grab the egg once he was safely on the road again. Now it was time to make his escape. Casually, be goblin casual. No one prove Bait no buy egg. No one give receipt for single egg. He cradled the egg in both hands as he headed straight for the exit of the town. This needed to go to Ben now. He couldn''t just hold onto pee-bird egg forever. Needed to get it to Ben so he start teaching him the basics of cheese making.


    Alvec and Mavec, the Academy


    The pair found their way back to the Academy with ease. They debated the best method to determine who this Vato fellow was as they walked the city. The general consensus was to find a professor and just ask if they knew anything. Admissions may have records, but they''d likely be off-limits to non-academy individuals. They both knew all too well that all you had to do was get a professor talking to learn valuable information. Outside of their passion projects, there was nothing they enjoyed more than reminiscing.


    "So, who do you think we should go see? Maybe the head of Artificy?" Mavec suggested. Alvec nodded in agreement.


    "It would be good networking for you, and if they were around during the war, they likely might know who we''re talking about."


    The two swung by the admissions department, briefly asking for directions to the Artificy department. They were referred to a multistory building section with large open windows. No doubt, it is intended to help keep the location well-ventilated. Fabricating parts required some use of metallurgy, and forges were best maintained in well-ventilated areas. Several students listened intently as instructors put the theories they taught into practice. Mavec smoked a cigarette while Alvec spoke to someone behind a closed door in a small, cramped office.


    "No, we don''t have an appointment, but we would really like to speak with the head of the department," said Alvec. "Yes, I understand he''s a very busy man; everyone here at the Academy is. No, we can''t schedule an appointment; this is a bit of an emergency. I promise it won''t take more than a few minutes."


    Mavec let out a long puff of smoke. He hated the bureaucracy involved in these things. They were inefficient and honestly just a headache. A voice shocked him out of his inner grumblings.


    "What do we have here? That''s a fine-looking clockwork familiar. Are you a new student here?" The man, a dwarf with a salt and peppered beard, said while squatting down to take a better gander at Piccora.


    "No, graduate, actually. We were hoping to speak with the head of the Artificy program." Mavec said.


    "Well, congratulations, you''re currently doing that; I''m Joram," said the dwarf, peering at Piccora. "These leg joints are exquisite; you usually don''t see this level of craftsmanship applied this well to a precise small joint like this."


    "I''d love to resume this conversation, but hold on one second." Mavec banged his fist on the door a few times. "Alvec, you can stop politely arguing with the secretary; I''ve found the head of the department." he turned his attention back to Joram, the head of artificy. "I''m Mavec."


    "It seems my companions have already resolved the issue. Have a nice day, ma''am," Alvec said as he exited the room, closing the door behind him. "You have an outstanding secretary; I thought I''d have to bribe her just to get an audience."


    "I assume you are also a graduate," the dwarf stated.


    "Yes sir, from the Academy at Ot Najan, though I wasn''t in the Artificy program. I studied abjuration."


    "What brings you two here today?"


    "We were hoping to find some information about a wizard who was active in this area around the Anarchy. Went by the name Vato."


    "Now, that''s a name I haven''t heard in a very long time." He said, shaking his head. "I knew him alright. He was a diviner here in Sha-Laial. Considered to be one of the Eight Archwizards, to be honest. Not sure what you''re hoping to find; no one has seen him since late in Ageneon''s War."


    "What do you mean by that?" Mavec asked.


    "He disappeared. Stole a bunch of supplies from the Academy and vanished in the night. No one knows where he went or why, but no one has seen him for going on twenty years now." Alvec and Mavec exchanged a look of frustration. "Sorry, this isn''t the information you were hoping for." He said.


    "Anyone have any ideas where he may have gone?" Alvec asked.


    "No, some tried to divine for him, but you try outclassing one of the heavyweights," Joram said with a shrug. "He was the archwizard of Divination, after all. No one ever got close to finding his trail. We all wrote off the reagents he stole and moved on with our lives. Might I ask why you boys are looking for him?"


    "Towers haunted." Mavec supplied, and the dwarf met him with a quizzical look.


    "We inherited a property owned by the Six Strengths, a ghost there isn''t letting anyone in and claims that Vato stole a funeral urn from the tower. We''ll only be allowed to live there if we return the urn." Alvec supplied.


    "I''m sorry I can''t be of much further help," said Joram. "He was acting strangely before he disappeared, but there really wasn''t anything he did or said that would give me a clue as to where he went. Vato had servants here in the city, but I don''t know if they''ve left since his disappearance."


    "Thank you for this information; we''ll find a way to put it to use," Mavec said, nodding. "I''m sure we can find more information now that we have these threads to pull at. Before this, we just had a name." The two wizards made their exit back out onto the streets.


    "So you''re a master diviner, top of your league, and you go rogue. Where would you go that people might not look for you?" Mavec asked.


    "Throne land. If you''re dropping lying low, you head somewhere where others aren''t likely to trespass. No one wants to earn the ire of the state, so they''d likely go somewhere that wouldn''t be overseen... Throne Land. If they knew which ones wouldn''t be sold off and rehabilitated, it wouldn''t be hard to figure out where it was best to go." Alvec mused.


    "Ok, I''ll grab Illaria, and we''ll talk to the lawyers. Maybe they can get us a list of Throne Land properties in the surrounding area. We''ve no reason to believe that he fled far, simply that he fled well." Mavec said. The two continued back to the haunted tower.

 13: Give us Death, Give us Taxes, Give us Treats

    Illaria: The Tower


    Illaria had returned to the compound earlier than most. She had slipped out while Naya was having Echo evaluated and did a little light shopping around town. She hadn''t picked up anything of note, just a few pieces of fruit and foods she enjoyed. When she arrived, the boys were already gone. Instead, she found an old man in simple faded black robes hunched over and leaning on a gnarled wooden walking stick. The insignia of the city embossed on the sleeves of the robes identified him as some official. The scowl on his face and the grumbling under his breath made it clear to her that he was none too pleased to be here.


    "Excuse me, but how might I be helping you?" Illaria asked as she entered the compound.


    "Are you the owner of this property?" The old man asked as he tried to straighten up and command respect; his best was belied by a small grunt. His head was quickly balding; only cotton ball white hair remained around his ears and neck. He slapped his pencil against the clipboard loudly as he glowered at her.


    "Alas, no. Alvec Snaptail is. He was out with a member of the church of Kushang last I knew." Illaria stated.


    "Are you able to answer any of these questions?"


    "I can try," Illaria said,


    "How did you acquire this property?" he asked


    "Oh, that''s easy; we were gifted it."


    The man ticked a few boxes. "How is this building planned to be used?"


    "I don''t rightly know; we''re still appraising it," replied Illarira. "Alvec mentioned he''d like to have a shopfront at some point, but I don''t know how realistic that goal might be."


    The man checked a few more boxes. "All said and done, twenty years of back taxes, you''ll be looking at about 12,000 gold."


    "Excuse me? 12,000 gold in back taxes? We didn''t even own the property; shouldn''t you be seeking out its previous owner for the back taxes?" Illaria asked pointedly.


    "When it transferred ownership, you transferred its debts too. That will be due before the end of the month," he stated firmly while pushing a copy of his assessment into her hands. "Now, have yourself a nice day," he said, sneering at her before he limped out of the compound.


    Alvec wasn''t going to like this development.


    Illaria glanced over the copy of the report. Her adoptive parents had ensured she could read as well as swing a sword. So, while the document was still a bit much for her, she could spot one major flaw, which she hoped might give someone more legally minded a chance of lowering the total. He''d marked that Alvec had inherited the property. Unless Cellocht had a secret Tiefling love child, this was simply not accurate. She didn''t have to wait too long for Mavec and Alvec to arrive through the gate.


    "I''m afraid I''ve got more bad news for you, Alvec. We just had a tax appraiser stop by; they claim you owe 12,000 gold pieces, due by the end of the month." The Tiefling tensed and clenched his jaw. Illaria knew it likely would be an insurmountable number even if the young man leveraged everything he had to the hilt. Granted, he had enough magic items on him to at least convince someone with deep pockets that his services could be handy.


    "Any chance they flubbed the numbers?" Alvec asked.


    "The raw numbers, no. Their math checks out, but I did notice that they wrote down that you inherited this rather than were gifted it. Perhaps that might make a difference?" Illaria asked.


    "We were already preparing to go to the lawyers down the street anyway; now we''ve just got more to talk to them about," Mavec said.


    "Any luck with the scary door problem?" Illaria asked.


    "A bit; we know a wizard named Vato stole an urn twenty years ago, and the ghost refuses to let people in until it''s returned. Additionally, Vato disappeared without a trace," Alvec added.


    "What else did we have to discuss with them?" Illaria asked.


    "Alvec and I figured that if Vato was to go somewhere off the grid, the best place to do that would be inside Throne Land," Mavec suggested. "They aren''t checked up on frequently, and if he was this master diviner, he could have seen far enough out to know which one would go uninspected."


    "Alrighty then, I do suppose we should be making our way on over there," said Illaria.


    "I''ll let you guys handle that. I''m going to stay here and prepare a plan. If we can''t get the price lowered, we''ll need someone like the Church of Kushang to front us the money. It might be hard to convince them to if we don''t have a business plan. If we can prove to them that we''ll provide value to the neighborhood, we''ll have a much better shot of getting them on board with loaning us a lot of money," Alvec said.


    "Alright, we''ll visit the lawyers then," Mavec said.


    "Did anyone see where Bait went?" Illaria asked.


    "He was asking me about where to find peacocks and peahens. I told him to go check out the eastern side of the city. Haven''t seen him since," Alvec said.


    "Well, if he doesn''t turn up by morning, I''ll have to check the jails. He''s smart enough not to shoot at guards but not smart enough not to steal," Illaria said. With that, the pair departed for Abal, Feng, and Krogs.


    Mavec and Illaria: The Lawyers


    The odd pair arrived during typical business hours. Mavec led the way. Opening the door, he found himself again in the cramped hallway. "Hello," he grumbled loudly. "It''s Mavec; we spoke yesterday from 889 Scythefell Street. Here on business this time."


    "Come on in, come on in," Feng said from a room just off the hallway. The halfling was seated at his small desk with many papers spread out in front of him. The ceiling was low, and the bookshelves crowded the room further. "What seems to be the problem, Mavec?"


    "Yeah, we just had a tax appraisal, and we thought it a good idea to get a second opinion. Here," he said, pressing the paper into Feng''s hands.


    "They quoted us a rate of about 12,000 gold pieces," Illaria chimed in; she bent her knees and ducked low to squeeze into their abode. "It seemed a mite high, so we thought we''d come over and ask an expert."


    "Why on earth would they quote you so high?" Feng asked as he started to look over the paperwork.


    "I suspect he may have been a bit miffed; he arrived when we were not home and seemed in a foul mood," Illaria said.


    "You said that the owner isn''t related to the person who gifted you this, correct?" Feng asked.


    "Unless Alvec is part halfling, I don''t think so," Illaria stated.


    "Do we have any reason to believe he could be?" asked Feng.


    "No, he told me his parents are a Tiefling and a human; his grandfather is the one that fucked the devil, so I''m not sure where you could sneak a halfling in that genealogy," scoffed Mavec.


    "That would mean that it was a gift and not inherited," said Feng as he squinted at the paper. "That will change this, but I also see other irregularities here. Can''t make any promises yet, but I assure you we''d be more than willing for a small fee to do our best to reduce the cost for you."


    "How much are we talking?" Mavec asked.


    "10 gold should be sufficient for the work required," Feng replied.


    "Deal," Mavec said, pulling the coins from his purse.


    "Krog, go to city hall and file an injunction on this tax writ. We will do a full workup and officially challenge it once we have poured over the receipt."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The orc replied from a few rooms over. "Why do you always send me? Do you think I intimidate them or something?" Krog asked.


    Feng let out a giddy little laugh. "No, my colleague, the secretary in charge of scheduling, has a crush on you. Have you not noticed how you always get priority over other pending cases?"


    "Wait, are you serious?" Krog shouted. "I''ve been filing paperwork and scheduling appointments with her for years, and you''re only mentioning this now?!"


    "Gentlemen, there''s a second issue I''d like to talk to you about. You deal with property law, right? Meaning you''ve got some information about Throne Land nearby, right?" Mavec asked.


    "I don''t know if I like where this is going," Feng stated.


    "Hear me out," Mavec said before quickly explaining the issue with the tower, Vato, and his and Alvec''s theory of where Vato could have escaped.


    "That is an interesting question," said Feng. "Getting Throne Land locations nearby is easy; finding one that hasn''t been inspected in the last 20 years is a bit harder. Pulling those records while possible would raise a few eyebrows. I''m saying we would also need a little financial compensation. Another five gold, perhaps for the effort it will take to calm down the feathers we ruffle."


    "Deal, again," Mavec said. He slid 5 more golden coins across the table. "Do you think you could put a rush on that?" He asked.


    "I''ll do you one better and lay out the case for the nearest few right now. Join me in the map room." He stood up from his half-sized desk and ushered the two adventurers further into the house.


    They arrived in a room with low tables, and maps sprawled all over them. Feng grabbed one that depicted the region. "Throne Land is well regulated. As such, we are made aware when a parcel of it is given off by Ageneon for development. This here is Sha-Laial." He said, pointing to a green square colored around a river. "As you can see, several small pieces of Throne Land are within a two-week march from here. Much of this is open farmland."


    "We can be mostly ruling that out, right?" Illaria asked.


    "Mostly, if a person were to try to live off the grid for 20 years, they''d likely need to be a lot better hidden than just living on a farm in the middle of nowhere."


    "This means we''re looking for a plot with a structure. More than just farmland," Mavec replied.


    "Precisely, which leaves us with about five possibilities within a two-week march from Sha-Laial," Feng stated.


    "On this map, where is Archer''s Market?" Mavec asked. Something was beginning to bother him, something he hadn''t entirely pieced together until after he had scrapped the two constructs at the tower. They had been old. Locked away and unused for 20 or so odd years. The ones they had fought outside of Mel''s farm, the one just shy of Archer''s Market, were old, yes, but not twenty years of no maintenance old. If they had been maintained during that time, maybe it had been by Vato. He was a diviner, but that didn''t mean that he couldn''t know a thing or two about Artificy. Working constructs would be one more possible deterrent to anyone coming around.


    "Right here," Feng said, pointing to the map. Sure enough, there was a red zone upstream from Archer''s Market.


    "That one. What is it?" He asked.


    "That would be the Auraman manor," said Feng. "They were on the wrong side of the war. It is certainly a possible location. As a noble estate, it has plenty of fences, and the landscaping would have been designed to offer maximum privacy... before twenty years of unrestrained growth is factored in. If we pull the records and find that it hasn''t been surveyed in the last twenty years, I would say it''s a viable candidate for where your missing wizard could have gone to ground."


    "Mavec, what''s got you thinking it could be there?" Illaria asked.


    "Just a hunch, really. The constructs we fought on that farm looked too well maintained for twenty years of disuse. I scraped them like the ones at the tower, and the ones at the tower showed far more signs of degeneration." Illaria nodded along.


    "How long will pulling those records take?" Illaria asked.


    "A few days usually," Feng replied.


    "Just long enough that it makes sense for us to stay in town rather than rush out there," Illaria responded.


    "We''re not on a strict time limit; we could just go there and find out," Mavec said.


    "Ay, we''re not, but I''d rather not be wasting our time traveling somewhere that doesn''t seem likely," Illaria stated.


    "Alright, we''ll leave you to your work, Feng; we''ll either have someone around at the property, or we''ll be off trying to find Vato and the missing funeral urn. So either you''ll have good news for us, or we''ll be dead, and it won''t matter." Mavec said before walking towards the exit. Illaria followed behind him.


    "Pardon him; he''s a bit morbid at times," Illaria explained as they exited the building.


    Naya: The Bakery


    It was time to celebrate. Things were going swimmingly. Echo was now certified, and Naya quickly noticed that the looks she and Echo were getting were still alarming. However, seeing that small golden trinket attached to his collar made people at ease so much quicker. She buried her hand into his fur as they walked side by side down the street. Her mind drifted to Lom-Itoti, but she pushed those thoughts away. Things were, by and large, beyond her control. Restoring her village wasn''t a thing that would happen overnight. If she denied herself every ounce of possible joy, she''d drown in that despair before ever finding out if saving her family was even possible. So today, today she''d celebrate. They''d made it to Sha-Laial; she''d gotten Echo certified and made introductions to several neighbors. There were a lot of small victories today.


    For a girl from a small village like Lom-Itoti, there was one big city thing she''d always been curious to visit. A fancy bakery. The baker in her town was good by all means, but she''d heard tales of decadent pastries, which she couldn''t dream of getting back home. Last night, the bakery on Scythefell Street had already closed for the day before Naya could get there. With it only mid-afternoon, she hoped to catch them while they were still open. The storefront was pretty basic: an excellent wooden sign with the bakery''s name and a cupcake burned upon its surface. She opened the door and was immediately greeted by the scent of freshly baked bread and honey. There were two glass display cases on either side of a small counter. An orc man stood behind the counter, arms crossed and staring off into the distance. He bore several scars over his face, a white chef''s hat, and a clean white shirt with a dirty black apron over it. The spills of the day, mainly flour, still clung to it.


    "Welcome to Bandar''s Bakery; how may I help?" Naya walked towards the counter, bending down to glance at the names of the various pastries and treats available. They all looked delicious. She wasn''t sure how to choose just a few items. What would the others like? Bait would want something with cheese in it. Maybe Alvec would want something spicy? She wasn''t actually sure what type of food he enjoyed. Trail rations were meant to keep you alive, not to be good. Left to his own devices, she wasn''t sure what her traveling companion would choose.


    "I''m, I''m going to need a moment; I''ve never been in a bakery this fancy before," she confessed.


    "Really? Is this fancy to you? I''d say you''re mocking me, but I haven''t seen anyone with that look of wonder on their face before. Whereabouts are you from?" He asked.


    "Lom-Itoti," she said, smiling.


    "Ah, that little hamlet, you''re far from home," he said, giving her a concerned look.


    "Wait, you know where it is?" She asked, a bit shocked. It had taken her the better part of days just to reach another hamlet and days more to get to a village with a proper road. Lom-Itoti was deep woodlands where people hunted, trapped, and grew small gardens to provide much-needed nutrition.


    "I do; real backwoods place, sturdy people. Lots of good furs come out of there."


    "Pardon me asking, but how do you know that?" Naya asked.


    He pointed to his face. "I''m Bandar, owner of this shop and a retired soldier in the Red Banner Army. I was in Ageneon''s War. Fought devils and the sort that brought them into our world. Many fled deep into the woods in the late days of the war. Guess they thought we wouldn''t keep chasing if they went to obscure enough locations. I don''t know if any ever got as far as Lom-Itoti, but we went through to check all the same."


    "That was before my time," Naya said.


    "Well, of course, it was; you look to be what, 18 at the oldest?" he asked.


    "Around there," she answered coyly, not wanting to give her age to the man she''d just met.


    "I''m not seeing anyone else here with you? Did your folks wander off to one of the other shops nearby?" he asked.


    "No, I''m here on my own. I''m staying with some friends," she answered with a bit more agitation than intended. This was the second man in two days to assume she couldn''t take care of herself, and while she appreciated the clear concern, she had made it this far on her own, and she''d never been alone. He nodded his head in understanding.


    "Well then, what would you like to purchase today?" he asked, switching gears.


    "Do you have any pastries with cheese in them?" Naya asked.


    The baker looked down at his stock. "At the moment, probably just one or two. Savory breads are great, but the pastries are less popular."


    "I''ll take whatever I can with cheese in or on it. We need something to bribe Bait with."


    "Bait, isn''t that the name of a goblin living over at the tower?" he asked. "I thought my kids were telling me tall tales until I saw the little guy scamper by in a rush, cradling an egg in his hands."


    "Yes, he''s one of my friends here," Naya nodded. "Though I''m much better friends with the two wizards. The tiefling with the ram''s horns is Alvec, and the other boy with the clockwork rabbit is Mavec."


    "Will I be seeing them around here, too?" he asked. "I''d love some more customers."


    "Don''t know, all we''ve had to eat have been trail rations for the last month. I''m not even sure what they like."


    "And what about you?"


    "Not sure; our bakery mostly did bread."


    "You know what, I''m going to put together a sampler for you on the house," the man smiled. So long as you promise to tell your friends about us." He pulled out two boxes and quickly filled them with a smattering of products. He added a few loaves of bread as well.


    "I can pay you, really, I insist."


    He smiled at her. "A girl from Lom-Itoti wouldn''t be here in Sha-Laial staying with friends... not unless there was more to the story than she felt she could share with a simple shopkeep. Of course, I can''t say if I''m right, but I''m willing to bet things aren''t all that rosy back home." Naya found herself laughing too much, on the borderline of tears.


    "If anything, they''re too rosey," she blurted out. He gave her a strange look, trying to parse out the meaning of her words. He thankfully didn''t press the matter.


    "So you''ll be taking these goods for free and enjoying them as much as possible. Maybe someday you''ll share the story with me," he said. Naya reluctantly accepted the boxes of products shoved into her arms before being shooed gently out of the shop. She and Echo walked back down towards the tower. Perhaps joy and sorrow were two faces of a coin. She couldn''t separate them easily. She sat out of the beaten path and ate one of the pastries. It was so good she found tears welling up in her eyes.

 14: The Experimental Cheese

    Everyone returned to the tavern eventually. No one wanted to sleep on the grounds while the ghost was still causing problems for everyone. There was no way to know if he''d stay so contained or if his undead rage would filter through and cause further issues. Bait, however, was nowhere to be found.


    "Has anyone seen our Goblin friend?" Illaria asked the group. She was met with a chorus of no.


    "The baker did say he saw him cradling an egg and walking down the street," Naya informed Illaria. The table the four of them were seated at had quickly filled with food and drink. The day had been long and, in many ways, disappointing. They had hunches and not a bit of confirmation.


    "Ya know what, I bet he be heading back to Archer''s Market. He might think eggs are a rare cheese ingredient," Illaria stated.


    "Might be a rare ingredient if it''s a pea-hen egg," Alvec supplied. "He was asking about peahens."


    "So, do we go looking for him?" Mavec asked.


    "No, it wouldn''t be the first time the scamp has wandered off without telling me. We just give him a little while to get back here," Illaria said while sweeping her red hair away from her eyes.


    "So, what''s the plan for tomorrow then?" Naya asked.


    "We''re mostly stuck waiting. Abal, Feng, and Krog are trying to confirm something about Throne Land nearby. If Auraman manor hasn''t been inspected since being declared Throne Land, it might be where he escaped to," Mavec said as he placed Piccora on the table and popped off a panel. He activated his light cap to better understand what fine mechanics he was working on.


    "Perhaps we can see if he had any staff working for him. He was a powerful diviner, after all. He had to have someone assist him or provide some care for him. Perhaps he had a cook or a maid to whom he might have mentioned something?" Illaria suggested.


    "Maybe you can track someone like that down. Maybe Sarbie at the church would have an idea or know someone who might know," Naya suggested as she slumped down on the table.


    "You could be onto something, Naya. I''ll certainly start my search there tomorrow. Alvec, what are you going to do?" Illaria asked.


    "Besides continuing to refine my pitch to the Church of Kushang, I was thinking about heading to a forge. I''ve given my Mithril Shield a good workout; I''d like them to ensure it''s still structurally sound." He left out the fact that forges were one of the few places where Tozhen was actively worshiped. Alvec only prayed to Kushang on holidays. His mother hated the fact, but Tozhen appealed more to what Alvec wanted to do with his life. Lead, defend, and protect. He was a strategist through and through in his own eyes.


    "Alright. That sounds like a reasonable course of action while we be waiting," Illaria said, nodding her head. "With that, then, I''ll be heading to bed." She left the table and disappeared from view in moments.


    "I''ve got about another hour left in me," Mavec said as he continued to mess with Piccora''s inner workings. "If I don''t make sure she''s properly calibrated, Piccora will break down on us and be more useless than a paperweight."


    "Less helpful than a paperweight?" Naya asked, confused.


    "Look, a good paperweight you can at least beam at someone''s face. Piccora weighs too much for me to throw her with any accuracy," Mavec grumbled.


    Alvec chuckled. "Well, I''ll leave you to it, Mavec," Alvec said before he stood up from the table and headed to his room. The ink on the page seemed to be moving of its own accord. He no longer wanted to look at these depressing statistics of how much money he''d have to pay the church back each month, assuming he could get them to front the money at all. It was a big ask by a Tiefling with little to no reputation. Perhaps using his full legal name on the proposal would turn enough heads to get him what he needed. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, even thinking about needing to use the Reynore name. Not to mention, the chance that Anell heard about it and decided to "intervene" was just too much of a risk.


    Naya silently got up and retired to her room, leaving Mavec with the last box of baked goods. She had set aside two for Bait: puff pastries filled with white cheddar.


    Alvec: The Forge District


    Morning came before long, and Alvec was up with the rising sun. Mostly because Rem had pounced on his chest at first light. He hadn''t asked Rem to be his alarm nor implied that he should be, yet here they were. One misunderstood outcast to another. He scratched between Rem''s shoulder blades with both hands before fluffing up his neck and smoothing the excess skin and fur around his face. With that, he gave Rem a solid ruffling of the fur on his head and gently pushed the fox off him. He sped through getting ready, using magic wherever he could to cheat his way downstairs to breakfast sooner. There was next to no one awake, including staff. Alvec frowned and grabbed a hunk of bread on the counter. He left a few coins behind him and headed for the door, breaking off pieces of it to eat as he moved.


    The smoke stacks he sought stood out against the pink morning sky. Plumes of deep black smoke roiling over rooftops further north and west in the city were his destination. Wandering the streets with his eyes to the sky, it took some time for him to arrive in the forge district. He kept his eyes peeled for the symbol of Tozhen. A hammer hung above the sign of a forge shop gave Alvec hope. He stepped on in and found a trio of Dwarves manning the forge. He pulled out his own holy symbol and displayed it prominently. Though he venerated Tozhen, he still couldn''t be considered particularly pious. But if a god is out there that aligns with your worldview, why wouldn''t you venerate them?


    "What can we be helping you with?" One of the dwarves asked without even turning away from his work. He was a stout fellow, standing maybe four to four and a half feet tall. His hair, a ruddy brown, was braided loosely and pulled neatly behind his head. His beard was trimmed short to his face, but his mustache was plump.


    "I was hoping I could get my buckler checked out. I''ve been in more than a few fights lately, and it might need some adjustments. I''ve put a few dings in it," Alvec said as he unstrapped the mithril buckler from his left arm. The Dwarf finally turned around and took a look at him. He grunted and took the shield, his eyes going wide. His square jaw went slightly agape.


    "Actual Mithril. Not too often we see this sort of thing," He said, taking a much longer look at the Tiefling before him. "And you''re wearing our symbol. What''s your story, stranger?"


    "Alvec Snaptail, shield wizard, at your service."


    The Dwarf chuckled. "Shield wizard, that''s rich, kid."


    "Hand me back my buckler and take your best shot if you doubt me," Alvec said as he took a defensive stance.


    The Dwarf laughed hard, deep from his belly. "Nah, I think I''ve seen enough already. Not many Wizards take a fighting stance like that. Your knees are bent right, and your arms are firmly where they must be to block your vitals. Aye, I''ll admit you might just know how to scrap... but Shield-wizard. Still a strange concept and strange choice."


    "Just one of many from one strange young man," Alvec replied.


    "So what did you really want? This bucklers only got a few dings in it, nothing I can''t hammer out in a half hour for a small fee," he asked.


    "I wanted to know how much trouble the local church of Kushang is. Let''s not mince words; some of the higher-ups have a lot of hatred for those of us who have infernal heritage. Does that sentiment hold much sway here?"


    The Dwarf took a moment to think about it before answering. "No, it doesn''t hold much sway here. You might find a few of the old guards who treat your kind with a bit of prejudice, but for the most part, you should be pretty accepted." He spun the mithril buckler around and started working on it between words. "I reckon it''s lingering resentment over the devil''s work in the Anarchy and Ageneon''s War." Alvec nodded.


    "And what of worship of Tozhen? I know you''re not allowed to have a proper church here, but are you guys suffering any?"


    "Not being allowed to have a proper church and shrine has been a struggle, but the church of Kushang is smart," the Dwarf grumbled. "They make a show of appeasing the other gods and have some good shrines set up in most of their churches."


    Alvec grumbled in solidarity. "I hope Ageneon eventually allows more religions to re-establish themselves. It''s not fair for there to be only one church."


    "Especially in a land like the Empire of Fire and Water. The spirits are old and deserve veneration as well," said the Dwarf.


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    Alvec nodded in agreement. "I don''t know much about the spirits, to be honest, but all things have their place."


    "Not a lot of city folk do. Nine hells, I barely know anything more than the three sisters. Old fire spirits who watch over people. Campfires, forges, and hearth fires all fall under their domain. As you can imagine, the one involving forges is my favorite. I pray to her right after my prayers to Tohzen." The Dwarf handed back the shield. "No charge for today; I enjoyed the conversation. It only would have been a few silver to inspect it anyway. Now, be careful, Shield-Wizard; I want to see you in here again." With that, the Dwarf returned to his work. Alvec returned to the tower. Hopefully, the girls were having better luck tracking down anyone who used to work for Vato.


    Bait: Archers Market


    Bait made it to Archers Market by sundown. His little goblin feet were tired, but he couldn''t slow down now. Pee-egg almost to Ben. Ben make great cheese with it; teach Bait how to make accelotic cheese with it. Arriving at Ben''s cheese forge, he found that the doors to the shop were already locked. Bait no take no for answer. Lock door is just door that needs to be unlocked first, or maybe he go through window or under door with large gap. Bait not picky. Just need to get in and give Ben pee-egg. He circled the building, trying every door first. No sense committing "crime" if no need to. Entering not a crime, just breaking to enter. Bait, be careful not to break while entering, even if it took longer to find. The doors on the first floor were all secured and locked, but there looked to be a doorway on the second floor. Perhaps that unlocked? Who have gumption enough to climb up to the second floor? Bait do. He got as close to the doorway as possible and began attempting to scale the building.


    It wasn''t as easy as climbing the ropes of a crow friend''s nest. That was Bait''s favorite spot on the ships. Able to see far and shoot far from way up high. Kill Pirates, search for clan. Good times. Teach him how to climb good. His little fingers could find small grooves where the boards weren''t quite nailed together seamlessly, and with that, he began pulling his tiny body up the wall.


    It took longer than Bait wanted; the sun was setting by the time he pulled himself onto the balcony and tried turning the brass doorknob. It spun in his sticky hands, and he opened the door. "Ah ha, entering!" He stated before walking into the room. It led to a walkway that overlooked many cheese vats in various states of production. "Bait find heaven." He whispered to himself as he imagined how fun diving into one of the vats would be.


    "Bait, by the cheese, what are you doing here at this hour?" Ben''s voice came from further down the catwalk.


    "Ben!" Bait called out, waving excitedly to the halfling. "I bring rare cheese ingredients! Ben take PEE-EGG. Make rich, creamy cheese with it. Strange Elf, who sells fine cutlery, said he had some like this once upon a time."


    "EXCELLENT. Biswell, FETCH THE EXPERIMENTAL CHEESE; I wish to celebrate our acolyte''s first successful mission."


    A hearty sigh came from the floor below. "Sir, WHICH experimental cheese? You''ve got about six of them going right now," called Biswell


    "All of them!"


    "No, my workday ended about a half hour ago, to be honest. I''m willing to grab you one of the experimental cheeses, but I''m not carting them all up to you. The two of you come here, and I''ll have some samples ready," he said. Ben waved for Bait to follow and headed towards a staircase. Biswell met them near the bottom of the stairs with a plate of cheese as promised. This particular cheese had a distinct red coloration.


    "I call it blood cheese... for now," Ben said before eating a piece.


    "Oooh, use real blood?"


    "No, of course not, beetle carapaces. Lots of red beetle carapaces are ground up into fine pigments. It looks great, doesn''t it?"


    "Taste like bugs?" Bait asked.


    "Try it and find out," Ben said, giving him a large, toothy smile. Bait grabbed a piece and popped it into his mouth. The color might have been excellent, but the taste was nothing extravagant, a simple, mild, and dull cheddar.


    "Bait think color nice but lack kick. Add hot peppers to it so that its color matches its punch? Too dull as is."


    "Right you are, but what would happen if we leaned in the opposite direction? They expect spicy, and instead, get sweet! Defy expectations, claim the future Bait!"


    Bait nodded his head. Ben give best wisdom. Doing something unexpected would make Bait stand out far more than if he did what was normal. "Bait, bring more exotic ingredients next time. Pee-egg not enough. Need something wilder than Pee-egg. Something no one think of but Bait."


    "Wonderful, I will greatly await such a magnificent ingredient and your metamorphosis from acolyte to master. Now it is time for us to leave the cheese alone and let it continue its process until it has become what we desire it to be." With that, Ben ushered Bait out the door. Bahzugs was lying on the ground in front of the shop. He hissed in excitement and nuzzled up to his favorite goblin. Baits skin burned delightfully.


    ¡°Bahzugs such good goblin dog. We run back to Sha-lie-ral now. Must find NEW ingredients. Bahzugs can help." It was several hours back to the gates of Sha-Laial. He arrived in the dead of night. The town guards at the gate stopped him.


    "What exactly are you doing here at this hour, goblin?"


    "Ran errand to Archer''s Market took longer than expected. Now heading back to inn in Sha-lie-ral. Friends there."


    "Which inn?" the younger of the two men asked.


    "Bait no know name. It next to tavern with mean muscle angel."


    "Muscle angel?" The other asked.


    "Ass-i-mar. Dat right word. He buff and work there. On Seinfeld street." The older guard cleared his throat.


    "Alright, carry on."


    "Really? We''re letting him in?" the younger asked.


    "Look, son, if a Goblin can provide you that much detail, wrong as it may be, he''s certainly been wherever he claims to be going. They aren''t exactly known for their ability to lie. Seinfeld street must be a street that starts with an S."


    "Alright, I still think it''s a bit suspicious," The younger said.


    "K bye," Bait said before resuming his trek through the streets of Sha-Laial. This late at night, he encountered no one other than guards. Most just gave Bait a strange look, but since he was walking in the middle of the road, no one else accosted him on his return to the inn where the rest of the party was staying. The inn was small, and the doors unlocked. However, there was no one here to rent Bait a room. They all must be asleep. Bait could sleep in the common room, and owners not be happy with stink pile and no coin. Bad solution. Better solution, go to Illaria''s room. Illaria let Bait join her for one night. Illaria good friend. The goblin crept up the stairs trying not to wake anyone else up as he entered the second floor. He found the room he knew Illaria had used the night before and knocked on the door. With no immediate response, he continued to knock on the door.


    Eventually, a bleary-eyed Illaria greeted him at the door. "Bait, what are you doing?"


    "Bait not get back till now, went to Archer''s Market, gave Ben the Pee-bird egg. Inn-keepers are asleep, and Bait not able to rent a room. Stay here tonight?" He gave her a big, wide, toothy smile. Other humanoids love smiles. Illaria sighed heavily.


    "You know the rules; Bahzugs can''t come on the bed. He causes me to break out in a rash, and I will not be tolerating that very well, you hear me?" said Illaria.


    Bait nodded in agreement as he and Bahzuggs entered the room. It was modest, but that was fine. He picked a corner of the room, and he and Bahzuggs curled up into it while Illaria returned to the bed by herself.


    Sleep passed quickly for the young goblin. He was awakened by the morning light and by Illaria doing her usual stretches. He didn''t understand it; Illaria already fast and limber; why do stretches? The two headed to the tavern next door early, where Mavec was already at a table tinkering with Piccora. He looked as if he''d barely slept; several mugs sat beside him, all drained of their content.


    "It''s a strong coffee morning," Mavec said as his only greeting.


    "Mavec, Bait have idea. Add gun to Piccora, she zip around and go boom!"


    "Look, it''s not a bad idea, but it''s more complicated than just taping a gun to her. I''d have to make a whole targeting matrix for her unless you wanted her to shoot you by accident."


    Bait not understand what a targeting metrix was, but he didn''t want to get shot. "Maybe no gun till you can make that thingy."


    Alvec and Naya arrived together. "Hey, what''s our plan today?" Alvec asked.


    "I''m checking in with the lawyers again. Maybe they''ve got that information for us," Mavec replied.


    "I think I''ll be heading over to the church to ask around about people who may have worked with Vato. If he just up and disappeared without a trace, he probably left a few servants needing placement into new jobs. I imagine the church might have helped with that endeavor," Illaria said.


    "I''m just going to go deliver some pastries to Mr. Beans," Naya said, pointing to the box of pastries under her arm. "I''m also bringing a map this time. Maybe he can point me exactly where to go to find the child of Akrixi."


    "Who Vato?" Bait asked.


    "He was a wizard who stole an urn and disappeared," replied Mavec.


    "Urn full of cheese?" Bait asked.


    "No, dead people," answered Mavec.


    "Ew, why steal urn if no cheese?"


    "The world may never know," Alvec said.


    "We try to find Vato?"


    "Yes, where have you been?" Naya asked.


    "Bait, find pee-egg, bring to Ben, just get back now. I go ask people about Vato today. Also, search for new, more accelotic cheese ingredients." The goblin hopped off his seat at the table and scampered up to the barkeep, a man with a handlebar mustache and lustrous brown hair. "You know Vato?" When the man couldn''t respond immediately, Bait said, "K, Bye." and went to the next person he saw. Repeating the pattern of asking and running off before an answer could be given. Bait excellent finder of information. He left the inn, seeking others more informed on wizards. People on the streets proved to be about as helpful as the people in the tavern. Which is to say that a lot of K, byes were said promptly. Eventually, Bait''s wanderings brought him near the Academy, where someone finally answered yes.


    A tiefling woman wearing a dark blue cape with a silver star pattern over an everyday outfit of a white blouse and tan pants responded. Her skin was a pale Ice blue, and her small horns stood straight at her hairline. "He was a diviner here in Sha-Laial. Rumor has it he went crazy. Some say that he saw something so terrible it caused him to go mad. The last anyone knew, he disappeared while muttering about what was to come."


    "Why he take urn?" Bait asked.


    "Probably for spell components. Perhaps he made a hideout somewhere and supplied it with everything he''d need to live out his life or weather whatever was to come," she said, accentuating the last words. "He did steal a lot of reagents from the Academy, too. That''s my best guess. I''m only a fledgling diviner myself."


    "You use magic to help us find?" Bait asked.


    She laughed. "No small friend, he''d be warded well against another diviner. I think you''d have much better luck following other threads."


    "Thanks, k bye." Bait said, heading out to find more people to ask.

 15: Mending

    The mismatched pair of adventurers headed towards the church of Kushang. "You think there''s a chance this actually works out?" Illaria asked.


    "Not really," Alvec replied.


    "Then why do we be bothering with this?" said Illaria. "Surely there''s some better use of our time."


    "Look, if you''ve got a better idea, I''m all for hearing about it," Alvec replied while rubbing his forehead.


    Illaria sighed heavily in response. "I do suppose this is at least more productive than drinking away at the tavern. Certainly, fewer people will be hitting on me, which is a nice benefit to dealing with church folk."


    Alvec scoffed. "Kushang''s all about civilization; half of their worshippers would be ready to drop on one knee for you. It''s a tad worse than just flirting," he smiled warmly.


    "You exaggerate."


    "Yeah, but my mother said it was the best thing that ever happened to her," said Alvec. "From what I hear, she bought the ring."


    "Well," mused Illaria. "I do hope that no one attempts to become that familiar with me. I''ve got many more important things on my mind than any romances."


    "Perhaps you can tell me more over drinks sometime," Alvec said. "We''ve already been through this much; maybe once we get this tower situation sorted out, I can help you in return."


    "I think I''d like that," Illaria stated. Her story wasn''t one she''d talk about out on the streets or in the church halls, but over drinks, in a crowded bar, where no one but her companions could hear her, that didn''t sound so bad. Spirits knew she''d need all the help she could get; it was the whole reason she''d joined the Blue Banner army in the first place. To kill Cutthroat Crowley, to find and rescue her parents if they still lived. Bait knew the score, but it hadn''t come up with her new friends. Would they stick by her side if they knew she had chosen such a seemingly suicidal course of action? They had known each other only a brief few days, and she couldn''t help but feel like Alvec would. Running headlong into Crowley felt like the sort of action a boy willing to throw himself in front of her as a shield repeatedly would take without question.


    The pair didn''t speak much during the last leg of their trip down Scythefell Street. The church was much busier than they had seen it yesterday. It took only a few moments to find Sarbie running errands for the head priest as he bounced around the room. Illaria flagged her down and pulled her off to the side.


    "Hello again, we met yesterday," Illaria said.


    "Ah, yes... give me a moment; your names are on the tip of my tongue," she nodded. "Illaria, yes?"


    "That would be me," Illaria said, curtly bowing.


    "And... oh, dear. I''m struggling with this one. I''m sorry, Hoc rammed his way into our conversation, and before I knew it, you were both on your way out. Did it begin with an A?"


    "Alvec," he replied, extending a hand to her. She grasped it with both hands and gave a quick, gentle shake. "And you''re Sarbie, right? I imagine it''s a lot easier for us to remember your name than the other way around. Sha-Laial is a big city, and I imagine the church of Kushang has a lot of stuff going on."


    "You can say that again. We hosted three weddings just yesterday," she said, nodding in agreement.


    "See, I told you, lots of weddings going on, Illaria."


    "Are you two perchance engaged?" Sarbie asked, glancing between them.


    "No, we''ve only just recently met. Our relationship is much more transactional," Illaria replied. Sarbie blushed a bit at Illaria''s explanation.


    "Hey now, I think you''ve given her the wrong idea," Alvec interjected. "What Illaria meant was that our goals aligned, so we''ve been traveling the same path. I don''t think she understood the connotation of the word transactional."


    "And what connotation do you be implying it had there, Alvec?"


    "All I''m saying is that when people hear transaction, they think coin, and when they think coin and familiarity, they usually think of physical intimacy being purchased," Alvec said, rubbing the base of his horns.


    "I... I concede your point, Alvec," coughed Illaria. "I would like to clarify that we do not share that sort of a relationship either."


    "What exactly brings you two here today?" Sarbie asked, her face still flushed a little red. Illaria recanted the events to the cleric of Kushang. She pursed her lips together, thinking momentarily before responding to Illaria''s question. "Considering the timing, we''d likely be looking for someone between 40-80. That doesn''t narrow that down very much, but they likely would have come here looking for work soon after the end of Ageneon''s War," Alvec supplied. Sarbie pursed her lips for a moment.


    "I obviously wasn''t around for that, full-blooded human after all."


    "Neither were we; Aassimar and Tieflings have normal human lifespans. We are about how old we look," Illaria confirmed.


    "Which makes me 22?" Alvec replied.


    "And me, the oldest of the group at 26," Illaria replied.


    "Ah, we''re closer in age than I thought," she said. "Allow me a little bit to go ask around. Maybe someone remembers Vato and who may have worked for him. You''re welcome to relax in the garden while I''m away," she pointed towards a door that led into some sort of courtyard.


    "Thanks. We''ll wait there for you," Alvec replied as he motioned for Illaria to follow.


    The garden was well maintained and very much an urban park. A single tree grew at its center, with soft red stone echoing outward from the green space provided for the tree. It was an old tree. Old enough that Alvec could tell that it predated the rock of the building. Someone had decided this tree was worth building around and incorporating into the church''s design. An admirable choice. Several benches were available for the pair to sit down on. Illaria did so, but Alvec inspected the many rows of planters filled with various herbs. He didn''t know all of them by name. Alvec wasn''t a healer, after all. Divine Magic handled that sort of thing far better than the arcane magic he practiced. That didn''t mean he was completely ignorant of the subject. There was value in almost all knowledge, after all. He knew the names of the most basic ones and some of their supposed uses.


    One corner of the garden caught his attention more than the rest. Almost every herb he could identify was used to make antidotes for various poisons, a remnant from the wars. It would have been a sad day for the church when these herbs occupied the bulk of the medicinal supply. A tap on his shoulder spooked him out of his thoughts; he spun round to find Sarbie standing before him.


    "I talked to some of the older members of our faith, and they did manage to come up with a name. An older worshiper who only shows up to our evening mass; her name is Caelia. They claimed she was his maid during Ageneon''s War."


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    "Thank you very much," Alvec said as he bowed slightly. "I don''t have anything planned today. Do you guys need any work done here? Anything a wizard might be able to help take care of? Broken equipment in need of mending?"


    "You''d like to volunteer here just for today?" she asked, blinking at him. "Do you worship Kushang?"


    Alvec laughed. "Not to the point of a cleric, that''s for sure," he said as he motioned to her. "My mother does; she''d be happy to hear I spent a day helping out. Besides, everyone here has been nice so far, so I figure we might as well help the community. I owe Hoc for coming over on such short notice yesterday."


    "I guess there are some things in need of repair around here. Hoc may have busted a stack of plates this morning. I hadn''t gotten around to throwing them away. Do you think you''d be able to fix them?" she asked.


    "I''ll need to take a look at them first. If it''s in too many pieces, the magic might struggle to get the job done... but I will certainly try." The pair swung by Illaria and informed her of the situation. Illaria departed, vowing to come back later in the day. Sarbie and Alvec spent the next few hours wandering around the church, fixing any small broken objects they could find. The stack of plates turned out to be pretty easy to mend; only the one on the bottom, which had absorbed the brunt of the impact, was beyond saving. It was shattered into dozens of pieces, whereas the ones above were mainly in two to five parts. A broken window, a bunch of brooms, silverware with twisted prongs. If it was out of place, Sarbie led Alvec to it and set him to fix it. Thankfully, mending was a very minor spell and not at all that taxing for the young wizard. They stood in the dimly lit hallway outside a broom closet.


    "So, how many of these did Hoc personally break?" Alvec joked.


    "More than I''d like to admit to," Sarbie replied.


    "Where is he anyway? I haven''t seen him around yet today?" Alvec asked.


    "Training, I think," said Sarbie. "As a Paladin in training, he gets combat lessons. He''s supposed to practice his crossbow skills... but I think he''s probably just swinging a sword at wooden dummies today."


    "He''d get much more value out of fighting a moving target; maybe I should offer to spar with him," mused Alvec.


    "Do you really think that''s best? He''s pretty strong," Sarbie replied.


    Alvec spoke a few words in a light and ethereal language. The air around them shimmered with arcane power condensing around them. Alvec gently reached his hand for her shoulder, and the air around her seemed to react to the attempt, pushing back against him. "I can hold my own," Alvec insisted.


    "That is neat. Does it hold up to actual combat?" she asked.


    "Take a swing at me if you want to find out," he said, winking at her.


    "No, no, I could never."


    "Well, I''m certainly not hitting a girl," Alvec replied. "So I guess you''ll just have to watch and find out."


    "Is there a wrong way to throw a punch? I don''t think I''ve seriously tried to hit someone before," she asked shyly.


    "Yes, actually, there is a wrong way," Alvec held his hand out in a fist towards her. "When you make a fist, keep your thumb on the outside. You will break or dislocate your thumb if you tuck it inside and hit someone hard enough. Little risk of that if your thumb is floating freely."


    "Oh, I''d never thought of that."


    "So, you going to take a swing or what?"


    "Fine," she said as she wound her arm back and swung. Alvec smirked; she''d never seen a fight before; that much was evident from the wind-up. He moved backward sluggishly; the point was to demonstrate his magic, not all of his dexterity. Her fist grazed against his magic and slipped off to the side of him. She stumbled forward with her momentum and caught herself on the opposite wall.


    "Not bad for a first swing. Next time, try to add some passion to it, though," Alvec said with a laugh.


    "Oh, hush you. So it holds up to a punch, but can it take a sword?"


    "Yeah, I can''t say I''ve been slashed at too many times, but it has helped. I''ve got a few other spells that help keep me safe. Plus, I actually am pretty good with this here buckler."


    "Anyway, there''s still some more stuff I can have you fix up if you don''t mind." The two continued to mend the odds and ends.


    Illaria: Church of Kushang


    Illaria made it back just as the evening mass was finishing. Her day had honestly been kind of dull. It wasn''t much of a wonder that the soldiers on leave drank so damn much. What else was there to do for a Blue Banner army soldier if there were no decks to be cleaned, lines to be maintained, dinner to be cooked, or entertaining to be done. She took to the podium before anyone could leave. "Excuse me if I might be having a moment of your attention. I was hoping to speak with Miss Caelia." A woman stood up and waved. She was indeed much older than Illaria. Alvec''s guess on the long end had been correct for sure. She looked to be in her 60s or 70s. Illaria approached her and ushered the woman off to a quieter side passage.


    "I''m Illaria, and I''ve come to ask you a few questions about a former employer of yours. A wizard named Vato."


    Her old eyes lit up with a spark at the mention of his name. "Oh dear, what a strange man he was. When he vanished, he left the church of Kushang a bunch of money to be paid to me for the next decade. His sudden departure was such an oddity. Those were some of my life''s best and strangest years."


    "Might he have indicated where he might have been going?" Illaria asked.


    "No, I''m afraid not. He simply left one day, right out of the north gate," she said. "He allowed me to walk with him that far and no further. That was the last anyone ever saw of him."


    "The north gate, you say?" Illaria mused. "That would line up with what Mavec was thinking..."


    "I''m sorry I can''t provide more information about my previous employer. It all happened so suddenly," she said with a frown. "He just wouldn''t stop talking about what was to come. He also wouldn''t say what was to come. It was like the thoughts were too terrible to speak. I''ve always thought he might have been seeing his own death."


    Illaria nodded along. "Thank you very kindly for your time. It isn''t as much information as we''d hoped, but it does confirm something we were thinking. Should we find out what happened to him, would you like us to contact you?"


    "That would be nice," she said. "He was a kind man and a good employer; I would want to know what happened. What was so bad he had to completely disappear?"


    Illaria nodded and confirmed that she would be back when she knew more. She found Alvec napping in the crook of a window sill, Rem lying across his lap. The two looked almost too peaceful to disturb, yet she''d need to rouse him shortly. Just what had that cleric girl put the boy up to? Nothing too strenuous, Illaria hoped. He''d be needing all of his wits and spells to keep everyone alive and ready to fight. Sarbie eventually came into view with a blanket.


    "No need for that, Sarbie. I''ll be waking him up and dragging him back to the inn. Mavec was supposed to meet with our property lawyers. Alvec will want to be awake for a few more minutes to hear whatever information they can uncover. We might have a solid lead on where to find the mysterious diviner, Vato. if we''re lucky." Alvec grumbled in his sleep and tossed a bit, grinding a horn into the stone. "Now I know he was drained. He never falls asleep without using that force cube spell he made. Rem, would you be so kind as to awaken your master? Or are you too out of it, too?"


    The fox yipped and did a long stretch before he sauntered off from Alvec, turned around... and then pounced on him. Alvec came, too, with a loud OOF. He looked between Illaria and Sarbie, who was holding a blanket.


    "Rise and shine, hero of Rust Hill," Illaria said with a smirk.


    "I nodded off, didn''t I?" Alvec mumbled, "My sincere apologies; I didn''t expect to spend six hours casting mending. It may be a cantrip, but anything done for six hours burns up a lot of energy, magical and otherwise. Thank you for preparing a blanket, but if Illaria is here, that means I''m out of time for today."


    "No, need to apologize; it''s my fault you pushed yourself that hard," Sarbie said quickly. "I should have guessed how taxing casting all day would be. It''s not like I can''t use magic. I''ve never tried to cast that much in a row before; I didn''t even think how bad it could be."


    "Illaria, did we get what we needed?" Alvec asked, rubbing his eyes and forcing the sleep away.


    "More or less, nothing definitive, but she remembered him taking the north gate to exit the town," said Illaria. "The spot Mavec was interested in happened to be in the north. It''s at least some circumstantial evidence."


    "We sure do have a lot of that," Alvec said as he swung his legs off the side of the window sill and stood up. He seemed a bit shaky at first, but after a moment, he settled himself. The two of them said goodbye to Sarbie and returned to the inn. Mavec was waiting for them at what was quickly becoming the usual gathering spot.


    "I''ve got good news. Lawyers confirmed that the Auraman manor hasn''t been inspected in almost twenty years. It apparently had an appraisal just after the war and not one since. It would be a great place for a wizard on the run to hide out indefinitely." Mavec said, smiling.


    "So we head out in the morning," Alvec confirmed with everyone else at the table. The party briefly recapped their day. Naya had delivered some pastries to Mr. Beans but had not encountered any stolen property this time. Bait ran into a wizard with a fancy cape, but strangely, he couldn''t tell anyone what she looked like or what she said. With all that information shared, they agreed to hit the road in the morning. Auraman Manor looked like a viable place where Vato could have dropped off the face of the earth. They''d know soon enough.

 16: At Home and on the Road

    Sarbie


    Home was a small multi-family house a few streets away from the temple. She had her own small room, barely much larger than the single bed she occupied. A single bookshelf wobbling under the weight of too many books was one of the only two features in the room. The second was a light source made of crystal that glowed a soft, silvery light during the night. The bed was too warm, and it took a lot of urging to get herself up and moving. Dawn''s golden rays were only so convincing.


    She joined her family at the kitchen table. Her father was a simple man, strong and good with his hands. They could afford this small luxury here in Sha-Laial because her father worked so hard. He was a handyman by trade. A carpenter, and there was no shortage of work for someone with his skills and talents. Her mother, however, only assisted at the church from time to time. Earning a few coins here and there. Sarbie, for her efforts, earned tutoring in divine magic and more than enough coin to spread around the town. Clerics and Paladins of Kushang were known for being extremely generous with their coin. Sarbie spent most of hers on books. They were a great way to learn of the world far beyond the gates of Sha-Laial. While the notion of adventure held zero appeal to her, she''d heard rumors about other great cities in the world, some with libraries so large even the church of Kushang''s failed to live up to the reputation.


    "So what''s this father Sorvec told me about you shirking your duties yesterday to run around with some Tiefling boy?" Her mother asked while setting a plate of eggs, fruits, and veggies in front of her.


    "I wasn''t aware I had shirked my duties," Sarbie stated firmly.


    "So, who''s this boy?" Her father asked with a bit more concern.


    "His name is Alvec," she said, very focused on her meal. "He owns the compound the Six Strengths built. Claims he was gifted it by none other than Cellocht. Emperor''s favorite bard."


    "That sounds like a pretty fanciful story," Sorvec said. "Did he give you a last name?"


    "No, he used a nickname in place of one. Snaptail. His friend called him the hero of Rust Hill, but I''m not exactly sure what that was about," she shrugged. "An inside joke, maybe?"


    Her father pursed his lips together. "It''s where we get a lot of the iron to make our nails and tools. A tiefling saved a miner''s family, the rumors go. They said he was some barbarian with huge ram''s horns and a great giant ax he used to cleave them in twain." Sarbie laughed.


    "Alvec doesn''t match that description... except the ram''s horns."


    "So what is this Alvec like?" asked Sorvec


    "Physically?"


    "It''s a good way to compare vs the rumors," her father said.


    "Uhm," Sarbie said, thinking back. "Curly dark hair, rams horns, active build, his skin tones slightly bronzed, green eyes, average height, his tail seemed more flexible than most of the tieflings in our congregation. I saw him pluck things out of pouches he was carrying with it."


    "Well, two more points in favor of it," Sorvec said. "The stories said the hero of Rust Hill was bronzed and had emerald eyes. A fancier way of saying green. Maybe he is the genuine article. If so, tell him I said thanks. Our livelihood depends on iron, and had we lost miners... or their children, the mines probably wouldn''t have gotten up and running again so fast."


    "Not sure when I''ll see him again, Dad," said Sarbie. "His traveling companion mentioned something about heading out this morning. He''s probably already on the road again. Hoc told me the tower they got is haunted by Nath, the former head of the Six Strengths. He won''t shut up about it. I get it; our new neighbors are exciting, but it doesn''t need to be EVERYTHING we talk about, right? Especially with how often Hoc comes up to talk to me."


    "So," said her mother. "What exactly did you and this Alvec do all day?"


    "Honestly, I showed him around the church... might have even brought him some places he shouldn''t have gone... but it was for a good cause," she glared at the breakfast in front of her. "He volunteered his magical services... and so many things were broken... so I had him mend them for most of the day."


    "Why was there so much broken stuff?"


    Sarbie laughed nervously. "Promise not to tell anyone else?" Her parents nodded in agreement. "Hoc broke like six brooms in a week. Two of which were because he was shadowboxing with them and whacked them into the pews. He lost one to an accident, one he leaned on too hard, and the last two he simply swept too hard... Then there were plates and doorknobs... the guy is a klutz who does not know how strong he is. Now, at least, he won''t get scolded by our elders. If he''d been denied training again, I think he''d have had a stroke."


    "You do a lot to look out for that Hoc," said her mother. "He''s lucky to have a friend like you."


    "If I don''t help, I''ll never hear the end of it," Sarbie confirmed. Hoc and her had been friends for a very long time. Since they were just small kids. Hoc had always been her social crutch, a role he filled expertly. Hoc wanted to be the center of the stage, and she''d rather be in the audience. She was happy with a quiet, cozy life. Doing good was an enjoyable part of being in the church of Kushang. Still, she was thankful for most of the good she did through acts of communal service. She enjoyed being able to heal people, but she''d never felt the call to be on the battlefield. Nor to do anything else others might describe as brave. Honestly, she couldn''t understand most of what made her friend do such crazy things. He volunteered for combat and flaunted in front of everyone, making friends as effortlessly as he breathed.


    "I think the boy is sweet on you, too," her mom informed her. Sarbie nearly choked down her food at the thought.


    "Mom, please don''t say things like that," she coughed. "I don''t need that sort of curse on my life."


    "Oh, what," answered her mother. "Is Hoc not good enough for you?"


    "No, that''s not what I''m saying," Sarbie said, trying to backtrack. She meant no offense to the boy.


    "Our daughter means to say that Hoc has envisioned a very LARGE life for himself, and she''d rather be stacking books in the church library," her father said with a chuckle.


    "What dad said," Sarbie admitted. She''d support Hoc''s goals as much as possible and give him all the push he needed to make those dreams a reality. Still, she didn''t intend to stand next to him while he won all the glory he could and had bards sing his name throughout the empire. If Alvec was this hero of Rust Hill, perhaps she could talk Hoc into training sessions with him. His magic was powerful; she could almost feel a slight tingle on her hands where it had touched her fist.


    "Shouldn''t you be getting a move on and not staring at your hand?" Her mother asked.


    Sarbie shook her head. "Alright, I''ll be on my way then. I wouldn''t want to keep everyone waiting." The walk to the church was uneventful. She''d barely set foot in the building before Hoc was there smiling widely.


    "Have we gotten any new information on the ghost situation?" he asked, towering over her. "I heard that a Tiefling and an Aasimar were here yesterday while I was out training. That was Alvec and Illaria, right? They figure out where Vato went?"


    His questions, nay his presence, were almost enough to bowl the poor girl over. She took a half step back. "Yes, Alvec and Illaria stopped by while you were gone."


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    "Damn it, I''m mad I missed it, so what was the consensus?" he asked. "They know where that grave-robbing wizard ran off to?"


    Sarbie shook her head. "I think they have a guess now, but they didn''t seem confident that he''d actually be there."


    Hoc nodded along, following her words. "Do you know when they''re leaving? Maybe I can go with them?"


    "I think you''re out of luck. They left earlier this morning," said Sarbie


    "Damn it, too late again. How cool would that have been? Imagine it, Sarbie; I could have been out there swinging a sword against real monsters," he said, miming swinging a blade. "Protecting people in need. Spreading the word of our god Kushang wherever it needs to go. How great would that be?"


    "I''m sure it would be fantastic for you," Sarbie smiled. "If you see them before, I do remember to ask if you can tag along next time."


    "Oh, I will," said Hoc, bouncing on his heels. "I''ve got to see how this whole ghostly Paladin thing works out. What a horrid fate. To have your ashes and those of your family and friends stolen and used by some nefarious wizard for gods knows what sort of spell casting. It just makes me so righteously angry."


    "Maybe we can have a re-interning ceremony when they recover it," Sarbie mused. "Give them a new set of last rites. That would be the right thing to do, right?"


    "Other than killing the bastard who did this, yeah," Hoc frowned. "I hope they do get him. What would even drive someone into desecrating a person''s final resting place."


    A voice called out from across the room. "Hoc, enough chit-chat; we need you both getting to work. Higher-ups want every church in the city scrubbed till it shines. We need you to head to the chapel on the north side. Some hooligans vandalized it. They broke a window or two; you''ll be helping with the repairs. Sarbie, you''ve been assigned to cleaning duty. I''ve been nice enough to ignore that you didn''t clean yesterday because I noticed many broken things are now fixed. Not sure how you did that, but I don''t have time to find out. We will close service early today, so start sanding down the pews and apply a new stain. When I said they want it immaculate, I wasn''t kidding; get to it, we only have a few weeks to prepare."


    "By Kushang, what do you think is happening?" Hoc asked.


    "No idea. Is Ageneon making a tour of the church, perhaps?" Sarbie mused.


    "No way," Hoc said, shaking his head. "We''re the Emperor''s favorite; there''s no reason he''d need to come in and inspect us, right?"


    "We were the first to support his efforts to end the war," Sarbie said. "What else could it be?"


    "Oh, what if he''s finally getting married?! Think about it; a royal wedding here would be huge."


    "Wouldn''t he just get married in the Imperial City''s church?" Sarbie asked


    "Good point, good point," Hoc nodded. "Could someone else famous be visiting? Our new friends met Cellocht; it could be someone of his caliber making rounds."


    "That actually sounds pretty reasonable," said Sarbie. "The only question, I guess, is who?"


    "No time to waste then; we''ve got a lot of little tasks to get done. I''ll catch you later. Thanks for covering for me again," he stated before heading towards the door. Sarbie smiled and headed towards the library.


    It wasn''t nearly as large as the one in the Imperial City. It likely paled in comparison to the academy''s library, but it was so quiet and peaceful in the walls. The tables here didn''t need to be sanded or anything. Just a little bit of cleaning and polishing would do the trick. However, There was a lot of dust, which made her nose itch, and she sneezed a few times as she did her best to clean it all up. Hopefully, all this commotion meant that good things were in progress. Maybe they will be holding a festival soon? Oh no, if it''s the Festival of Blades, Hoc would never shut up about it. They weren''t an annual occurrence, as lords had to decide to host the rather expensive tournament; some years passed over due to other significant costs the cities needed to take care of. Life had been good around Sha-Laial lately.


    Sarbi groaned.


    It really could be the Festival of Blades.


    The party: The Road to Auraman Manor


    The group wound their way through Archer''s Market and back through the farmlands where they had encountered Mel. The map the lawyers had provided indicated they should be coming up on the road that led towards the manor any time now. However, twenty years of unrestrained growth over an abandoned footpath presented a challenge. A map like this wasn''t precise enough to get them exactly where they needed to be. After walking further than they had expected, the party had to find a new method.


    "Look, the map says there''s a river; we find that river and follow it towards the manor. Might suck trudging through the overgrowth, but hey, beats being lost," Mavec said.


    "If we don''t mind taking a small break, I can swap some spells around. I could ask the birds where the house or road is." Naya suggested.


    "How long would that take?" Alvec asked.


    "I don''t know, ten minutes to a half hour?" Naya shrugged. "I don''t do this bit very often."


    "We could easily spend that much time getting lost, fuck it, let''s ask the squirrels," Mavec said before he stepped away from the group and lit a cigarette.


    "Bait find way?"


    "Not sure what you''d even try to track Bait," said Illaria. "Perhaps we are letting our friends sort this out, and we simply remain vigilant. We''ve already encountered some strange things on our way through this area. You see any giant flatworms with human teeth, just start blasting."


    Naya took a seat on the ground, Echo coiled around her. The rest of the party spread out, keeping a general eye on their surroundings. There were too many known threats to really relax this far out. It felt strange for Naya to sit alone with her friends surrounding her in a rough circle. She didn''t really understand this magic. It was new to her and strange. Having observed her castings, Alvec had told her it was clearly divine. She didn''t pray to any gods, though. Nor did what she believed in have a proper name. She placed a hand on the ground before her and leaned forward. It felt like she was calling up powers from the earth, extracted from the stone and dirt. As if she were a tree, spreading her roots deep and drawing in all the strength and nutrients she needed. She couldn''t describe how she knew when it was done, but she knew all the same.


    "Alright, guys, give me a minute." Naya wandered into the woods alone. Echo growled a bit but stayed put. It took only a moment for her to find a few crows watching her from the treetops. She smiled. Crows were brilliant birds indeed and probably the best candidates for this spell. She cast it, feeling the magic ripple over her tongue.


    "Hello, friend birds. May I ask you some questions?"


    "You already are," the one on the lowest branch replied.


    "That''s fair. There was a road here that people used to travel," said Naya. "Now only metal monsters walk it. Do you know where it might be? The vegetation has grown over the entrance."


    "We know the road you speak of," the bird croaked. "Our grandparents watched your kind travel over it for many long years. Give us some tasty food, and I''ll gladly show you."


    Naya searched through her pack, pulling out some lightly salted meat. "Will this do?" she asked, before she placed it att he base of the tree.


    The crow swept down and snatched it in its beak before retreating to the tree branches, where it and its silent friend shared the meal. A moment later, it cleared its throat and replied. It cawed and took off into the woods. The spell was wearing off, but Naya could tell the animal was clearly leading her toward a destination. It was only a few minutes before she found her way, following the bird through the thick foliage into a long, overgrown pathway.


    The dirt road was riddled with bumps and holes; the frost heaves had not been kind to it, nor had the roots of the trees surrounding the pathway. It was clearly going to be challenging to travel, as new trees were growing over portions of the road, creating a near-total canopy over it. Using the sun''s position in the sky, she traced her way back to the road. She took out her swords and hacked away a bit of the brush, revealing slivers of the worn pathway. Fearing it still might not be enough, she left an empty potion bottle lying on the ground just in case.


    She walked the road for about twenty minutes before finally finding her party where she had left them. Echo, still glaring at the woods, only breaking his concentration to check on the rest of the party. "Echo, this way, boy." He bolted over to her and nearly plowed her over with his excitement. He gave her several kisses and nuzzled his head against her chest.


    "Did you find it?" Illaria asked, stepping forward.


    "Yes, we overshot it a little bit," said Naya.


    "Figures, working with a property map rather than a local map was always going to make this rough," Alvec stated.


    The party departed again, and before long, they were walking the pathway. Naya took the lead; plenty of times, the road threatened to disappear from them as if the slightest shift would make it indistinguishable from the forest around them. It was hours more of walking before they came upon the now wildly overgrown manor. The cast iron fence around it stood firm, but tall grass three or four feet in height spilled out between its gaps. The villa looked in poor repair on the surface as well. It was a double-story building with a red terracotta roof; it was every bit as large as some of the government buildings she''d seen back in Sha-Laial. The second story on the left-hand side had a sizable hole in it as if perhaps someone had fired a cannon into it. Nature was quickly reclaiming that section; the veneer of white plaster on the outside of the house near the wound had fallen away, revealing rotting wood. Moss and vines crept in through the cannon hole.

 17: The Goblin in the Wall

    The party: Auraman Manner


    Alvec found it hard to imagine how Vato could live in these conditions. The Empire of Fire and Water had a relatively cold climate. The winter snows could get rather deep, and the cold ocean winds assured that a place like this would be terrible to live in with so much possible exposure to the elements. Granted, a building like this likely had a large basement. It was possible that with a bit of fortification, it wouldn''t matter that the manor had a cannon hole in its upper level. The gate, while intact, was wide open. An old, rusted chain and broken lock lay on the ground. Adding another grain of evidence that someone at least had been here.


    To be fair, though, it just as easily could have been someone doing some light robbery. Alvec couldn''t think of dumber ways to get in trouble with the law than stealing from Throne Land. If anyone found out about it, in the best case, you''d be paying back taxes. You would certainly be forced to return your ill-gotten gains and then be given some sort of punishment. Forced conscription, perhaps.


    The party approached through the gate. Their presence did not go unnoticed. Piles of junk metal and scrap animated, floating off the ground. Rusted and decaying, old knives, ladles, pots, and pans swirl around a single tiny mote of darkness. Mavec called out to the rest of the group. "We''ve got junk constructs here. Alvec, Don''t rush in. We can''t take a chance on you being unable to cast."


    "What makes them so dangerous to wizards?" Naya asked as she unsheathed both of her swords.


    "Ever hear of tetanus? It''s a disease they often carry. It can cause the muscles in the jaw to lock right up. You ever hear an arcane incantation uttered through a closed mouth? They don''t work too well," Mavec replied as he ordered Piccora in front of him.


    "What else do we be needing to know?" Illaria asked as she took up position front and center her Wakizashi already in hand.


    "They can break up into a swarm," Alvec said. "If they do that, no amount of armor or evasiveness will mean a damn; they''ll hit you just by encompassing you. Also, they''re much tougher than they look. Your blades aren''t going to be as effective as we''d like them to be."


    "Also, they''re immune to magic, so you guys are on your own here," Mavec stated.


    "Speak for yourself," Alvec said as he plucked a glass vial from his bandolier. "Their defenses don''t extend to elemental damage, so I''ll be able to keep some pressure on them."


    "Show off," Mavec grumbled as he stuck to the back line. Running up and hitting them with his hammer sounded like a one-way trip to getting tetanus. Being the only one not making ready to engage them left him able to spot something else slithering through the tall grass. The flash of iron scales headed straight toward Bait was a bad omen. An Iron Cobra, a snake-like construct, is able to inject the victims of its bites with potions or poisons. "Bait, watch out," Mavec shouted, but the thundering gunfire from Bait''s musket must have drowned out his warning cry. The iron cobra got close and sunk its fangs into him. The poor goblin yelped in pain and staggered backward. The snake quickly slithered back into the house.


    Naya''s swords were barely making a dent against these damn things. She''d need Alvec to help her enchant them at some point. Enemies this hard presented a unique problem for someone who won fights by scoring many weaker hits. Echo was having only slightly better luck. The wolf snapped his fangs at the floating and spinning metal pieces. She danced around the incoming blades and struck back as best she could.


    Alvec tossed a vial of acid at one of the constructs. It sizzled and burned, but unfortunately for the party, acid and alchemist fire were not all that powerful. Hell, a single shocking grasp was as potent as up to five bottles of acid. Still, it was better than nothing, so he''d have to do what little he could to help his friends.


    Illaria managed to do some appreciable damage as she struck through the center mass of the swirling junk in front of her. Bait''s gunshots had seemed to weaken and truly anger it. The mass of rubble exploded out, surrounding Illaria. A sharp pain filled her side as a two-pronged bronze fork plunged through the gaps in her armor. Bait squeezed off a few more rounds into the one-swarming Illaria. His vision went fuzzy at the edges as he saw his shots connect. The sphere of floating debris rained down on her and her surroundings in a terrible cacophony as the life went out of the creature.


    Bait rubbed at his eyes and pushed through the feeling of nausea that swept through him. The goblin dashed ahead of the group, refusing to let the Iron Cobra slip from his sight. The snake flipped through a small hole in the wall, and Bait dove behind it. The goblin twisted and contorted himself painfully as bits of drywall and piping poked and prodded into him. This gap was honestly too small for even him, but never underestimate a Goblin chasing something. He quickly found himself between the walls. Metal Snake out of sight, but Bait see path forward. A good thing too, walls narrow. Bait no able to turn around. The only path forward would be to crawl after dumb snake.


    The rest of the group entered the building in Bait''s wake and were greeted by the sight of a grand foyer. Once, it must have been an elegant space; even now, worn away by time and elements, it still clung to the majesty of its past. The floors were black and white marble tile, some of which had cracked and chipped over the years of neglect. A red carpet, threadbare and fraying at its edges, led to a small set of stairs on either side of a raised platform. A statue of the founder of the Auraman house stood upon it in all its glory. The man was carved, wearing a loose set of ceremonial robes with a sword along his side. As far as any of them could see, there wasn''t anything to be worried about. There were doors to either side of the room; Mavec tried one, finding the handle rusted beyond his ability to turn. A sign that there had been a lot of water damage here.


    "You really think Vato lived like this?" Mavec asked.


    "I can''t imagine a powerful wizard found living in a damaged and abandoned manor to be fun," Illaria said.


    "It would have been bad for his health, too," Naya said as she approached the statue. A distinct clink from beneath her feet surprised her as the floor shifted. The figure in front of her moved; it pulled its stone sword into its hand and chopped down at her. She scrambled backward, falling to the ground, and dodged the blade by inches. She rolled with the momentum and sprung back to her feet a few feet away, seamlessly drawing both blades. A series of grinding noises and a loud bang came from above them, while a smaller set of thumps came from around the corner as two more constructs ran into the grand foyer. They looked to be more compact versions of the scorpion-inspired designs the party had faced at Mel''s and the tower.


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    Illaria drew her blade and, rushed in against the statue and swung at it. Her blade pierced it, digging into its stony structure. A black ichor leaked from where she had thrust her sword. Alvec raised his shield and moved in his hand, sheathed in electricity. He lunged forward, tagging the mini scorpion and letting the electricity discharge through it. Echo bit into the other one approaching Naya and, much to everyone''s surprise, took the legs right out from under it, slamming it to the ground. Mavec wasted no time capitalizing on it; Piccora surrounded herself in lightning and slammed her small body into the construct. The grinding noise above them thundered. Suddenly, bursting through the ceiling, a series of scythes swept down. They passed harmlessly over the small scorpion models and not so harmlessly at everyone else. Echo and Naya each caught a blade as they swung by. Naya cried out in pain while Echo growled loudly. Alvec managed to dive for cover, only barely being missed. Illaria parried the blow, slowing it momentarily as she moved aside. The blades missed Piqoura due to her size, and Mavec, still standing at the entry door, was clear of their path. The blades retracted into the ceiling, and more grinding noises immediately began.


    "Guys, no good way to say this, but that''s an automatic reset mechanism. It will keep doing the scythe blade thing until we find the off switch," Mavec said.


    "Got any suggestions on where it might be?" Illaria asked.


    "Considering where the blades swung, it''s going to be somewhere behind the statue, maybe in the statue''s pedestal or one of those back walls," Mavec responded.


    "These constructs won''t just let us through; we''ll have to kill them quick. No holding back," Naya said as she stepped over to the one that Echo had down and swung at it with both blades, which bit deep into it. It retaliated, spraying her with fire from its tail.


    "Don''t think we were planning to take it easy," Alvec said again as he tagged the construct with more electricity, which it was vulnerable to. Better yet, being made of metal meant the electricity practically leaped at the chance to shock them. Alvec barely had to try to connect against them. There was a problem brewing, however. Accounting for the defensive spells they''d cast and now burning through his offensive spells as quickly as he could, it wouldn''t be long before he was down to just swinging a dagger. Something he wasn''t particularly good at. He couldn''t imagine that Mavec was in any better of a position. The two of them were still fledgling wizards; the pair had only recently managed to cast second-circle magic. Neither had the magical reserves or gold to stockpile spell scrolls or wands. "Think Piccora can rush the pedestal?" Alvec shouted.


    "Sure, I''ve got one ranged spell left," Mavec replied. Piccora took a sawblade to her flank as she ran past the one she had been engaged with; her right hind quarter showered sparks as she dashed up behind the pedestal. The blades came slicing down again; they weren''t so kind this time. Everyone save Illaria caught an edge.


    "Is it my imagination, or are these things getting faster?" Naya shouted.


    "Not your imagination," Illaria confirmed as the statue took two sword strikes at her. The first smacked hard into her armor, nearly spinning her to the ground. She recovered quickly and intercepted the second attack with her Wakizashi; she used the half second of contact between their blades to reposition herself from under it, twirled around, and drove the blade into its overexposed side. "I could use a little help here," Illaria said, her last words drowned out as a jet of flame leaped from Mavec''s outstretched hand. It collided with the statue''s throat, leaving a section of red hot stone. Illaria capitalized on the moment, driving her blade into the red-hot rock at the base of its neck. Her blade clipped straight through, decapitating the statue. She smirked with glee and turned to face another one of the small scorpions. The scythes came down again. Naya and Echo threw themselves prone, dodging out of the way. Illaria and Alvec weren''t so lucky. Both took another glancing wound as they passed by.


    Meanwhile, Piccora stood at the pedestal, searching for a way to disarm the trap. It took the clockwork construct a few moments to figure out how the mechanism was stopped; cleverly, it was hidden in the recesses where the feet of the statue stood when it was at ease. Piquore hopped into the indent of one foot before stretching her body between the two indents. A distinct click occurred, and the racket above their heads began to calm down.


    "Good work Piccora!" Mavec shouted to her. Despite its head resting on the floor, the statue continued to move. It grabbed Illaria and squeezed hard. With its arms wrapped around hers, she was left with little recourse to attack. Naya gritted her teeth; there wasn''t a way to get a clean slash in without risking hitting Illaria.


    "Focus on the smaller ones," Alvec shouted as he took aim at the statue. Hitting Illaria was only a concern if your spell could miss. This one didn''t. An arc of flame whipped out of his hands and struck it square in the back before rebounding and hitting the small scorpion before him. The scorpion shuddered under the fire, and it gave out, collapsing uselessly onto the ground. The statue, however, was still functional. Mavec retook aim, except this time, rather than shooting from himself, he took the shot from Piccora, who had the only unobstructed view of the creature''s backside.


    Echo pinned the other scorpion down before biting into the equivalent of its throat and ripping out a chunk of cables. Naya also took the opportunity to run behind the statue and give it one more quick slash at the section of heated stone. She was careful not to swing too deep, not wanting to slice Illaria. The statue shuddered before finally going slack, releasing Illaria. It was difficult to tell if it was truly down for the count or if the damage it had taken had simply caused it to power down for the moment.


    Mavec approached it, taking a quick look. There didn''t seem to be any effort by the statue to recover from its wounds. It wasn''t definitive, but he was more confident than not that it was done for.


    "Alright, how are we all holding up?" Illaria asked as she gently stretched herself out, assessing the damage that had been done by both the scythes and the statue. "And has anyone seen Bait?" She asked. A knocking came from the walls in response, just a bit higher than eye level for Illaria.


    "Bait here!" He shouted. His muffled voice squeaked out of the walls.


    Mavec walked over to the wall and gave it a solid pounding.


    "Owe!" Bait shouted in response.


    "Bait, do you be doing ok in there?" Illaria asked.


    "Bait, ok, can''t turn back round dough."


    "Should we try to cut him out?" Naya asked.


    Alvec examined the wall. "It wouldn''t be hard to cut into, but I''m worried about stabbing him on accident."


    "Don''t Stab, DON''T STAB," Bait hissed loudly.


    "Well, what do we do then? Just leave him in the wall?" Mavec asked. "No offense, but if we''re down Bait''s marksmanship, we''ll need to take a break. I''m running low on spells, so Alvec must be running on fumes, too." Mavec stated.


    The pair may have been graduates of the arcane academies, but the brochures didn''t warn you that even graduates weren''t all that powerful. Spells were divided up into ten circles. To graduate from the academies, you need to be able to cast second-circle spells. After a lot of independent practice, Mavec was proudly able to cast a paltry four second-circle spells and about five first-circle spells. Thankfully, the null or zero circle spells cost almost nothing to cast. He could do those all day long. It was his understanding that even the mages who served in the banners could, at most, cast 5th-circle magic. In recent memory, only the archwizards and heads of academies could cast any stronger magic. Illaria''s voice brought him back to reality as they stood in the foyer.


    "Agreed, let''s set up camp here," The woman did her best to position their sleeping gear in such a way as to be defensible, pulling the doors shut behind them to limit the number of directions they could come under attack from. It wasn''t long before they all settled around the wall where Bait was stuck.

 18: A Maze and Monsters

    The Party: The manor''s second floor and basement


    Morning came with muffled goblin grunts and screams of frustration. Bait try hard to force his way out of walls, but dey too thick. Not able to twist or contort self into any position that would allow him to turn around and slip back through the hole.


    "So what do we be doing about this?" Illaria asked the group and Bait.


    "Bait have no choice, go forward. Boldly find new creepy crawlies to bake into cheese. Find rest of you later," he said as he crawled his way forward through the crowded walls that made his chest hurt.


    "Well, you heard the goblin; he''ll catch up to us; we just have to get exploring," Mavec said as he put out his cigarette on the wall, grinding the lit end against the rough wooden walls.


    There wasn''t a mechanical sound or anything else. They walked through the halls of the first floor, securing each room and trespassing on a place time had forgotten. There wasn''t anything of real note. They could pilfer some silverware if they were common thieves, but that wasn''t the case. Everyone present had no desire to steal from the dead.


    The upper level was much like the bottom but with decaying floorboards. Some rooms were only accessible briefly before it was too unsafe to proceed. They found no sign of life on the second floor. Returning back to the ground floor, they convened in the foyer.


    "We''ve been all over the house, haven''t seen any sign of Vato yet. Think it was a bust?" Naya asked.


    "Possibly, but we haven''t found the entry to the basement yet," Alvec stated.


    "Are we sure there is one?" Illaria asked.


    "Yeah, there''s clearly cement leading down into the earth. So there should be one somewhere. Can you guys get your animals to sniff it out?" Mavec proposed.


    Echo and Rem responded to the question, sniffing at the ground. They rewound their way through the first floor till they reached the kitchen. Underneath one of the tables was a trapdoor the group had missed earlier. It wasn''t hard to see why they had skipped it; the smell of rotting food and mold lingered well after both were gone. They pushed the table out of the way and pulled up the trap door.


    A set of steep, sharp stairs descended down. Once upon a time, this must have been a wine cellar. Many bottles still remained in their racking. Likely turned to vinegar. The group descended below the house. A long hallway was in front of them, and doors were branching into other rooms. Outside the racks lining the walls, there wasn''t much of note here. Bare stone floors and stone walls. Further down the hallway, coiled upon a spring, was what looked like a metal sphere with a knife sticking out of one end. A strange metal band with arcane markings stretched around its midsection.


    The arcane symbols lit up as the group approached, blazing an angry red. The metal sphere sprung up at the group. Illaria drew her blade and parried, yet when her blade came slashing back down at it, the runes shifted color to blue, and her sword slid through it harmlessly. At the same time, it phased through a solid wall, leaving the group alone in the hallway.


    Alvec rushed to the door. He grabbed its handle, and a jolt of electricity sparked through him enough to make him recoil his hand in pain. If it had been anyone else, it would have seriously hurt them. To Alvec and his devil''s blood, this was just an annoyance. He grounded himself better and grabbed the handle again, pushing the door open. The strange construct leaped up and stabbed at him, but Alvec slammed it backward with his mithril buckler. "Don''t let them get away." If they''re scouts, we want to stop them now." He grabbed a vial of acid and hucked it at the thing. The thin glass tube shattered, spraying its sizzling green contents over the construct. As much as Alvec was well rested, the presence of constructs below ground encouraged him to conserve his spells.


    If Vato were here, he would undoubtedly have a robust last line of defense. One that would require more spell usage than fighting one springy construct with a knife beak. Illaria rushed in, cutting the creature off. She swung her sword, which found its mark, and put a small gash in its polished bronze sphere. It sprang back at her, digging its blade into her shoulder before vibrating and phasing through the next door. Alvec again grabbed the door, and another shock coursed through him, this one less powerful than the last. The second he opened the new door, the one which led back to Naya, Mavec, and Echo was closed off as an entire wall moved to block their path. There was no way but forward for Illaria and Alvec.


    Naya pounded her fist on the wall, now separating the group. "Are you guys alright?" She shouted.


    "We''re just fine; keep going forward; maybe we can be finding a way to meet up with you further on," Illaria shouted back.


    "Mind the door handles; they seem to be electrified," Alvec hollered back, his voice muffled more by the distance.


    "Naya, look alive; we got another one of those spring-based constructs," Mavec said as he pointed down the hallway. Sure enough, another one was hopping on towards them. "Piccora, engage," Mavec said as he pointed Piccora at the enemy. The metal rabbit rushed down the hallway, and as it did, a plume of thick smog roiled up from some slots in the floor. The rabbit''s mechanical red eyes glared through it, casting a sinister image to anyone able to see it. Mavec laughed. "Gotta do better than that, Vato; a little poison gas isn''t going to hurt my Piccora!"


    Naya wrapped a piece of cloth around her face and nose, hoping to aid in not inhaling so much of the likely toxic smog Piccora had triggered before rushing in. She swung hard and fast, landing a solid strike as she zipped by it. It bounced up and down and stabbed at her shins; the knife bit into her leather armor and went through it. She grunted in pain and swung at it with her other sword as it vibrated away. "These things are hard to land more than a single hit on," Naya complained. The second orb slid through the wall. There was no obvious way to reach them.


    Illaria and Alvec were suddenly fighting as the one Naya and Mavec had sought to attack joined the fray. It stabbed at Alvec and very narrowly missed. The blade glanced off his ghostly blue mage armor. He focused for a moment, calling upon the powers of abjuration. He forced the field of energy out of himself.


    Illaria felt as if a pleasant, warm breeze had swept all around her. Her hair seemed to float just a bit as if riding a non-existent wind. The look of concentration on Alvec''s face convinced her it was the wizards doing. Emboldened by his support, she struck again; another solid blow to the creature had it recoil for a moment before springing hard at her. She parried the knife and tried to sweep her blade into it in retaliation, only to find it again phasing out of reality. "Damn, these things. Alvec, can you do anything about them phasing?"


    "Not in the slightest. This is more Mavec''s wheelhouse than mine, and we''re on the other side of the wall from him," Alvec said as he whipped a dagger to his hand with his tail and swung at the unphased one. His blade glanced off it harmlessly. He cursed a bit. He was fast for a wizard but clearly needed to work on his aim more.


    "Piccora, rush down the hallway; I want to see what we''re dealing with." The clockwork rabbit dashed straight down the hallway, kicking off two more blooms of toxic smog. As she reached the end of the hallway, the chamber was flooded with light as a ball of fire exploded above her. The rabbit slid calmly out from underneath the explosion of flames untouched. "Guys, this place is REALLY trapped. I''m beginning to think Vato is actually here now."


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Illaria again struck at the construct, her Wakizashi scoring a clean and deep gash through the center of it, slicing through the belt of runes around it. Sparks shot out in a torrent as it sprang away from the pair. The runes on it flickered, and it failed to escape as it had the last few times. Illaria and Alvec struck at it, their blades in tandem, landing hits on it. It spun to the ground, clattering and clanking as it skidded down the empty room, the light coming from its runes flickering out for the last time.


    "Got it!" Illaria shouted. The remaining one stabbed at her again, springing up over her head and trying to drive the knife point at her face. The magical barrier Alvec was providing slowed the blade just enough that Illaria slid back out of the way. The construct seemed to summersault before her and spring back for another attack. Alvec moved forward again, moving to flank the creature. It was much easier to strike at a creature attempting to dodge blades on both sides. He''d do what he could to support Illaria''s efforts if he couldn''t land a blow himself. With its options of egress cut off slightly, Illaria''s blade found purchase on the construct. It was a solid blow, but this one had joined the fight more recently and was less damaged than the first. It vibrated again and slipped through the wall.


    Alvec rushed towards the one visible door. A click on the floor beneath his feet triggered another trap. Vials of acid above his head shattered, and the caustic substance rained down on him. An ordinary tiefling would have found this very distressing, but Alvec was an abjurer, and between that and his devilish blood, he was resistant to all of the major four elements. Fire, frost, and electricity, his blood protected, acid was by virtue of his studies. He reached the door and was greeted by a familiar shock as he spun the brass doorknob.


    Piccora raced down the small hallway, once more triggering a gas trap. As she rounded the corner, however, she clicked another one. Deadly electricity pulsed out of the ground. The clockwork rabbit made several sounds of distress as the electricity hurt it much more than it would have any of their other companions. Mavec recoiled from the sudden flood of distressed information flowing through their connection. "Get off the electric plate and wait for me to get to you. Let''s not take any more risks." Mavec shouted ahead of him. Piccora backtracked just a little bit to the safe ground. At the same time, Mavec, Naya, and Echo slowly advanced down the hallways Piccora had already set traps off in.


    The traps, Mavec noted, were a mix of recharging and one-off traps. Some of them could present a danger to them, given enough time for them to reset, but for the most part, they wouldn''t need to worry about setting these off on the way out. When Mavec reached Piccora, he scooped her into his arms and kept her there. A quick glance was all it took for him to know that she was at about half integrity or less. He could fix her, but if she took another hit like that... he wouldn''t be talking about fixing her... he''d be building Piccora 2.0. Echo lunged past him and bit at the orb on a spring. His teeth managed to grab the runic band, and he pulled hard, tearing a chunk of it off. The whole thing flickered. It sprang back and thrust its knifepoint at Echo, scoring a wound on his left leg. Naya followed up a moment later and, with a swirl of her blades, brought the construct slamming into the ground inert.


    "I think I killed it," Naya shouted as Alvec and Illaria emerged. The group took a moment to take a look at their surroundings. Now that they had the time to look carefully, the traps they hadn''t already sprung were pretty easy to spot. They searched the space for a few minutes turning up nothing. Alvec couldn''t help but feel something about this space was wrong. It seemed smaller than the construction of the first floor.


    "Mavec, hey, I think we might be dealing with a false wall here. Any suggestions?" Alvec asked. Mavec brought his hand to his chin and rested it there. Now that Alvec had brought it up, the dimensions down here didn''t make sense compared to the main floor. If Vato came and went this way a bunch, there would have to be a mechanism to shift it. Likely a pressure plate or a hidden wall switch. The only thing to do would be to search where they felt it most likely existed.


    "Naya, can you and Echo go back above us and stomp on the floor in every room? When we hear you distantly, we''ll know we''re in the right location." Mavec stated.


    "Sure thing, sounds easy enough." She and Echo went back upstairs, and moments later, they all heard the first thump. This process lasted a few minutes as they followed the sound of her footsteps. Eventually, the three in the basement stared at a wall and heard a distant thump.


    "Alright, everyone, start searching; there''s got to be something here," Mavec said as he got down on his hands and knees and started examining the floor for a pressure plate. It took a few minutes, long enough for Naya and Echo to return downstairs, before Illaria eventually found it. Depressing a stone in the wall caused the whole thing to lift lightly and shift to the side, revealing a room and a giant tunnel.


    "I thought we might find something like this," Alvec said. "He was a strong wizard, meaning he''d have access to spells like shape stone. No telling what we''ll find beyond this." Mavec stepped forward, his foot crunching onto something right away. He moved his foot and bent down, plucking a single iron scale off the ground.


    "Well, one thing we might find is that Iron Cobra. I hope it wasn''t able to get refilled with poison," Mavec said.


    The group marched down the hallway, Mavec turning on his headlamp to cast enough light for himself and Naya to see.


    "I could do without the lamp, but It''s very exhausting to borrow the eyesight of other animals magically," Naya said. "I can only do it for a few minutes daily, and we don''t know how far this tunnel goes. Seems like a waste."


    After several minutes of walking and descending, they found themselves in front of a large, sturdy set of double doors. Two more spherical constructs stood before them. These ones lacked springs or knives. Instead, they had what looked like two long, thin dual blades attached to a pole sticking out of its top. The two constructs flared to life. The twin blades on their heads began to rotate, lifting both orbs off the ground.


    "Fuck that''s cool," Mavec whispered under his breath. Another issue appeared in front of them. A moving shadow Alvec recognized as a slithering ooze, a big gulp... except this one was much larger than the last one... a bigger gulp. Noting the small space under the door, the ooze could slip through and their lack of damage; Alvec grinned as he settled on something very dumb and brilliant.


    "You guys handle those constructs; I''ve got the ooze." He carefully adjusted his bandolier, which was full of alchemist fire, and charged in. He took a deep breath and jumped into the ooze. He had to fight the magic of his boots, which tried to right him as he fell. No, he wanted to hit the ground; he needed these all to go off as quickly as possible, and the only way to do that was to take a spill. He plunged into the extra-dimensional space, maybe ten feet, before striking the bottom with his chest first. It was enough force to shatter some of the vials and start a chain reaction. Twenty vials went off, and his resistance protected him from almost all of it; two were potent enough to give him some minor burns. He''d taken more damage from the fall, to be honest.


    "What the fuck?!" Naya shouted from above.


    The ooze was none too pleased. The whole thing began to rumble as the several vials of alchemist fire continued to burn its insides. As suddenly as Alvec entered, he was ejected out, the force of which slammed him into the ceiling and then plummeted to the ground.


    "I think I bruised a rib," Alvec said as he clutched his side and scrambled back to his feet. He glanced down to see the ooze quickly shrinking. He let out a sigh of relief. None of them were going to be taken down by this thing today.


    Illaria and Naya were already engaging the flying spinning spheres. They''d each taken a few hits, but no one was too wounded. The sound of a musket roaring to life brought the group''s attention back behind them. Bait stood triumphantly, wielding his gun.


    "Bait live, Bait eat more cheese! Make new cheese called Trapped in a wall with nothing but spiders cheese." His bullets quickly clipped the bladed wings and brought both spheres crashing down to the ground, where Naya and Illaria could quickly disperse them. The goblin was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. To anyone but Bait, his trip through the walls of this abandoned manner would have been literal hell.


    "Damn it, I wanted to study the design," Mavec said as he looked over the broken and battered constructs.


    "Alvec, what the hell was that about?" Naya asked as she stomped up to him.


    "A calculated risk," he said. The wizard pulled out the wand and treated himself with it. "It dissolves its prey by using a weak acid. I resist acid. If it sealed itself off, I''d likely be able to kill it before I suffocated. If it slipped under that door, and we couldn''t open it soon enough, anyone else devoured by this might die. It made sense, even if it seemed really dumb." Alvec assured her. It made sense in the way that life-or-death situations do.


    "You couldn''t have just lobbed the alchemist fire into it?" She asked.


    "Had to be sure they detonated. Best way to ensure that was to go down with them," Alvec reassured her. The group used their healing wand to shore up their injuries before heading to open the doors.

 19: The Tounge and the Prophecy

    The Party: Auraman manner basement


    Alvec and Illaria pushed the doors open in unison and were greeted by a strange sight. The room was open and large, clearly a combination workshop and arcane testing facility. In the center of the room, suspended in midair by some strange glowing white forcefield, was a revolting creature. It looked like someone had ripped the tongue out of a dragon or similarly large animal and grafted insectoid multi-faceted eyes to its strange form. There were four giant fly-like eyes all along its top; assuming they worked, this thing could likely see in three hundred and sixty degrees. Jagged growths of teeth punctured out from its sides as it writhed and coiled inside the sphere.


    "What in the nine hells is that?!" Mavec asked as he took a step back.


    "It seems to be contained; maybe we don''t need to worry about it," Alvec said as he stepped further into the room.


    "I hope you''re right," Illaria said as they continued approaching. There looked to be two doors in the room, one on each side wall. A layer of dust covered almost everything in here. The only noise was the hum of the barrier holding the creature in place. Naya placed a hand deep into the fur on Echo''s mane. To her, it felt like they were trespassing on someone''s tomb. The state of disuse certainly made it feel that way. When they were solidly in the room, Bait spotted it; the Iron Cobra that had bit him was doing something near the creature.


    "Bad snake!" Bait shouted before he shot at it. The bullet struck the construct, but it was already too late. The hum of the field went down, and with it, the lights. Naya found herself unable to see and floundered momentarily as she shifted her magic around. Her eyes flared green as they changed in shape. Her human eyes were temporarily empowered and much more cat-like with long, elongated pupils. The world slowly revealed itself in greyscale to her. She''d be a bit slower since she couldn''t do this and augment her speed simultaneously, but it was a small price to pay to not be rendered blind.


    "I''ve got the snake," Mavec said as he and Piccora moved around to flank.


    "That means the rest of us have whatever that thing is," Illaria said. It moved strangely serpentinely as it oozed over the stone floor towards the party. It immediately lunged at Bait, wrapping itself around the small goblin and squeezing him. Bait squirmed and nearly looked as if he would slip out, but the growths of teeth provided good points for it to dig into him. At the same time, the creature squirted some substance over at Alvec, who managed to get his shield up in time to intercept it.


    "Be letting go of my friend," Illaria said as she stepped up to the creature and swung at it. Her blade quickly found its mark, but the wound she dealt seemed to partially heal before her eyes; what should have been a gaping gash was little more than a nick. "Hang in there, Bait; this might take a bit longer than I hoped. If anyone got any ideas, I suggest they try them."


    Alvec focused on the symbols for this spell, a small piece of bone he carried with him as a focus momentarily glowed with dark purple energy. He took aim and concentrated on lining up his shot. A sickly green energy ray pulsed out from him and struck the creature. He couldn''t be sure how effective it had been, but he knew he''d weakened it a bit, hopefully enough for Bait to escape its grip.


    Naya ran forward and spoke the command word for Echo''s collar. The wolf, already an intimidating force, grew much larger; it towered over Naya and thundered ahead of her. It bit at the tongued creature and connected. Echo pulled hard, trying to trip the beast, but it seemed to ooze in other directions till it was stable again. Naya came behind him and slashed at the creature as quickly as possible. Her blow went wide, missing it. She cursed under her breath. It was difficult adjusting to seeing it in greyscale. The distance seemed off to her even when it shouldn''t.


    Bait struggled to get free, writhing in the way only a hyperactive Goblin could possibly. Unfortunately for him, the teeth were dug too deep in, and all he did was bleed himself as he struggled. Not only did it hurt, but Bait was feeling a little feather-headed. The world seemed to float away, gravity not so constant. He howled further as the creature twisted and constricted around him again, digging more of those clusters of teeth even further into the poor goblin. Once finished with strangling Bait, it again spat a secretion out, this time at Illaria, who slapped it aside effortlessly with the flat of her Wakizashi before deftly returning a slice, which once again cut deep and partially healed.


    Meanwhile, Mavec and Piccora faced off against the Iron cobra. He cast his spell through Piccora, sheathing her metal frame in electricity. The clockwork rabbit rushed in and barrelled into the snake. The electricity clearly did a lot of damage to it. The snake was moving slower now and more erratically than before.


    Meanwhile, Piccora was functioning at full strength. The humanoids hadn''t been the only ones healed during the short rest outside the large double doors. It lunged at her in retaliation, sinking its fangs into her. Were it a straight battle of machine vs. machine, the Iron Cobra would have undoubtedly won, but Piccora wasn''t alone. Mavec charged in electricity crackling through his hands. He tagged the snake and watched as it spasmed and eventually went still. "Take that, Vato."


    "Hang on, Bait, I''m going to grease you," Alvec shouted.


    "Pardon me, but did you just say you were going to grease the goblin? Sounds like a euphemism, and I don''t like it," Illaria said before she thrust her blade into this tongue monstrosity.


    "When you put it that way, it sounds awful!" Alvec said as he grabbed a small piece of butter and used it as a focus. He was going to grease the goblin. Alvec shook his head, laughing. Bait suddenly felt warm and slippery and smelled slightly of blessed cheese. All of these things were great for Bait. He squirmed again, trying to break free. This time, he managed to slip and slide right out of the thing''s grasp; he oozed out from the bottom of it and scampered, nearly slipping a good twenty feet away, where he aimed his musket at the tongue with fly eyes.


    Naya and Echo unleashed everything they had; this time, each blow connected. Sadly, like Illaria''s damage, it was soaking most of it. Naya''s sword strikes, in particular, seemed to be doing next to nothing to it. The creature moved with blistering speed, snaking its way around all three people and engaging them in hand-to-hand combat. The sharp growths of teeth sliced into each of them as it slithered by before returning to its original position. It again spat something at Alvec, who ducked out of the way this time, and then it emitted a cacophony of screams from deep inside its fleshy tongue. Alvec felt the tug of some strange magic in his mind, and he steeled himself against it. Illaria and Naya also shrugged off the effect. Still, Echo, the poor boy, wasn''t prepared for this type of conflict and found himself recoiling from the creature.


    Bait squeezed the trigger twice, two bullets slamming into its center mass. The holes he punched through it bled briefly before partially filling in. "No Fair!" Bait shouted at dumb tongue. "Bait shoot, you die! That how dis work!"


    Mavec, from half the room away, took aim. It was hard to tell how injured this thing was; its anatomy was so foreign the concepts such as wounded and crippled were lost on it, or anyone trying to gauge how well it looked. He fired off a ray of fire, which struck hard into it. The burn mark was more minor than he''d hoped.


    Illaria could see that its motions were slowing. It was the only tangible sign that the creature might be nearing death. She slashed again, this time striking one of its eyes. Her blade sank deep as the massive domed eye sank inward like a deflating balloon. It thudded to the ground like a wet sack of meat. It began to dissolve in the same way that the other strange creatures had. Alvec was quick to rush over and bottle up a portion of it. With the beast quickly evaporating, the room was deathly still again.


    "What do you reckon these things are? This is the third abomination we''ve come across." Illaria asked.


    "No idea; my grandfather is an operative in the Blue Banner army and a fairly powerful wizard. I sent him a letter when we reached Archer''s Market containing some sketches and details of the first two we encountered. Maybe he''ll get something back to us at some point," Alvec suggested.


    "Hope so; maybe we should send something to the Imperial City''s arcane academy?" Mavec proposed.


    "Alright, let''s split up and see if we can''t find that urn," Alvec said as he picked one of the doors on the side walls and walked towards it.


    Mavec chose the opposite door. It opened easily to the touch, and he entered with Alusai''s headlamp still turned on. He recoiled almost immediately at the stench. Death and decay permeated this room, and the reason was easy to find. Laying in the soiled bed was a humanoid corpse very nearly fully decayed. Well, he''d found Vato alright. Besides the simple bed lay a very simple nightstand with a black leather journal sitting on it.


    A quick glance revealed that it was enchanted, nothing more than a simple ward against the elements. It ensured that it would be around long after the man who lay in his bed was nothing more than bones. Mavec picked it up and exited the room, closing the door behind him. He flipped to the beginning. Since he was already dead, maybe his words could shed some light on what exactly had driven the most promising seer in the country to disappear. If this was, in fact, Vato, like he suspected. Most of the first few pages were the author wandering in the woods.


    This manor should suit my needs perfectly. Its owners are long dead, and the raiders have stripped everything of value out of it. The land is overgrown, so I shouldn''t have to worry about anyone wandering by. Fortifying it shouldn''t be too hard in the short term with the resources I''ve brought with me. After that, digging out the cave will be my first priority. Going underground will be the best way to protect myself from what''s coming.


    Vague and still oh so ambiguous, even in his own journal. These diviners could never just get to the point. Everything was always obscured by their ego. The next few pages were concerned with him setting up in the basement of the manor until something unusual caught Mavec¡¯s eye.


    Fortune has smiled on me at last. By a stroke of luck, I spotted one of the intruders when it emerged near the Shilen Vineyards. The cohort camped out there managed to harm it before they were killed. In its wounded state, I managed to capture it and bring it back to my lab. Thorough research of this creature may prove key to my survival.


    Huh, these things had a name or term Vato referred to them by. "Intruders." Though it begged more questions than provided answers. The horrible tongue creature they had just fought must have been the subject he captured. It was the only thing that made sense.


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    This creature vexes me to no end. It does not eat, yet endures. It has no need of air or water. No matter what harm I do to it, it is always capable of healing itself. Its very nature seems to corrode the world around it. Even my modified resilient sphere eventually breaks down and needs to be recast. One bright spot is that constructs are proving most resilient to it, so I intend to shift my resources to them. I have been able to learn much through scrying, and it is clear Alusai is the master of the craft. But his workshop is so well protected even my best spells cannot penetrate it. But I have time.


    Alvec would need to look at the "modified resilient sphere" as an Abjurer that was far more his wheelhouse than Mavec''s. Perhaps Alvec could duplicate it or spell-craft his way into making a derivative spell, which could be of some assistance against the "intruders." Vato really did seem convinced that Artificy was the way to combat these things. It was too bad that Alusai''s work had not only been lost but also due to his poor choice of allies; even if recovered, they''d be shunned. The more Mavec read, the more Vato¡¯s handwriting degraded. As he got closer to the final page it took longer and longer to decode the scrawl


    My skin feels too small. My robes grate against my body like sandpaper. I have failed to match Alusai''s skills despite my best efforts. When I look out into the world, it only grows bleaker by the day. Roving bands of brigands and summoned creatures rampage across the land. Everywhere I look, infernals scuttle in the shadows of the powerful and the desperate. My array has alerted me to dozens of new intruders. This world doesn''t have long. Defense has left my mind; my only thoughts now are of escape.


    Is this talking about the past? The present or a future date... it''s hard to tell. Without any external references or comments about time or his aging, it was impossible to know precisely when Vato was referring to. The bit about internals and intruders was a bit alarming. The Gold Banner was supposed to be in charge of rooting out any infernal supporters. The final entry in the journal took up the whole page, sentences drifting off at odd angles and letters wildly differing in size.


    I am convinced Alusai''s masterpieces are the only thing that can stand up to what''s coming. If only I had the time to reach out to him to tell him what he has. But he and his creations have vanished. Perhaps in my prime, I could have found them. But my body is weak, and my eyes are dim; I can hardly see this page.


    It''s over. It''s done.


    I don''t know if this abomination has corrupted my body. I don''t care. Nothing matters anymore. My only solace is that it hasn''t happened yet. At least I get to die peacefully. At least this thing will remain entombed here forever. At least I''ll be safe in my grave when Kavaas returns.


    Mavec''s jaw clenched, and the hairs on his neck stood on end. He''d heard that name before. The first time they''d met an intruder was when it murdered the man on the roads near Cellocht''s manor. His dying word had been Kavaas, with no explanation, no inflection. Vato was absolutely terrified by whatever this Kavaas was. Glancing at how the word was written, it looked like it might be in old Imperial. Some academy books were so old that they were only available as translations from old Imperial. It wasn''t common even among wizards to be able to read it, but he could at least identify it. Though he''d have Alvec take a look just to confirm.


    Vato seemed to think that Kavaas was some sort of world-ending event. "This world doesn''t have long" stood out like a nail ready to be hammered. Whatever this was, it was big. Bigger than Mavec, bigger than this small collection of adventurers. The best thing to do would be to turn this information over to someone more capable. Perhaps the Red Banner army? Maybe the academy could do something with this? Hell, perhaps someone could pass it over to the Emperor himself.


    And yet... Vato had these connections. He was on the right side of the war. He could have reached out and asked any number of people for help. The damned seer should have explained why he hadn''t. He had decided that striking out alone was the best option for his survival. This means that going that route didn''t lead to any better futures for some unstated reason. Maybe he never bothered trying to figure out where the plan went wrong because the plan consistently went wrong. An alarming thought. It could mean that whoever he should have been reporting this to was, in some manner, compromised. There was sadly no way to know. Mavec did his best to file the thought away. Alvec would review the information and see what valuable bits they could pick out, what words and phrases he may have missed, and the meaning and intent behind them. All Mavec wanted to do was nurse a bottle of wine and chain-smoke.


    Okay, what was crucial for them. First, Kavaas. The name was in old Imperial; Vato had also specifically used the word returns. Meaning, that whatever or whoever Kavaas is, it had gone away before. Old Imperial lent a little credit to this being something from the distant past. Secondly, Alusai and his creations are vital to staving off the worst outcome. It was a shame that he had utterly disappeared as well. Finding Alusai''s lost workshop would be Mavec''s dream. Uncovering some new Artificy that had never been shown to the world would be amazing. Third, an implication that the Gold Banner Army was either negligent, inefficient, or possibly compromised in their duties to contain infernal threats. Mavec shut the journal and took it with him. He''d need Alvec to read it, and the two could review it with everyone at their convenience.


    Alvec had gone to the other room, which had become a simple storage room for alchemical reagents. Metals, fungus, plants, crystals, and stone, anything you could imagine needing to cast spells... including humanoid remains, were scattered over the shelves. Alvec found the urn reasonably quickly; he lifted it up, discovering quickly that the weight was wrong. Very wrong. Vato hadn''t just used a pinch of dead men; he must have done a lot of necromancy to use this much of it. What in the nine hells would they do about this missing dead man? What if Nath refused to accept it because it had been violated. He had only asked for the urn... not technically what was inside it. Would that really be enough, though? Wood ash would be the least offensive filler he could put into it to mix with the human remains still interred in the urn.


    The rest of the reagents would definitely fetch a pretty penny from the academy. Enough to fill their pockets for a very long time. Nearly enough to pay the tax bill unaided by their lawyers. "Naya, Illaria, we''ve got the urn and some treasure; let''s pack what we can onto Echo and ourselves," Alvec shouted. They arrived moments later, and the three began taking everything of value not nailed down. When they finished and re-entered the central room, Mavec was waiting for them, smoking a cigarette. He pushed the journal into Alvec''s hands as he approached. "You''re going to want to read that; we''ve got problems, friend." Alvec took the book and gave Mavec a quizzical look. Mavec rarely used endearing language, so he was already a little rattled by how much Mavec seemed affected by what he had read. He flipped to the beginning and read. The first two entries were acceptable, about what he had expected. All the talk of Alusai was interesting, but whatever nuance was there was lost on Alvec. He''d need to ask Mavec if this is what he was talking about. The bit about the "intruder" was a bit concerning. Then. Then, he read the final entry. He visibly shivered as the magnitude of it washed over him.


    The thing that had driven Vato to flee for his life from some unknown future was named Kavaas, the same name that had been uttered by the man who had died in his arms. Whose eyes had most literally popped out of his skull and seeped blood. The image hadn''t dulled a bit in Alvec''s mind in the few days that had passed since.


    "What on earth does it say to have you both so concerned?" Illaria asked.


    "It mentions Kavaas," Mavec stated.


    The group exchanged a solemn moment as the immensity of it settled in. What Kavass was, what any of it meant, and why Vato feared it were all questions that needed answers, and none were readily available.


    "We''ll have to go to the academy again, see if we can''t turn anything up. A translation from old Imperial would help, or maybe this name appears somewhere in their texts. It''s worth a shot." Mavec said.


    "Agreed, the use of the word returns really stands out to me. We might have to check obscure history books. If we can peg a period, we can figure out how best to research when Kavaas was last here," Alvec said.


    "Maybe we can try to track down Alusai while at it. Perhaps we can get his help with whatever comes if he''s still alive. If deceased, maybe we can borrow some of his designs?" Mavec said.


    "It''s an awful lot of maybes," Illaria said. "For now, boys, we should be getting back to Sha-Laial and placating a certain ghost."


    "Not so fast!" Naya stated. "The druid we met at Cellocht''s party suggested I find a child of Akrixi to talk to about what happened to Lom-Itoti. That''s where we should head next. Mr. Beans suggested one lived in the swamps about halfway between here and Sha-Laial. I''d like us to make a detour."


    Mavec groaned. "Why should we bother asking them? Wouldn''t it be better to go pray to one of the gods? The spirits, Naya, they''re just so... capricious. I know what Sarosa wants, but Akrixi? He''s a fucking volcano, just as likely to kill us with deadly lava as help us with anything."


    "The gods are new here, Mavec. The spirits have held dominion here for as long as my village has memory. If anyone knows what happened, it will be them; hopefully, they will have a way to fix it," Naya stated.


    Mavec grumbled.


    "Historically speaking, she has a point. Alright. We make for the swamp as soon as we can." Alvec said. Illaria and Bait nodded in agreement.


    "Bait might find new SWAMP ingredients," he said, his eyes bulging out just a bit as he imagined what great new things he could find in the strange environment.


    "Wait, before we head out, there''s one more thing. Alvec over here," Mavec said as he motioned for him to follow him to where the strange tongue creature had been. On a table lay a scroll; a quick glance at it revealed it to be a spell scroll. Greater sphere of resilience was scrawled on the top of it. Alvec took a careful look at it. This was sixth-circle magic, far above what Alvec could currently cast. Glancing down at the ground, he saw that the spell had been engraved on the floor and filled in with iron. If a caster could fuel the magic, all they''d have to do is pour the power in to activate it. While the power aspect was beyond him, the theory of it was not. This wasn''t just an enhanced version of a resilient sphere. No, this one had been altered in strange ways. Finding the points of divergence was easy, and perhaps... just maybe, he could use them to find ways to make other spells to affect these creatures.


    He took the scroll. He''d make copies of it as soon as possible. Working from the original was a poor plan. It still had the power of a much more potent spellcaster locked into it. Copies of the text meant that his notations wouldn''t ruin the spell. With everything necessary, the party closed the doors and exited.


    As they walked through the woods, Naya approached Alvec. "In that last fight, my blades weren''t doing much damage. Can you add any enchantments to them to give me an edge?"


    He glanced at the two blades. They were, in fact, masterwork already; it wouldn''t be too much trouble to start enchanting them, but it wasn''t a thing they could do while on the road. Perhaps if they had a cart or something where he could sit down and work in, but no, they were poor and on foot. Looking over Naya herself for a moment, he nodded at her. At a glance, she didn''t look powerful. She was, however, athletic, lithe, and fast. There was an enchantment he knew about that would work well for her.


    Additionally, she was using scimitars, known for being a little more deadly than a longsword in some ways. While they tended to create more shallow wounds than some swords, they were adept at slicing open arteries. A second enchantment came to mind, which made sense for the weapon.


    "Excuse me, Alvec, but why are you looking at me like that? I didn''t ask to be undressed with your eyes," said Naya.


    Alvec jolted up momentarily, waving his hands in front of him. "Not my intention, Naya; I was just trying to figure out what enchantments to offer. I''ve got two ideas, by the way."


    "And that required you to stare at my body intently?" Naya asked.


    "Yes, actually," Alvec said. "Would you prefer something to consistently do damage or have a higher burst?"


    She pursed her lips, not sure whether to believe him or not. "Both."


    "Too expensive for the gold we have on hand," Alvec replied.


    "So I could get both eventually?"


    "Yeah, but you''ll have to choose one for now," Alvec stated.


    "Consistent first."


    "Alright, we''ll enchant them with magic that converts speed into damage. You''re already a whirlwind of steel; this will just make them bite a bit harder."


    "How long will it take?"


    "Two to Four days after we return to Sha-Laial. I can''t do any enchanting while we''re traveling like this."


    A tug at Alvec''s sleeve brought his attention to Bait, who was walking beside him. "Bait want gun not to misfire so much? Can Alvec do that with magic?"


    "Might take some research, but I think we can arrange something," Alvec said. Guns were still relatively new to him, but he was sure someone had done some enchanting on them before. All he''d have to do was glance at the notes at the academy.

 20: Devils and Direbats

    The Party: Outskirts of Sha Laial


    The swamp Mr. Beans had indicated wasn''t far off the beaten path. The road leading to it was poorly maintained but traveled just enough that it was clear where wagon wheels had passed over it. As they approached, they came across a small hut, and a rugged older man sat outside it. His skin was dark, tanned by the midday sun till it was near burnt brown. His wrinkles were deep fissures in his face. A bunch of fishing line was spooled up beside him, and he looked to be weaving a net of it.


    "Ah, hello there," he said and waved to them. "Don''t oft get travelers this way, especially not so well-armed ones. What brings you here to the ghost of Lom-Sewes?"


    "Lom?" Mavec asked.


    "Yessa, there used to be a village, but between the war and the encroaching swamp, it''s a ghost town now. Most of the houses have sunk below the waterline. It''s why I made my little hut as light as I could. Even this bundle of sticks won''t sink below the loose mud."


    "We''ve come looking for a child of Akrixi," Naya stated.


    "Ah, you''re not the first people today. Saw a group of three that passed me by at a wide berth earlier today. Couldn''t get a good look at them," he confided. "Now, why the interest in those strange spirits?"


    "My village, Lom-Itoti, was transformed into plants. Not the buildings, but all of the people," said Naya.


    "You think it to be the work of a spirit?" he asked.


    "I do," she replied.


    "The child of Akrixi is here alright," he nodded. "You''re going to want to head to the center of the swamp. There''s an old trail that leads there. To be honest, it''s more of a footpath with railings. When there were people still living here to worship them, they maintained the paths. Now, only a handful of people ever travel here, period. Mind yourself when you pass by the abandoned houses down that way. I''ve heard a lot of commotion coming from them of late. Lots of bats, some of them bigger than usual, too."


    "Thank you for your warning," Naya said, slightly bowing.


    "Just be telling it I say hello," he said, bidding them a short wave. Naya smiled; the people of the hinterlands were so much nicer than city folk, she found. Alvec wrapped himself in magic. His standard ghostly blue chainmail appeared over his clothing. Mavec did the same but on Piccora instead of himself. The armor she wore looked like a glass-like veil of yellow energy.


    "Strange old swamp, man!" Bait shouted. "You know any cheese ingredients? Secret swamp cheese ingredients?"


    "I have heard tell of something called swamp tea," said the man. "It''s made from the bark of the trees. However, I suspect you can also find exquisite mushrooms and moss here. The damp waters and the decay feed them well."


    "Tree bark sounds gross, mushrooms good. Mushroom cheese should also be good. K Bye," Bait said as he left the man abruptly. The group followed the man''s instructions, passing near two houses with weathered paint slowly sinking into the ground. Large open barn doors and tilted windows were a strange sight. This was a place that time seemed to have forgotten and nature reclaimed. A chorus of squeaks emanated from within the old barn. A swarm of bats rushed forward, with two giant bats circling overhead.


    "Any chance we can avoid fighting them?" Illaria asked.


    "Maybe if we just run," Mavec said, gesturing forward.


    "Bats usually just eat bugs; what the hells are they thinking?" Naya asked.


    "Somethings got them on edge," Alvec said. "I don''t think we can run far enough or fast enough. Maybe they''ll back down if we hold our ground."


    "Bait shoot." He confirmed as he took aim at the giant bats. He squeezed the trigger, striking the beast twice before frantically reloading his musket bigger than he was. The swarm of bats descended onto Alvec and Rem, buffeting them with their wings, tiny fangs, and a cacophony. No matter how he tried to defend himself, they were there, striking every angle; not even his magic could protect him from an omnidirectional attack. Naya, Illaria, and Echo rushed in to help Alvec, but they were so small it was difficult to land a solid hit on any of them. They were merely taking a few bats out at a time.


    "This isn''t working. Mavec, help Bait try to take down the big ones. Maybe they''re riling up the smaller bats?" Naya suggested.


    "Oh, with pleasure." Mavec aimed, the air around his hand shimmering with a heat shear. He let out a red hot ray, which slammed into one of them, leaving a scorched mark and burnt flesh and fur. The two giant bats split up; one dove down at Bait. It bit into his shoulder and, worse, lifted the goblin off the ground before rocketing forty feet straight up. Bait squirmed in midair and struggled to position his musket so he could squeeze a shot off. He pulled the trigger with the muzzle of the musket pressed right against the Direbat. The bullet ripped through the creature''s heart, ending its life. Both the corpse and Bait plummeted out of the sky. Alvec, seeing this, grabbed a vial out of his belt pouch and dove out of the swarm of bats, running as fast as he could toward where Bait was falling. With his best guess, he hucked the vial at the ground. The glass shattered on impact, and a thick layer of pink foam covered a patch of ground beneath Bait in seconds. The goblin landed smack dab in the center of the foam and bounced out of it. Alvec winced; even with some padding, that had been a rough landing.


    Mavec pointed at the swarm, and Piccora dashed in, igniting itself with electricity as it ran into the sun-blotting cloud of bats. The electricity seemed to fry several, but the magic had no better effect than Naya and Illaria''s swords. Bait collected himself from the ground, covered in a frothy pink foam, and tried to aim. His first shot went wide, but his second slammed into the second dire bat, knocking it from the skies. It plummeted to the earth with a loud thump and did not move. The swarm of bats lingered for only a few moments before dispersing into the sky. Naya''s theory looked to be correct. The dire bats were riling up the swarm.


    "Bait, you okay?" Illaria asked, going up to the goblin, shaking his gun at the bats dispersing from the area.


    "Bait, kill more bats! Bats no kill Bait!" Illaria gently grabbed the gun''s muzzle and pushed it toward the ground.


    "It''s over, Bait; we won. The big ones controlled the small bats, and you murdered both of them. They should return to normal bat activities, eating blood-sucking bugs and stuff like that."


    "Fine, Bait watching, though." He said as he motioned towards his eyes and then the bats.


    "Yes, that''s fine and lovely; let''s get you healed and moving again. The sooner we find this child of Akrixi, the sooner we return to Sha-Laial and visit Ben."


    "Alvec, bring wand; Bait''s head hurt," he said eagerly as he dashed over to Alvec.


    Naya crept into the barn; perhaps there had been something magical or otherwise to hint at why the dire bats had attacked them. The barn was deteriorating but would likely hold together for many more years. The only thing she could see of note was an immense amount of guano. Alvec and Mavec carried a small amount of it with them, something about it being good for fire magic. Nothing seemed like it would have either caused the bats to become dire or caused them to become aggressive. The only thing this barn held was a lot of guano. She approached Alvec as he was finishing up with Bait.


    "Hey, thought you and Mavec would want to know that the farmhouse is loaded with bat shit. I know that''s valuable to you arcane casters."


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    "We''ll mark it on the map; if we''re ever truly strapped for cash, we can consider coming to harvest it," Mavec replied.


    "Right now, I think we''re already carrying enough wealth," Alvec replied. "Besides, that job would kind of suck."


    The group set out for the pathway. It was exactly as the older man described¡ªa narrow footpath with railings on either side. The water looked deep as if it would threaten to swallow Bait up whole and quickly go waist-deep on everyone else, save maybe Illaria, who would still go up to her mid-thighs. They had been hiking this shallow pathway for about forty minutes when Bait suddenly darted to the front of the line, held his hand up, and motioned for everyone to get down. The group did as he instructed quietly. He pointed ahead of them and held his hands up, one flat and the other he used to make it look like his other hand was "walking" over it. He then held up three fingers and finally put both hands up to his head, mirroring horns.


    Alvec moved to the front and sent a message to Bait with magic. "Three devils walking towards us?" He asked to confirm.


    "Ah, why wizard in head if he know what Bait say?"


    Alvec fought to suppress a chuckle and crept past Bait. He spoke infernal; perhaps if he could get close enough, he''d learn their purpose and then see if he could bluff his way past them. This encounter didn''t need to be a fight. The group wasn''t well suited for a battle with devils. Immune to fire, resistant to non-blessed weapons, resistant to acid and cold, not to mention magic itself. It was a bad matchup for the party at present. Three of them could be immensely difficult. The narrow pathway would also make fighting them more challenging. They at least outnumbered them, but it still wasn''t a gamble Alvec wanted to take. He could hear the chatter in infernal from further on ahead.


    "How the hell does she expect us to negotiate with that thing? It doesn''t desire anything?"


    "It does seem impossible; these spirits are such a pain in the ass."


    "Why does she even want its power?"


    "Imagine how much stronger or stealthier we could be if we could just be anyone. We could infiltrate anywhere; not even the Gold Banner and their cats'' paws could find us."


    They approached swiftly. Coming into better sight, Alvec could see that they were entirely red with long, slick tails, each carrying a sturdy spear. Alvec stood up alone and stepped forward, activating his defensive barrier first. The three devils suddenly stopped, startled by Alvec''s sudden appearance from around the bend.


    "Did she send someone to babysit us?!" The first one asked indignantly.


    "She thought it might be prudent to send a specialist to help negotiate with the child of Akrixi; they can be... particular," Alvec hissed back in the native tongue of his ancestry. It was a bluff, one he hoped they would buy. If they did, he might be able to convince them that the others with him were paid escorts. None of them looked like they couldn''t be evil mercenaries. Hell, the Blue Banner had started by actively bringing pirates under its control by paying them to join. So Bait and Illaria already looked half the part. The devil in front laughed.


    "Nice try, kid. Can''t have any witnesses that we were here." He dove forward, thrusting his spear at him. Alvec moved with it, and it glanced off his ghostly blue arcane armor.


    "You''ll have to do better than that if you want to kill me," Alvec said in common.


    "CHARGE!" Bait yelled as he stood up and took aim.


    "An ambush only works if you don''t say anything until you attack, you shit-eating goblin," the devil in the back hissed. The terrain was immediately an issue. Forced single file, with Alvec at the front, was fine for the moment, but the Devils all had spears with enough reach to strike at him while he had no other recourse but to fall back and trade out with someone else. Another spear point came at him; this one connected, drawing blood. A third spear swept in from the side, but he maneuvered his buckler in the way, glancing the tip off into another direction. He couldn''t retreat, he realized. Moving backward now would only open him up to a bunch of attacks. Without some countermeasure first, he wasn''t going to be getting anywhere. Casting defensively was difficult, but it was the only option he saw available. Usually, he''d trust his high defenses to take care of any attacks made at him while he was distracted by casting, but with their weapons providing so much reach, it wasn''t an option. The pain of a sudden stab could make him lose the spell entirely, a possibility he wasn''t prepared for.


    He selected his spell carefully. There were ways to bypass a devil''s innate spell resistance. Choosing spells that affected the world rather than them was one option. This spell created a bright golden glitter known to blind opponents, either by physically getting in their eyes or being so bright as to reflect too much light. He could catch all of them in it, so he cast it. The devils attempted to take advantage of his split attention, stabbing forward at him; he warded off their attacks and finished casting the spell. A 10-foot circle of blinding glittering golden dust erupted into existence. It didn''t look to have blinded all of them, but the one in the front, the most important one, was rubbing at his eyes wildly. With that, Alvec ran backward, allowing someone else to engage them. Naya rushed in, swinging both swords, which easily connected with the devil in front. Both blades bit into him, but as Alvec had suspected, neither did more than break the devil''s skin. It laughed off the attacks.


    "If that''s all you''ve got, you''ll be dead and dying soon," he chortled.


    Naya whispered a word, and Echo, standing in the muck on the other side of the guard rail, enlarged till he towered over the devils. He bit down, his fangs easily puncturing the devil and leaving blood-seeping wounds on him. The laughter stopped abruptly as the devil''s mood began to sour. While Naya''s blades may not have been a threat, her companion Echo was. Gunfire drowned out whatever the devil attempted to say, and both bullets struck him. The first one bounced off as it only clipped him. The second hit him at center mass and punched a hole clean through him.


    Illaria leaped onto the railing and raced past the devil, easily parrying a spear thrust at her feet and retaliated with a swooping slice towards their shoulder. The wound was shallow but had raked across the devil''s right eye. She landed behind it and swung again, striking it once more shallowly.


    Mavec raised his hand and froze. "These things are immune to fire, right?" He asked.


    "Yeah," Alvec confirmed.


    "Fuck, other than shocking grasp, I''ve got nothing good to hit them with."


    "Grease?" Alvec suggested.


    "No... but maybe this one will work." He pushed a spell through Piccora. The rabbit dashed forward, quickly weaving through everyone''s legs, and slammed into the one in the front. There was a slight flash of light, but it hadn''t overcome the devil''s innate magical resistance. "Damn it, that would have been cool."


    The devils each began their assault; the one in front of Naya stabbed at her wildly, but its blade missed her due to the glitter in its eyes. Illaria found another spear coming at her and once more deflected it aside, punishing the attack with a gash across its throat; this one went deeper than the first, drawing a look of panic from the creature as it grasped at its bleeding throat with one hand.


    "Alvec, make me bigger!" Naya shouted back towards him. If it worked for Echo, it might just work for her. Alvec did as instructed, rushing forward and touching her back. The magic flowing through her was an unusual experience as she and her gear grew to almost double her original size. Alvec''s magic wasn''t all she had in mind. She channeled some of her inner connection with Echo and forced the thought of strength through her magic. She swung at them again; neither cut did too much, but both had done more than before. Echo more than made up for it, snapping his jaws down onto the creature, leaving a second set of jagged puncture wounds.


    Bait reloaded quickly, slamming alchemical cartridges into his musket. Another pair of shots rang out again, targeting the one Naya and Echo were facing off against. Both shots connected again; each bullet punched bloody holes through the devil''s chest. The creature was starting to look much worse for wear. With four bullet holes, four slash marks, and two sets of bite wounds, he was practically weeping blood. Yet it stood and wildly thrust its spear at Naya, only striking her once. The spearpoint went in deep, and she cried out in pain. It wasn''t a life-threatening wound, but another few like those, and she wouldn''t be walking away from it.


    The one behind it, though, not currently engaged with Illaria, leaned forward and thrust twice more, both digging in deep. Naya''s knees buckled and threatened to give out under her as the pain washed over her. The one fighting Illaria sensed the opportunity and desperately lunged at Naya. Alvec grabbed her shoulder and pulled her backward as he stepped in to intercept. The spear point slipped past his shield and got him good in the side. He winced, knowing he''d just saved her from what could have been a near-fatal blow. It made its second blow against Illaria, who parried the tip again and scored a slash against its neck. It was a solid swing, with more power behind it than the more practiced cuts she had made before. The blade bit very deep into the devil''s neck. Had their anatomy been the same as humans, she was sure she''d have taken their head clean off with that swing.


    "Fuck it, Piccora, let''s try this again!" Mavec said as he cast through her once more. Electricity shimmered across her frame as she slammed into the devil in front of Alvec. Energy pulsed through its body, and it went limp, falling to the ground. Alvec hoped that this would be the turning of the tides. Bait refocused his fire on the one in front of Illaria, peppering it with two more shots, both of which hit their mark and struck hard in soft spots. Echo moved forward, got onto the pathway behind it, and bit down hard. With a sickening visceral snap, Echo ended the life of this devil, splintering its spine in his teeth. The third devil, having witnessed his two allies murdered, made a mad rush into the swamp, hoping to swim away.


    It was a bit of a longshot, but Alvec aimed, firing off another ray of green energy at the fleeing devil. It struck, and suddenly, the devil was thrashing around, trying to stay afloat. As it struggled to stay above the water, Bait took careful aim. He waited uncharacteristically long to fire, readjusting his sights a few times to ensure he had it lined up perfectly. He squeezed the trigger once, placing the shot right between its eyes, killing it instantly.


    "Bait good at dis," he said as he placed the butt of his gun into the mud.

 21: The Child of Akrixi

    "What do you reckon they were doing here?" Illaria asked.


    "I take it none of you speak infernal?" Alvec asked.


    "No, can''t say I ever studied how to speak to devils. Considering their evil nature," Illaria stated.


    "My grandfather forced me to learn. He said I might find it useful someday. I hate him being proven right." Alvec cursed under his breath.


    "So what were they saying, Alvec?" Naya asked.


    "They were saying they failed to negotiate with the child of Akrixi further up the path. Something about it not "wanting" anything. I guess it''s good to know the devils didn''t get what they wanted," Alvec said.


    "By Sarosa, I never thought I''d see one of these things. Should we bury the bodies?" Mavec asked.


    "Echo, toss them in the swamp," Naya said as she pointed to the two who had died on the pathway. The magically enlarged wolf quickly scooped them up and tossed them unceremoniously into the murky waters. "Nature can clean up after us," Naya insisted before taking the lead. "We have a spirit tree to speak with as soon as possible."


    It was about thirty or forty minutes more of walking before they found themselves at the heart of the swamp. The pathway led to what looked like an island of roots, which led to a massive tree. Walking upon it, under its immense canopy, they reached the trunk, where a face grew out of the bark.


    "Hello," it said in a dispassionate common, void of inflection or nuance. "What brings you to my home? Are you, by chance, with the devils? Their answers were unsatisfactory."


    "A druid told me to seek out the children of Akrixi for help," Naya stated. "My village, Lom-Itoti, everyone there has turned into plants. Do you know anything about this?" Naya asked.


    "Right to the point. I understand your haste, but tradition dictates we exchange names or titles before discussing business. I am Tupelo. You all are?"


    ¡°Alvec Snaptail, Abjurer.¡±


    "Illaria, Blue Banner army, Coffin Flotilla."


    "Bait, cheese ingredient hunter, dis-pie-pal of Ben."


    "Mavec, clocksmith."


    ¡°Naya, of Lom-Itoti.¡± She paused a moment before asking again. "So, do you know anything that might help me restore my village?"


    "Tell me, child, how would this information help you grow? Adversity can cause growth as much as any knowledge, possibly more so than the knowledge you seek."


    "What?" She asked, confused.


    "Why should I deny you this excellent fertilizer?" asked the tree.


    "Is this why the devil''s answers were unsatisfactory?" Alvec asked, cutting in to buy Naya some time and subtly sending a message to her.


    "Yes, Abjurer," said the tree. "They sought power; fortified forms, images which magics of lower circles could not dispel. Both would have made them very powerful, but they sought to use me as a tool rather than to better themselves. I offer my aid to help people grow. Were this power for the sake of growth, perhaps I would have given them my blessings."


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "That''s... that''s interesting," Alvec said, reflecting on it momentarily. "So what I''m hearing is that if it were to help one''s growth, you might grant a blessing. So... if I were to ask to no longer be a Tiefling, for instance, I present the case that it would allow me to better plant roots in a community. That''s the sort of thing you''d help with?"


    "Perhaps, but I do not believe you are making that argument."


    Alvec smiled at the tree. "No, I think you''re right. I wouldn''t be the same if everything had come easily to me."


    It was starting to come together in Naya''s mind. Alvec had done her a favor by taking hold of the conversation for a few moments. "I think I have an answer," she said. "Of how this information will help me grow. You see, I''m both the gardener and the tree. A limb is in distress, and the gardener part of me is still trying to assess it. If it''s diseased and damaged beyond repair, pruning it would let the rest of the tree thrive. If it can still be saved, I can try to find a treatment for it, and all of me might thrive one day. I can''t grow into either until I know the nature and severity of the distress."


    The tree smiled wide. "I see; I do suppose all the fertilizers in the world won''t matter if we do not know how to treat it. I deem your answer acceptable. I know the ailment you speak of; human flesh transformed into plants. We call it the Green Sleep. It is meant to protect peoples, to keep them safe from events their flesh would not survive."


    "Are those affected by it still alive?" Naya asked.


    "Yes, their bodies can be reverted when the danger has passed. Meanwhile, their souls are kept safe within the Green Sleep."


    Naya frowned. "How does one go about reversing it?"


    "Mortal magics cannot. I would assume only the Child of Akrixi who did this, or perhaps an even older spirit, could break it. One of the new gods perhaps could also break the spell."


    "A child of Akrixi did this?"


    "Yes," said the tree. "I''ve heard rumors that one of my kin has uprooted themselves and now wanders the Empire. I do not know which of my kin it is, though. Nor do I know where to find them. Perhaps another of my kin will know more."


    "Where can I find more of you?" Naya asked.


    "I do not know; my kind does not travel; we are solitary by nature. Thriving wherever the environment can support us. I wish I could provide you with more, as your growth could be quite amazing once you can prune this limb."


    "Thank you," Naya said, bowing deeply. "It isn''t as much as I had hoped, but it''s far more than I knew when I woke up today. My family is alive. They can be saved."


    "May your roots reach deep, and your branches kiss the sky Naya of Lom-Itoti." The child of Akrixi said before the face started to fade from the tree.


    "WAIT! Bait, have question!" The goblin shouted as he hopped up and down to get the tree''s attention.


    "Yes, Dis-pie-pal, what do you wish to ask?"


    "You know where good cheese ingredients be?"


    "How will this information help you grow?"


    "Oh, Bait know. It helps Bait make great cheese, Bait make great cheese more people eat cheese. Found CHEESE Empire, benefits everyone. Bait become cheese Baron, and take great satisfaction in making cheese. Best version of Bait."


    The tree leaves shifted, and a single flower bud dropped to Bait.


    He caught it in his hand and quickly stashed it in his pockets. "Thank you, kid-krixi."


    "Well, if that be all we need, I suppose we ought to be on our way," Illaria said. "I can''t wait to actually be sleeping in a real bed again. I can almost hear the sound of beer pouring out of a keg. I''ll raise the first one to good ol-Daluzi."


    "Yeah, maybe we can get the whole thing with the Six Strengths ghost sorted out quickly now that we have the urn," Mavec said. "I''d like to set up a workshop for doing my clocksmithing."


    "We''ll need to visit the academy first, too. We''ve got a lot to sell back to them. So long as we leave out that the stuff was likely stolen from them twenty years ago, we should be fine," Alvec said. Naya walked in contemplative silence. There was nothing to discuss, not for the moment. For the first time in a long time, she had hope. Eventually, she''d be reunited with her family. It still felt impossibly out of reach, but she wasn''t looking into this alone.

 22: Doing Right by the Dead

    Alvec Snaptail


    One more night of camping on the roads brought the party to the gates of Sha-Laial modestly early in the morning. The bright blue skies and warm yellow sun were pleasant. The group traveled to the academy first. Mavec and Alvec quickly sold off all the expensive reagents they had found during the raid on the Auraman manor. The group split the gold 5 ways. Alvec quickly found himself holding more legal currency than he ever had in all of his life. 950 pieces of platinum in total. He''d thought about taking payment in the form of gems to further lighten the load, but the honest to gods truth was that he didn''t trust himself to get a fair trade on gems. It was wiser and easier to take the currency with a set value. Platinum was worth ten gold pieces. There was nothing to haggle about. It was a simple fact; anyone trying to fleece him would quickly get a cold shoulder. Gems were, in that way, less reliable. The look on everyone''s faces when they realized exactly how much gold they received each was priceless. Naya, in particular, looked as if she might faint.


    "I could buy half the buildings in Lom-Itoti with this much money," she whispered.


    "Piccora, we''re going to be upgrading you a LOT," Mavec said as he jingled the full coin purse before her.


    "Illaria, you think Bait can buy out Ben?" Bait asked, holding up his coin purse.


    "No, I don''t reckon you have that sort of money. Though, if that''s your goal, I''d say you''re well on your way, friend."


    "What will you use the money for, Illaria?" Mavec asked.


    "Probably upgrades to my equipment. Perhaps someday I''ll buy a ship of my own, a merchant ship. For now, though, I''d rather be making myself stronger to deal with the pirates of the Empire."


    "The way you say that, it''s almost as if you''re more interested in the pirates than setting up a business," Mavec said.


    "You could be saying that," replied Illaria. "My parents were kidnapped by pirates. Cutthroat Crowley, to be exact. I don''t know what became of them. They could be dead or sold into slavery in some far-flung part of the world. It''s why I joined the Blue Banner; I''ll have my revenge."


    "Whoah, sorry, I probably should have asked that somewhere a little more private," Mavec replied.


    "It''s alright," said Illaria. "I''m fine sharing that part of my life with you all. If I ever get a credible lead, perhaps I''ll ask you all to come with me to hunt him down."


    "You can count on me," Alvec said as he slapped his buckler. "We make a good team."


    "I don''t even know how to swim, so hopefully, we can maybe hold off on chasing down pirates till after I learn," Mavec stated.


    "Maybe we should all learn how to swim. It might just come in handy," Alvec said.


    The group chatted a few more moments before moving to the church of Kushang. The building looked a bit spiffier than when they had first entered the city of Sha-Laial. It had been cleaned thoroughly. "Spring cleaning?" Alvec asked as he approached Hoc and Sarbie, who were working on staining a pew.


    "Something like that," Sarbie answered absent-mindedly as she continued running a paintbrush over the wood.


    "By Kushang, did you find and slay that dastardly Necromancer Vato?!" Hoc shouted, leaping to attention.


    "He was a diviner Hoc," Mavec supplied while rubbing his temples.


    "He''s dead," Alvec confirmed.


    "Excellent. Justice served, society can prosper by Kushang''s will." He smiled sheepishly. The boy leaned in closer. "Was it a big fight?" He asked more quietly.


    "Yeah, he had a lot of constructs in his service," Alvec told him. "Then there was this strange thing: a giant tongue with teeth growing on it, with multiple insectoid eyes up near the top of it. It stood taller than I am." Hoc looked enraptured, but Sarbie rolled her eyes with a smile. Hoc would fall for anything, especially stories of crazy monsters and impossible odds.


    "We have the funeral urn; could we borrow you to bring it back to Nath?" Alvec asked.


    "What do you say, Sarbie? Will you cover for me while I run down the street?" Hoc asked.


    "Just promise you''ll come right back. There''s still a lot of cleaning to get done," she said.


    "Ok, guys, hold on just a minute," Hoc said, placing the paintbrush into the stain and quickly running to a fountain to wash his hands. When his hands were free from the dye, he wiped them down and approached the group again. "Alright, let''s see it." He said, gesturing for someone to hand him the urn.


    Naya untied it from the satchel placed around Echo''s neck and brought it over to Hoc, who eagerly took it. It was hardly ornate as far as funeral urns went. A static soft gray stone with some minor writing in standard running in a ribbon around the circumference of the urn. Six words expressing different aspects of strength, no doubt their core tenets, ran down it. "I was hoping for something a bit more... cool?"


    "I believe that an urn is more about respect than anything else," Illaria said, scowling at Hoc a bit. "Let''s get this over with," she said, heading for the door, the party following in her wake. They walked in relative silence for a few moments down the moderately busy Scythefell Street. Arriving at the front gate, they found the chain locking it shut was still as magically secure as ever. Taking the side entrance, they quickly approached the tower. Hoc sprinted through the doors ahead of everyone else. He promptly disappeared to the floors above. Several minutes passed before he returned to the first floor and waved everyone on in.


    Alvec approached nervously; he really hoped that this had done the trick. This would be a massive step towards setting down roots in this community. Something he had wanted for a long while. It had only been recent events that had brought him to Sha-Laial, but the goal had always been the same. To establish a foothold in a community, one where he was viewed as someone to be turned to, trusted, and generally respected. He''d never get the acknowledgment of his grandfather''s family, so he''d build his own. He''d thought perhaps he''d settle down with someone better off than himself. Though that was all a pipe dream. You didn''t control a romance; you merely kindled a fire, and thus far, Alvec hadn''t done much kindling. What the stars held in that regard was beyond his ability to predict. He entered; no fear touched his mind this time, and he was able to get a good look around.


    The first floor was a simple common room and a kitchen. Stone floors, solid wooden supports, and old but firm furniture needed severe dusting. It seemed as if even animals and insects had been repelled by Nath, the ghostly leader of the Six Strengths. Clean-up, as a result, wouldn''t be all that bad. The group filtered in and quickly explored the tower. The second floor held several small bedrooms. Each badly needed to be furnished. The Six Strengths may have valued living a simple life, but that certainly wasn''t some tradition Alvec planned to continue. He could imagine it now, an exquisite down mattress with three hundred thread count sheets. They were small luxuries, but he would not be denied them with this much coin on hand. He had to be careful, though; spending too much on luxuries could cost him the precious coin he needed to ensure he and Rem were well-equipped.


    There were so many enchantments he''d need to make. His shield, for instance, could use some fortification. The reagents required for defensive enchantments were, for some reason, cheaper than those needed for offensive ones. Which meant he''d maximize his effects by enhancing the shield first. Naya had requested her weapons be enchanted and had already provided the gold. Bait had also surrendered a small portion of gold to him but had yet to make plans to relinquish his gun. It was for the best; Alvec hadn''t had time yet to find a gunsmith to talk to at the university.


    Naya''s swords were going to be his first official project. This job would be nerve-wracking; they came with great sentimental value. She''d let slip that they had been her fathers. From such a small village as Lom-Itoti... such exquisite weapons left little doubt that these blades had been passed down several generations. It was something he absolutely couldn''t screw up. Imagine if he somehow tweaked the spell wrong and somehow snapped the steel. He swept his head side to side, banishing the thought. No, once they were set up, he''d make a cozy little enchanting office and complete his first job with no problem.


    Finally, after some time, he arrived on the top floor. There was a conference room with a large hexagonal table and several bookshelves, mostly empty. The urn currently sat at the head of the table. Alvec parsed his lips and nodded to himself. He could almost see it now, a glass display case with thin golden trim as an excellent and secure place for Nath and the other fellows of the Six Strengths to rest for eternity. He overheard Hoc excusing himself and heading out.


    "I call the common room!" Naya shouted as she flopped with Echo onto the ground before the fireplace.


    "You can''t just sleep in the living room!" Mavec yelled back at her.


    "This is all Alvec''s place; perhaps we should all be talking to him about our plans here," Illaria said.


    "Bait going to take the messiest room!"


    "Any room you choose will quickly become the messiest," Illaria reassured him.


    Alvec came down the stairs to join everyone else.


    "Alright, we''ve done it. I know, Illaria, that you and Bait won''t be staying forever. Hell, Naya, Mavec, and I have some business to attend to at some point that will also send us away. That said, there are enough rooms for all of us here. You''re welcome here in the tower anytime you please, so feel free to pick a room."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "If we''re setting up shop here, we must also set up a proper lab," Mavec said, gesturing to the other buildings. "I figure we keep all the alchemy, enchanting, and machinery to the outer buildings. Don''t work where we sleep or something like that."


    "Bait enjoy space to craft guns; Bait is a gun-gineer."


    "Do you mean engineer?" Illaria asked.


    "No, Bait mostly make guns, so Bait is a gun-gineer."


    "That''s not... ya know what, fuck it, he''s a gun-gineer," Mavec said.


    "You''ll have to furnish any space you want yourself," Alvec said. "I''m sure we can get someone from the academy to quote us for what we need."


    "Alright, I can rush on over and get that started," Mavec replied as he turned and headed for the door.


    "Not so fast!" Alvec said. Mavec paused a moment. "I was thinking, it''s still really early in the day, why don''t we host a block party? We all just dove into a dungeon filled with clockwork machinery, traps, and a strange abomination. We should treat ourselves and make better friends with the neighbors." He plucked out ten pieces of platinum and tossed them over to Illaria. "I thought you could go to the tavern and orchestrate something for tonight."


    "Alvec, this is far too much money," she said, shaking her head.


    "We''re asking them to assemble an entire block party on extremely short notice. I''d say it''s a fair wage," Alvec said, smiling. "Besides, making a splash wouldn''t be so bad."


    "I see your point, but we could wait for tomorrow," Illaria said.


    "No way, we get SLOSHED tonight!" Naya started jumping up from lying on top of Echo.


    "Oh great," Mavec muttered.


    "Can get cheese beer?" Bait asked.


    "With ten platinum, I''m sure they''ll invent it just for you, Bait," Illaria said.


    "So, we are all in agreement; tonight, we celebrate?" Alvec confirmed, smiling wide.


    "Fuck it, I''m in," Mavec said, relenting.


    "I''ll go tell the neighbors!" Naya exclaimed.


    "Wait, I''ll go with you. After we tell them all, I''ll hit the academy and start getting things together for our labs," Mavec said.


    "We might as well all go," Illaria said.


    "Bait stay here, gotta pick best room. Get room exactly right." He scampered up the stairs.


    "I''ll also be parting ways," Alvec informed them.


    "Where are you going? This whole thing was your idea. Shouldn''t you be orchestrating it?" Naya asked.


    "Well, now that it looks like we''ll be staying. Thought it might be a good time to go soothe over some feathers with the church of Kushang. We know they wanted this property. I''m going to go make a sizable donation and make it as publicly as I can. Gotta raise that goodwill after all."


    "And by that, you mean, gotta head off any nasty rumors by making a positive impression before any can form. I read you loud and clear, Alvec buddy," Mavec said. Alvec smiled devilishly and winked at him while tilting his head.


    "Caught me red-handed," He admitted.


    "It''s a good strategy, actually," Mavec agreed. "While you''re out, think you can pick up something to seal up the door to whatever room Bait uses?"


    "Without killing or trapping him in it eternally... probably not... but I think we can probably set up some sort of air filtration system outside his room. Charcoal tends to absorb scents well. I''ll look into it." Alvec said.


    The rest of the group departed and headed into the street to set up the block party. Alvec, finally alone, grabbed out the second pouch. Ten more pieces of platinum. He was investing 200 gold into making his life here more comfortable. A few days ago, this would have seemed like a considerable investment. Hell, it still was in many ways, but the benefits quickly outpaced the cost by his calculations. The walk back to the church seemed to pass very quickly. Hoc and Sarbie were back to it, staining the same pew. Alvec tapped Hoc on the shoulder. "Pardon me, but I was hoping for one more favor," he said, grabbing the brush out of his hand. "You mind grabbing one of the priests and bringing them out here, Hoc? I''ll help Sarbie till you get back."


    "Sure, Alvec, but what''s going on now?" he asked, confused.


    "Nothing as exciting as a haunted tower. I wanted to donate to the church but didn''t want to hand it off to just anyone."


    "You wound me, Alvec. Am I not trustworthy enough?" he said, pantomiming being struck by an arrow and staggering back.


    "On the contrary, I trust you enough to fetch me a priest," Alvec said before dipping the brush into the stain and getting on his knees to join Sarbie in painting it.


    She looked up at him a bit quizzically. "I know you said your mother was a worshiper, but I got the impression you weren''t. What gives with the donation?"


    "Really want to know?" Alvec asked.


    "Would I be asking otherwise?"


    "Ok, but don''t be too startled," he said out loud. She scrunched her brow in confusion before his voice rang softly inside her head. "Apparently, your church wanted the building I inherited. This is a peace offering, oh merciful and gracious cleric of Kushang." The sensation of this magic was strange to her. It was like drinking water after eating something with mint. She quickly found that whatever connection he''d made to her went both ways.


    "Can you hear me too?" she said, pushing the thought through the connection.


    "Yes, but the range isn''t great, and it''s limited just to passing short little messages back and forth."


    Sarbie felt confident he was telling the truth. She could only briefly feel his presence close to hers for a moment before it floated back, never quite connecting. "Why not say that out loud?" she pushed back.


    "And admit in a room full of believers that the man with the ram''s horns on his head isn''t a real believer and is just trying to make nice," Alvec frowned. "People might get the wrong idea."


    "And I won''t?"


    "Sarbie, do you know how much it costs to hire someone to cast mend a single time?" he asked while his laughter tickled against her mind.


    "I''m not really familiar with arcane spells, and we don''t charge all that often," she stated.


    "For someone of my skill, fifteen to twenty-five gold pieces."


    "No way, that can''t be right," she blurted out loud.


    "Oh, it''s right. I''d estimate I did a few hundred gold worth of free labor for you already," he said out loud.


    "Why didn''t you say something?! That''s so much money!"


    "It''s not like I had anyone lining up to purchase my services. I wasn''t out any money by spending my time here; it didn''t use up any resources," Alvec said aloud before pushing another thought her way. "Besides, it was nice to hang out with you. I mean, other than you trying to punch me, that was a bit strange."


    She felt the playful intent behind his words. It was strange to get snatches of feelings flittering between words, like hearing a vocal inflection in a person''s speech, but somehow more nuanced. "Hey, that was your idea; thank you very much."


    "Do we have any more brushes?" Alvec asked as he stood up.


    "Sure, we should have more. Why?"


    "Look, I''ve got two hands and a tail; if I''m not using at least two brushes, I''m wasting your time and my talent."


    Sarbie pointed over to a pail at the end of the pew.


    Alvec quickly returned with a brush held in his tail. He stood up, painting over the backrest with his right hand and using his tail to sweep back and forth over the bench. They continued in silence for a few more minutes before Hoc returned.


    "Whoa! I''ve never seen anyone paint like that before!" Hoc exclaimed. "Anyway, sorry for the delay; Father Oren wasn''t too happy that I ran off earlier to take care of the urn business, but I couldn''t pass up the opportunity to do right by the dead."


    Alvec smiled; Hoc seemed to genuinely mean it, which was entirely refreshing.


    "I''ve told the boy repeatedly he needs to focus on the task at hand, but he''s just such a dreamer. You are Alvec, correct?" The older man said as he approached. "Hoc has told me a little about your situation. Additionally, Sarbie here says you did a lot of handiwork around here the other day. What can we do for you?"


    "Ah, just a moment, sir," Alvec said as he placed his brushes in one of the designated trays. "That''s better." He walked up, offering out his hand. "Alvec Snaptail, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. The man took his hand and shook it. "As you likely heard on your walk back here with Hoc, we just returned from a rather lucrative expedition. I''d like to donate to the church so that it may continue to help others as it has helped me," he said. Alvec produced the small coin purse and handed it over.


    The priest took the light coin purse and opened it slightly. His eyes went a bit wide as he did. "This is a rather sizable donation; thank you, Alvec Snaptail. We look forward to helping you in the future as in the past. We are here to serve and strengthen the bonds of our community." The two talked briefly before the priest left, and Alvec turned back towards Hoc and Sarbie.


    "How much was in there? I haven''t seen him look that surprised since I got a training sword wedged in a cart spoke," Hoc said.


    "Ten platinum."


    "Ten what?" Sarbie asked, assuming she''d misheard him or he''d misspoken.


    "Ten platinum," Hoc repeated.


    "I''ve never even seen that kind of money!" Hoc shouted.


    Alvec patted his buckler loudly. "This shield is worth ten times what I just gave him. Real genuine mithril. The forge masters in Rust Hill got it for me. It''s hard to acquire, even if you have coin..."


    "So what Illaria said was true; you really were at Rust Hill?" Sarbie asked.


    "Oh, man! Did you see The Hero of Rust Hill?!" gasped Hoc. "I heard he was a huge muscular Tiefling, almost looking like a minotaur with a massive battle axe two sizes too large for him. They say he was splitting Fire Elementals like they were logs. Just right in twain!"


    Alvec just laughed. "I didn''t see anyone like that," he finally replied.


    "But a tiefling did save a miner''s daughter, right?"


    Alvec looked away sheepishly. "Yeah, he took a beating doing it too. While the fire wasn''t a problem, the crazed things still had enough force behind their swings to slowly beat the tar out of me."


    "Wait, are you saying you''re the Hero of Rust Hill?" Hoc said, clapping a hand on Alvec''s shoulder. "No way, I''ve known a folk hero for a week?! Oh, we need to go spar!"


    "Not today," Alvec said, shaking his head. "I''d much rather see you two tonight. We''re going to hold a block party to celebrate clearing the house of its haunting. Since you both helped out, I''d be delighted to have you. The rest of the group is making plans right now."


    "Oh, we''ll be there! Right, Sarbie?" Hoc said.


    Sarbie pursed her lips. She wasn''t a huge fan of the idea. Parties were usually loud, and with it occurring at night it would mean having to walk back home alone if she couldn''t drag Hoc with her. Not to mention, she''d already spent much of her morning on her hands and knees painting. Going to a party just to mill about while sore and tired seemed an even worse idea.


    "I don''t know, I''m kinda tired; I think I''d rather go home," she answered honestly.


    "No, no, no. You can be a homebody any other night. How often do our new adventuring friends throw parties?" Hoc asked.


    "Honestly, probably not all that often," Alvec said. "They really aren''t my scene either, but it felt like a good way to meet all the neighbors, and I''ve been too wrapped up in business. It would be nice to forget about it all for a single night."


    "Alright, I''ll go, I''ll go," she said, yielding to the boys.


    "Excellent; I look forward to seeing you both there," Alvec said, clasping both hands together and smiling at them.

 23: Block Party Preparation

    Naya, Mavec, and Illaria


    The tavern was the first stop for the trio. What good party could happen without beer and other intoxicants? Illaria took the lead, heading towards the counter. It was nearing noon, and not very many people were there yet. It made sense; most day laborers were too busy to be here now.


    "What can I do you for, beautiful?" the buff Aasimar asked as he looked up from polishing a glass. Illaria ignored the comment but leaned in just a bit, giving him a vibrant, warm smile.


    "I know it might be last minute, but we were hoping you could cater an event for tonight," said Illaria


    "For tonight, that would be rather hard to do. Normally, we need a few days'' notice. What''s the scale of this event?" he asked as he set the glass down on the countertop.


    "We''d like to host a block party here on Scythefell Street. To officially celebrate moving in," Illaria said. Though this wasn''t a permanent place for her, she still wouldn''t mind knowing the neighbors a bit better. She''d already been away from the sea long enough to miss it.


    "What''s the budget, and will you pay extra for the rush job? I''ll have to contact my part-timers and ask them to come in," she took out the purse of coins Alvec had given her and slid seven of them across the table.


    "Ah, I see. Will you want us to stay as servants the night? Or will it just be set up?" he asked.


    "I don''t think we''ll mind cleaning up," Illaria stated. "We might have a bit of gold, but we''re not incapable of doing some work ourselves. So just supply and set up the food and drink, then you''re welcome to join in."


    "I accept," he said, as he palmed the eight pieces of platinum from the table. "You guys own the compound of the Six Strengths, right?"


    "Yes, and dare I even be asking this. But do you, perchance, happen to have any sort of "cheese" beer in stock?" Illaria asked.


    The man laughed. "It''s not very popular, but Ben from Archers Market sold us a few barrels of it. He''s hoping it will catch on, but thus far, it''s been a little lackluster."


    "Please bring some of that. Bait will lose his mind over it."


    The man let out a sigh. "You keep some strange company for such a pretty lady. Mind if I ask why you run around with him?"


    "I sail with the Blue Banner army. So does he. When you be fighting pirates, you either want a friend who can keep you alive or a friend who can make your enemies dead. Bait is the latter. He''s an expert with that musket and has saved our lives many times just by killing things, meaning to be killing us," Illaria said, her smile twisting to a smirk.


    "Alright, that makes a lot of sense. Anyway, we''ll see you all later. I''ve apparently got a hectic day ahead of me," he said as he left the counter unmanned.


    "Where to next, gang?" She asked, turning to her companions who had let her handle the negotiating with the muscle angel, as Bait had called him.


    "The Bakery, of course! We need some treats if we''re having a party, right?" Naya asked rhetorically.


    "She''s not wrong," Mavec said.


    The group departed, Naya took the lead this time toward the bakery. She entered first. Echo stayed outside, leaning through the windows. Naya laughed as she glanced outside to see Echo''s head nestled into a flower planter filled with irises. Bandar manned the counter once more as someone else shuffled behind him doing some cleaning.


    "Welcome back, little miss. These some of your friends you talked about last time?" he asked.


    "Yes, they are; thank you so much for last time''s sampler. We''re going to be hosting a party tonight! You''re very much invited, and we''d like to purchase some stuff from you today for it. Illaria, how much gold do we have to spend?" she called back over her shoulder.


    Illaria stepped forward and placed a single coin into her palm. "We''ll take as much as possible for one of these," Naya said as she placed the single platinum onto the counter.


    His eyes went wide. "Usually, I don''t deal in coins this valuable. A gold piece alone buys you one of those samplers I gave you last time. This''ll get you ten times that... And considering the number of items I have ready... you''ll wipe out most of my shop for the day. Do you just want deserts, or do you want some loaves of bread too?" he asked before he stepped out from behind the counter, opened the front door, and flipped the open sign around to closed.


    "We''ve got the tavern down the road supplying most of the food. Mostly desserts sound like a good bet to me," Illaria stated.


    "Toss in a few loaves of fine bread, though! The tavern''s bread can''t hold a candle to the baker''s bread," Mavec said.


    "Sounds good, but what time would you like us over there?" The baker asked.


    "I believe we were planning for around sunset," Naya stated. "What else do we even need, guys?"


    "Torches," Mavec replied. "We''re going to need to have some small fires going and have torches; make sure we have some good light to party to."


    "Music, we''ve got to find someone to play for us for a few hours at least," Illaria chimed in as she practically bounced with the thought.


    "That shouldn''t be too hard; once the rumors of this little get-together start flying, it shouldn''t be too long until you get someone showing up offering to play it, I''m sure. Lots of hungry bards in this town, all looking for their opportunity to shine," the baker said.


    "Any reason for that? Is Sha-Laial known as a good launching point for bards?" Mavec asked.


    "Most would like to play in the concert houses of Ac-Aziza someday; good luck getting booked at any Ac if you don''t even have a reputation filling taverns in a Sha," the baker replied.


    "Alright, so it''s more any Sha will do," Mavec said, nodding.


    "And Sha-Laial is just well situated." The man said. "We''ll have this delivered in time. My family and I will gladly attend for at least a bit. The young ones have a strict bedtime."


    "Alright, we''ll be running along then. We''ve still got to go invite everyone at the boarding house!" Naya said, heading for the door.


    "Hey, is Ij supposed to be going into your place? I saw him sneaking in the side door when I was closing shop last night," asked the baker.


    "Whose Ij?" Mavec asked.


    "He''s one of the kids who lives in the boarding house. He''s near your age, a painter of some sort. Can''t say I''ve really looked at his wares too much. I only see his work when he puts them out during festivals, and he always seems glum to be painting portraits of nobles."


    "We haven''t even met him, so he doesn''t have permission," Mavec said, annoyance touching his voice.


    "Well, he lives at the boarding house; maybe you should chat with him before he sneaks in again," said the baker.


    "Oh, we will. We Will." Mavec said before he stormed out the door and stomped towards the boarding house. He knocked on the door loudly until someone finally opened it.


    Edis looked out the door. "Ah, Marlvec, how can I help?"


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    "It''s Mavec, but anyway, we need to speak with someone who lives here. Names Ij," he said, as he jammed his hand on the door so that it couldn''t be quickly slammed shut on him.


    "We also want to invite you to a block party tonight!" Naya shouted from behind him.


    "Alvec got it in his head to throw together a celebration to commemorate our official moving into the tower," Illaria added.


    "Oh, that sounds lovely; Nora and I will surely attend!" Edis said.


    "Anyway, where is this Ij fellow?" Mavec demanded again.


    "He''s going to be the third door on the right. Come on in," Edis said.


    Mavec pushed the door open and slid past Edis, walked down to the indicated door and pounded on it repeatedly. "Ij, you open up right now, you rat bastard; we need to talk about your sneaking into our house!"


    Muffled sounds came from inside the room, but no actual reply. Naya and Echo, still outside, saw a tall, thin young man with stylish black hair pulling a shirt over his head as he climbed out the boarding house window.


    "Echo. Fetch, but be easy," she said as the man ran for the street. The wolf sprung into action, sprinting towards the young man. He barreled into his legs, taking the boy down. He tumbled hard onto the grass and a moment later found a wolf''s paw pressed against his chest as it patiently sat beside him.


    "Would you happen to be Ij?" Illaria asked as she approached him with Naya in tow.


    "Are you death?" he asked, looking up at them both.


    "Why do you ask that?" Naya asked.


    "I just got attacked by a wolf, and now I see two heavenly women. I''m pretty sure I''m dead, and you''re here to shuffle my soul to wherever it will rest for all eternity. May Sarosa forgive me for never realizing my visions."


    "Oh, hush now, you''re going to live. Echo didn''t even use his teeth," Naya said.


    "Now, what have you been doing sneaking into our courtyard at night?" Illaria asked.


    More banging came from inside the house as Mavec continued to wail on the door. Naya cupped her hands over her mouth, making a funnel. "Mavec, we got him; he ran out the window when you started shouting!"


    "Good, keep him there!" Mavec stormed back outside, quickly joining the two girls. "So, the baker tells us he''s seen you sneaking into our property. What have you been doing there?"


    "Whoa, you guys own the Six Strengths compound. Neat." Ij said as he went limp, accepting that there was no point trying to even sit up while Echo had a solid paw on him.


    "Hey, we asked a question; you going to answer?" Mavec asked again.


    "Well, first, I tried to enter the tower, and WOAH, it was crazy. I''ve never felt so alive, man. That fear was just so primal, so visceral, reds and blacks and whites all swirling around in my eyes. So much sorrow and despair, mind green, cobalt blue... I had to paint it. So I brought my easel in the next night and subjected myself to it repeatedly until I just KNEW what I needed to paint. It was just so true; it didn''t feel fake at all. Like I''d captured a snapshot of the essence of death and fear it evokes in the living. Like the moment transcending, both stretched taut over my canvas and stained so many shades of red. Ahhh, if I could only paint like that all the time," he said as he stared up into the sky.


    Mavec stared down at him. This man was very nearly his antithesis. All this talk of the essence of death and whatever mumbo jumbo he was on about didn''t concern him. It would, however, be an excellent chance to exploit the situation. "You do anything else while you were there, or was it just painting?" Mavec asked.


    "I played with the colony of cats that lives there, and have you checked out that hot spring? Divine."


    "Wait, there''s a colony of cats there? Why haven''t we seen them yet?" Mavec asked.


    "I bet it''s Echo''s fault. Cats aren''t exactly known for enjoying dogs. I can''t imagine them possibly enjoying the company of a full-on wolf," Illaria stated.


    "I can try to track them down without Echo when we return. If they mouse for us, that wouldn''t be such a bad thing," Naya said.


    "What''s this about the hot spring being divine, though?" Illaria asked.


    "Well, it''s like water, but like the essence of water," said Ij. "It''s all strangely dense, and if you hop into it, it feels like it''s compressing you lightly. It''s really cool; it almost feels like a massage. You should all try it out soon. Can''t recommend it enough."


    "Alright, well, if you want to paint and use our hot spring, you''ll have to pay for it. We want a cut of anything you sell inspired by our house."


    "Eh," said Ij with a shrug. "That''s a bad business call. No one wants REAL art. Most people want portraits or derivative stuff. Nothing new, nothing exciting. People are painted to look better than they actually are as quickly as they can get one. How about this? I''ll give you guys some gold whenever the next festival is. I''m hearing rumors that they''re going to hold a Festival of Blades here. I''ll be rolling in business then."


    "A Festival of Blades?" Naya asked.


    "It''s a tournament held in big cities," Illaria supplied. "Sometimes nobles use it to bring in visitors, settle disputes, et cetera. Only happens if the city has money to spend on such a lavish event,"


    "They were going to hold one a few years ago, but there was a flood, and it did a lot of damage to the docks," the painter on the ground added. "The city had to repair it to get everything running at full speed again. Cost so much that they scrapped the festival, but nothing has gone wrong this year, so we''re all hoping we''ll hear about it any time now. I''ll give you 10% if you let me come in and do my work."


    "Make it 20," Illaria responded.


    "This is where most of my money this year will come from. I can''t give you more than 10%. I''ll be suffering enough for my art, eating that cost as is."


    Illaria glanced down and had to agree with the mans assessment. His clothing was stained with coffee, and he looked like he didn''t bathe nearly often enough. Thin as a rail to boot. "Ten percent, and a free painting," Illaria insisted.


    "We have a deal... so uh, could you have this terrifying wolf get off my chest?" Ij asked.


    "Let him go, Echo," Naya said, motioning for him to join her. The wolf immediately followed her command and let him get up.


    "Alright, pleasure doing business with you. Now, do us one more favor and tell everyone else we''re holding a block party here tonight," Mavec said.


    "Alright, alright. I''ll let Edis and Nora know, and it will be taken care of. Maybe I can paint a scene of it... he mused as he walked back around the building.


    "Why is he going that way?" Naya asked. He paused for a moment.


    "When I lept out of my window, I may not have grabbed my key, so the doors remain locked. I probably should have thought to grab more than my shirt." He waved goodbye and disappeared around the side of the building.


    "What a strange fellow," Naya said. "He was strange, right?"


    "Oh yes, he rightly was," Illaria confirmed.


    "Artists," Mavec said as they regrouped and continued to hand out invitations to the coming party. They stopped by a shop and exchanged the remaining platinum pieces for gold coins. Some of which Mavec took for himself for a "secret" project he refused to share with the girls. The rest went to Illaria, who booked a few different musicians to perform live for them. Between buying appropriate lighting, the remaining coin was quickly spent. Mavec, upon returning home, retreated into his room with haste, leaving Illaria and Naya to begin setting up where to put the torches and candles. It turned out that the property had plenty of tables they could drag out with Echo''s help to set up for the party. It was all coming together.


    Bait: The tower


    Bait had done everything in his power to make the room his. Several empty jugs of water lay beside him. He had done it; others would have said it was impossible, but he had done it. He had ur-in-ate-d in every possible inch of his room. It stunk, just like a good den should. Now, now all he needed to do was further enhance the natural musk of his room. He needed fur, and bedding, stuff to curl up on and retain his scent. Bait no able to gunsmith in a good goblin room, but dat was ok. They had other clean buildings to house the black powder he would need to make his alchemical cartridges. He would have loved to do his gunsmithing or cheese smithing here, but Illaria insisted that he do both things in clean places. Especially if he wanted anyone to try the cheese. While Bait want to eat cheese, he did hunger to share cheese with Empire. Cheese one of few things that make cividzation worth participating.


    No cheese or no boom booms? No Goblins. Ok, maybe Gobo''s enjoy some other things. Alcohol big hit with Goblins, but have to put up with things like baths, and smelling clean. He grimaced at the thought. Bait not bathe since last time Illaria made him. That was many moons ago now. It would be many moons more if Bait could get away with it. How else would things stick to Bait? It was important Goblin skill, unique skill, keep things on skin even with no rope or other tools. Mean cheese knives could cling even if Bait no have clothing or pockets, or rope.


    Goblins never unarmed if goblin sticky. His task complete, Bait left his room and prepared to dirty up the other spaces he planned to occupy. As he descended the stairs, he noticed he was not moving alone. A red fox was creeping behind him. Alvec''s pet fox. No good; it could do voodoo magics and tell Alvec about Bait''s plan to sanctify the kitchen and common room. Too risky, Bait have to abandon plan. Fix up kitchen and living room later. Bait need drink more water anyway, reserves empty. What could Bait do instead? Bait need fur, lots of fur to make den good. Many cats living on property. Others not find them yet. Bait could catch them... kill them, skin them. Cure their hides and make den full of fur. Bait could do it... but Bait could do many things he wouldn''t do. Cat idea dumb, new plan... steal their fur. He could use this thing called a brush. It pull out hair, and leave cat alive. Bait get cat fur, cat get to live; good solution.


    Cat small dough, maybe find bigger animal? Sheep haves soft fur; maybe Bait go find sheep instead and cut their fur. Too many options of where to get fur. Where Bait even find sheep dough? Ask dumb nay-bores? Plan have too many steps, back to combing cats. He snuck outside the tower creeping around until he saw his first victim, a tuxedo cat. He tiptoed as goblin quiet as he could till he was nearly upon the poor cat. Bait soared through the air, pouncing onto the poor thing, brush in hand. He pinned it to the ground with a tiny green hand and started to comb it viciously, harvesting its precious fur as he did so. Getting a small tuft of fur from the hissing and squirming creature took several minutes. Bah, dis no work fast enough. He''d need a whole army of goblins to wrangle enough cats to harvest their fur. He released the cat, which bolted away from him. Bait had new idea head towards the marketplace. Much faster to acquire fleece. Maybe with sticky hands.

 24: Establish Dominance

    Rem and Jinx


    The two animals approached the stables together. This was home now, which meant setting some boundaries with the current inhabitants. If this went badly, they would be coming back here with Echo. Jinx didn''t want to chase them away. There was no reason for any hostilities between herself and the other cats.


    "Are you sure we shouldn''t be running them off? It wouldn''t take me long to go fetch Echo," Remington said as he puffed out his chest.


    "For the last time, no. We can coexist," said Jinx. "They just have to stay out of the tower and not attack me. I don''t mind them roaming around anywhere else."


    "You think it will be difficult to convince them?" Rem asked.


    Rem overthought like the humans. He was three paws into their world, only one connected him to his origin. "No. Things could get tense for a minute, but follow my lead. There will be lots of posturing." Jinx snuck through the cracked board in the wall, and Rem squeezed in afterward. The room was dimly lit despite the mid-day sun raining down small beams of light where the roof boards were poorly spaced. A black and white cat stood in the middle of a circle of other cats. There must have been a good twenty or thirty of them in total.


    "I''m telling you, the small green one is dangerous!" one cat said. "He kidnapped me and began doing something strange to me. Look at my fur! I say we declare him an enemy and attack on sight!"


    "He just described Bait, didn''t he?" Rem asked.


    "Almost certainly." Jinx took the lead, pulling in front of Rem and stomping up to where the other cat was.


    It hissed at her immediately. "Who are you?! I''m telling a story here; back off." He said, with a raised paw claw extended. Rem yipped, startling the cat away from Jinx.


    "I hate when you do that, Rem; I wasn''t much more prepared than he was," Jinx said as she slowly relaxed her posture. "I''d like to speak to whoever runs this colony," Jinx said firmly.


    A large fat orange tabby wandered forward. "I am the magnificent tiger of the sunstone," he said as he stood before them. He was large enough that he nearly rivaled Rem in size. "You trespass in my lands. Leave now."


    "I''m afraid it won''t be that easy. We live here now. So let''s set some ground rules, or else the Goblin, that''s the name for those short green things, will be told he''s allowed to do what he wants with you. That will likely include hunting and eating you. We''re off limits, though, so it''s no skin off my back if you get on their bad sides. Hell, maybe they''ll let the large dog snack on you? He''s feral, you know; they call him a wolf. It''s like a dog but meaner. Do you really want to be dealing with that without our help?" Jinx asked, playing on their fears.


    "Old Nath won''t ever let anyone in. Your stay will be short-lived."


    "The ghost Nath has already been dealt with. They''re holding a party tonight to celebrate their official moving into the tower," Rem nodded in agreement with Jinx.


    "Bah, that can''t be," Tiger of the Sunstone said.


    "Ask your kin. Surely, they''ve seen us venture into the tower."


    There were whispers amongst the other cats for a moment. "What are your terms?" The orange Tabby asked, having confirmed the story with his own people.


    "Simple," said Jinx. "Do not attack the humans; let them pet you. It''s when they brush their hands against you. Perhaps even allow them to hold you. Do these things, and I am sure the one named Naya will go out of her way to provide you with food. She has already spoiled me with fish at each stop along the way. I expect you will be rewarded for doing nothing more than being friendly."


    "Are we allowed to run away and hide from them?" One of the cats asked.


    "You may keep as much distance from them as you please," Jinx said.


    "Will the gargoyles still honor the accord?"


    "Wait, what?" Rem asked.


    "The gargoyles atop the tower. They do not attack us so long as we clean up their kills. They mostly eat goats, and we hide the bones so no humans discover them."


    "Our masters will negotiate with them shortly. We will remind them that you are to be off limits," Jinx assured them. "You can communicate that, right, Rem?"


    The fox nodded its head in agreement. "I can, but I think I must start on it soon. Without thumbs, it is difficult to make it work."


    "Are there any other surprises we should know about?" Jinx asked.


    "The hot spring, it''s strange. One of our tribe fell into it once, and rather than drown, it pushed them up out onto the side of the pool. The water seems to be alive."


    "Thank you. May this be the beginning of a long and peaceful coexistence," Jinx said and lowered herself in a pseudo bow. The two animals made their exit together quickly. Just in time to see Bait returning.


    He was carrying a bunch of fleece in his arms; it was a pile honestly bigger than himself. He brought it all to his room. Rem could smell his room even from here and hated it. Hopefully, master Alvec would devise some sort of solution. That or Master Mavec. Rem could imagine either of them coming up with a solution to the stinky room.


    Rem dashed into the tower, finding the room Alvec had chosen. Raiding his supplies was easy. The problem was opening the ink bottle. Perhaps he should ask for a wand of mage hand. While he still struggled to operate wands, he could do it sometimes, and that was more than enough for a situation like this. Eventually, he was able to pry the cap off the ink bottle. Once he had a scrap piece of parchment weighted down so it wouldn''t roll up, he went to work. He dipped a paw into the ink and drew a crude tower and the statues on top. He added an arrow pointing to them, and the word gargoyle. He wasn''t sure he spelled it right, but it would be enough for Alvec; he was smart and could piece it all together. He also added a small drawing of the hot spring with the word alive and a big question mark.


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    Just because Rem didn''t know what was happening didn''t mean he shouldn''t guess at it. He left the note where Alvec would find it in the common room, where Rem curled up with it just to be sure.


    The Party


    Mavec rushed into the room that would be the lab with a handful of ingredients. If he would have to participate in this party, the least he could do was make sure it was as entertaining as possible in a uniquely Mavec way. Alvec, or maybe even Bait, could have devised something like this. Bait''s would be bigger but not nearly as elegant. Alvec''s would be similar, but the ignition mechanism would almost certainly be manual. It would work, but it wouldn''t have the precision of the clockwork ignition he was whipping up. These wouldn''t be ordinary fireworks. No, Mavec would give the block a light show like nothing they had seen before. With delays in the releases and vibrant colors, no one but a trained scholar like himself would know how to mix up these fantastic colors. First, brilliant golds; as they faded, the next launcher would blast out a blue light, then a red that would shimmer rather than explode. It was all crystal clear in his head, and the variable clockwork could be set off with a simple switch so long as he pre-wound it. Much to Mavec''s own surprise, the alchemy part of this project came together faster than the clockwork. The reason thankfully revealed itself before too long; one of the cogs he was using was bent in such a way as to throw off the timing of the ignition. Replacing the single cog was enough to ignite exactly when Mavec wanted it to. This light show would be the talk of the town.


    *******


    Alvec arrived to find Rem sleeping on top of a piece of parchment. He walked over, snuck his hand under Rem''s chin, and scratched him briefly. The fox lazily stretched out and rolled off from the parchment. He tapped at it with his paws repeatedly while making eye contact with his master. Alvec read the paper and was a bit confused and alarmed by it. The first part was clear enough. The gargoyles at the top of the tower were real. The second bit, which confused Alvec far more, was that the hot spring was "alive?" which left an awful lot of strange and horrifying possibilities. He''d have to discuss it with Mavec later. Maybe they''d need to head back to the academy and ask around.


    He quickly cast his array of defensive spells on himself and strolled back into the courtyard. Who could say how well talking with Gargoyles would go. He got within sight of them and reached out with his magic. "Hello there, Gargoyles. I''d like to talk." He pushed out with magic. He felt a presence at the edge of his perception. It was rigid and slow to respond.


    "Hello," it replied. "You are the masters of this house?"


    "Yes, this is ours now. You have lived here?" Alvec asked.


    "Yes, this is home," said the Gargoyle. "We hunt at night and sleep here during the day."


    "What type of things do you hunt?" Alvec asked.


    "Small game in the forests and fields around Sha-Laial. Sometimes, we take goats and the like."


    "But not humanoids?"


    "No, nor dogs or cats," the Gargoyle said with the barest shake of its head. "Humanoids are very fond of their canine and feline companions. To eat them would quickly earn their ire and assure our deaths. Even if it would take them a while to find us."


    "Where are you from?" Alvec asked.


    "Our grandfathers came here from the Stony Domain. They were employed during the great wars."


    "Would you like me to return you to the facet earth? I can''t do it immediately, but I could work on it." Alvec said.


    "No, this is our home. We have known nothing more than the sun and sky of this world. We have no home in the Stony domain."


    "Alright, that makes sense."


    "Will you keep our secret and allow us to continue existing here?"


    "On some conditions," Alvec replied.


    "State your terms, master wizard."


    "You stick to your hunting guidelines. No humanoids, no cats, no canines. Additionally, you help keep this place safe. Watch over it during the day and report on anything strange. Those are my only terms."


    "Your terms are agreeable. We do not mind keeping an eye on the place."


    "Oh, hey, do you know anything about the hot spring? My fox, who is also off limits for eating, said something about it being alive." There was a moment of silence before the voice pushed back.


    "I do not know if it is alive, but I have seen that it has pushed several cats who had fallen into it free. I have not seen it move in such a way to indicate any intellect, however."


    "Thank you for your time."


    "You are most welcome, master wizard." Alvec went back inside. Knowing that the gargoyles were safe enough, he wasn''t all that concerned about them. He was glad they hadn''t decided to fight him. It would have been a shame to slay them after they had lived for generations here. He tapped his boots. Silently grateful that he''d chosen to craft these as one of his first items. They minimized fall damage. So, even being dropped from the top of the tower wouldn''t have been fatal.


    *****


    With everything arranged, Illaria was already busy working on the next project. While the rooms were reasonably clean, their furnishings were sparse. They''d need new beds for sure, at the least. She''d already contacted a merchant and a contractor who could install bathrooms into the tower. All that remained was seeing which members wanted to upgrade their rooms and collect the gold. Unsurprisingly, everyone but Bait opted to add a bathroom to their chambers. As far as Bait was concerned, his chamber was the bathroom. God''s above and below. She hated that. All said and done, it would run over a thousand gold a piece to update the tower, but it was very affordable for the group. She collected the funds and went about town, placing the orders.


    It was bittersweet to be doing this sort of purchasing. It reminded her of a quieter time in her life. Where she was as versed in going over spreadsheets as she was in swordplay, where the minutia of trade and taxes were not lost to her. Nowadays, though, her world demands a different set of skills. Her blade needed to be keen, and her instincts equally as sharp. After all these years of searching, she''d barely heard a whisper of what had happened to her folks. It was disheartening. But she wouldn''t dwell on that fact tonight. Tonight, she would celebrate and continue to forge strong bonds she could call upon to help her the day she finally found any information on what Crowley had done with them.


    She was sure they weren''t dead. Cutthroat Crowley hadn''t gotten to be the thorn in the Blue Banner''s side by being dumb. He was ruthless and cutthroat. Calculating and scheming. He struck when he knew he would win and utilized his resources well. There was no way he''d just dispose of them. The best bet was that they had been sold into slavery somewhere in the neighboring kingdoms. Slavery was outlawed here, but other parts of the world weren''t as lovely as the Empire. Ageneon was a very fair ruler. Perhaps she would stay with this group for a while. Maybe they could use their arcane spells to track them down. Or, if not that, she''d earn enough gold to buy the services of the academy of Sha-Laial. Perhaps someone there would be able to send her in the right direction. For now, she''d wait to return to the sea.

 25: Block Party, All Invited

    The sun getting low in the sky signaled that it was time for the torches to be lit and the celebration to begin. The muscle angel and his crew of part-timers had finished setting up the main food table, several kegs of alcohol, and several other tables in both the courtyard of the property and on the street outside. The doors were now fully opened. The rope, which had held taut despite all best efforts, had gone slack when the funeral urn had been returned. It made sense that Nath had been responsible for that as well. It was the main gate; holding it shut made sense since he wanted to keep people out of his resting place.


    The denizens of Scythefell Street were incredibly varied. So much so that Alvec quickly found that he wasn''t the only Tiefling on the street, which made him feel much better. Had this property been located east of the river, the gang would have had a much harder time blending in with the upper crust of society. None, but perhaps Illaria could have blended into that life. There were, however, no other Goblins. He knew they were nomadic, at least partially, but he still thought he''d see the occasional Goblin.


    Alvec wasted little time introducing himself to the other tieflings on scythefell street. A young couple from further down the road, closer to the church, consisted of a seamstress, a dock worker, and their two young children. Their skin colors were far more exotic than Alvec''s. The man named Kranir was a lovely shade of purple, not unlike amethyst, and his wife Sienna was a vibrant shade of orange citrine. Their horns were also different than his own. Kranir had a single black horn that jutted straight out of his skull.


    "Neither of you has perhaps met another Tiefling by the name of Tyir, have you?" Alvec asked. The couple shook their heads no.


    "Should we have?" Kranir asked.


    "Not particularly," Alvec said.


    "Is this Tyir, someone important to you?" Sienna asked.


    "No, just trying to do right by the dead," Alvec replied.


    "Care to explain?" Kranir asked. Alvec did so, leaving out the oddities of the case. Ignoring the journal altogether and subbing in a bear as the vicious monster that did the traveler in.


    "Traveling on their own alone and strong enough to at least hold a bear off, you say? Sounds like a sentinel to me," Kranir said.


    "Oh?" Alvec asked, encouraging him to tell them more.


    "They say they report directly to Ageneon himself. Rumor has it a few of them were recruited from the Banners," Kranir said.


    "Some are sent around just to see how the countryside is doing. They say Cellocht thought up the idea, so I wouldn''t be surprised if a few traveling bards reported to Ageneon." The three of them talked a little more about Sha-Lial. A few local Tiefling-run businesses were recommended to Alvec. After a while, he politely excused himself to continue mingling with the crowds.


    The residents of the boarding house next door had joined in early. Edis, in particular, was making the rounds; his wife Nora had found a quiet spot and taken a chair there. Praha mainly stood apart from the rest of the group in her academy uniform. Ij mingled with anyone who would listen to him. Alvec found his fashion sense was a little questionable. He wore bright pink pants and a partially buttoned-up cream-colored shirt with oversized flowing sleeves. He spoke the way Alvec saw some wizards cast, with big sweeping hand motions.


    Sarbie and Hoc arrived a bit later, still in their regular outfits. Sarbie had clearly put a little effort into dolling up her hair. Hoc, however, looked as if he had fought with the wood stain and lost; his clothing splattered with stains. Alvec flitted through the crowd, introducing himself to everyone. He spent a little extra time with the Tieflings of Scythefell Street.


    Mavec had acquired a small plate of food and some mild drink. It was still a bit too soon to enact his master plan. People were still arriving, and it wasn''t quite dark enough. Instead, he made a bee-line to Praha, who seemed annoyed to be here. "Hey, glad to see you."


    She nodded at him. "Edis insisted we all come. I don''t have any formal wear, so I figured the academy''s outfit would be best. Seems like I''d have been out of place if I had worn anything fancier. Nora tried to insist I wear a dress; boy, am I glad I said no to that."


    "Yeah, we didn''t want to restrict people on what to wear. This is a block party, not an opulent ball hosted by the Emperor," Mavec replied.


    "Good, I wouldn''t really fit in."


    "Enjoying the music?" He asked, trying to shift the subject.


    "It''s nice enough. The only problem is Ij trying to make small talk. I can''t stand the way he speaks. If I have to hear one more complaint about how people don''t really ''Get'' art," she paused to scrunch her nose at the words. "I think I''ll throw a drink at him."


    "Ya know, I''d let you. I''ve talked with him once, and my brain''s felt like they might just ooze out of my skull," said Mavec


    "He has that effect on people," sighed Praha. "At least on any smart people. Edis and Nora are just smitten with him. They indulge his rants and snobbery as if he''s some expert. You want to know the most frustrating part?"


    "Oh?" Mavec asked between a quick sip of his ale.


    "His paintings, they''re actually good," she said, with a defeated sigh. "Both his abstract work and his portraits and landscapes. All of them are good. He wouldn''t be so insufferable if he''d just shut up about essences and derivatives."


    "Want to see a different type of art?" Mavec asked.


    "If that''s a pickup line, it''s the worst I''ve ever heard," she said, laughing a bit.


    "No, no. I''ve been planning a little surprise for tonight. I reckon it''s dark enough now." He pressed a brass key into her hand and waved for her to follow him. The pair headed into the courtyard, and Mavec climbed a ladder up to the roof of the open-air pavilion. Praha followed behind, a bit hesitant. She arrived on the roof and found many tubes resting on wooden poles. She had seen this up close only once before. Fireworks. Better yet, and no doubt what he had been talking about, was the clockwork contraption beneath it with an apparent keyhole ready and waiting to be wound up. A closer look revealed a series of timed burners prepared to ignite when the key was turned. "Told you, a work of art," Mavec said. "You want to do the honors?" He asked, pointing towards the keyhole.


    "I''d love to," she said as she knelt down and inserted the key he had handed her a few moments ago. She gave it a few cranks, and the clockwork mechanism began to flare to life. As the gears spun around, they slowly ignited the first fireworks.


    The first one to launch into the sky was a brilliant red illuminating the street as it went off with a thunderous bang. A few cogs later, the second ignition flared into life; just as the first red was about to fade, a shimmering explosion of gold lit up the sky. Each time the colored light began to fade, a new rocket was already in the air, bathing the street in a new, vibrant color.


    "This is the best part," Mavec said as several fuses lit simultaneously. Each launched off and exploded at almost the same time. Minor calculations had made it so that they were going off within seconds of each other, creating a dazzling final display of lights and sound over the sky.


    "Alright, you''re right; this is art," Praha admitted. The pair stayed up on the roof chatting for a while longer.


    Naya found herself walking through the crowd, her arms pulled tight to her side, a mug of ale clutched a bit too tight in her hands. A gruff voice called out to her from a little further ahead. The owner of the bakery, Bandar, was standing near the snacks. He wasn''t alone; a human woman nearly as plump as he was stood beside them. They both wore simple but sturdy clothing, and two children with pale green skin ran around them waving sparklers. Naya couldn''t help but smile. "Glad you made it!" She said as she stood right before them.


    "My wife insisted we be here. Something about it being a good opportunity to mingle with the community," he said as he smiled down at the red-haired woman with hair cut short close to her ears.


    "Funny, that''s not how I remember it, Bandar," the woman said, giving him a playful smile.


    "I''ll admit, I might have been a touch excited to see how you were doing and meet these friends of yours. They seem like fine enough folk. Alvec''s already introduced himself to us. I haven''t gotten to speak with the rest, but the Goblin and that Aasimar seem like a lively pair," Bandar said.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "They thank you for the samples. Bait loves anything with cheese in it. If you want him to be a regular customer, make sure to carry anything with cheese," Naya said.


    "And which ones did you like best?" the woman asked.


    "Honestly, the bread. As delicious as all of the sweets were. There''s just something that tastes like home in a nice rustic bread," Naya admitted.


    "Well, if you ever need a good home-cooked meal, maybe you can stop by some evening," Bandar suggested.


    "I couldn''t impose. Really," Naya said, waving her hands before her, nearly spilling her drink.


    "Dear, we''ve got two kids under the age of 12. You bring that wolf of yours, and I think we''ll have the quietest meal we''ve ever had," Bandar''s wife said.


    "Oh, we haven''t been properly introduced. I''m sure you already know, but I''m Naya, and your name is?" Naya asked, her face flushing red with embarrassment. This woman had been talking with her so casually, and she''d forgotten to ask her name.


    "Ella," She replied, extending a hand to Naya enthusiastically. Naya returned the shake nervously.


    "Alright, I''ll be sure to stop by sometime," she agreed. The three of them spoke for a little while longer before Naya was called away.


    Eventually, Bait and Naya found themselves in front of the beer kegs. As promised, the muscle angel had brought them a beer brewed with cheese, a specialty of Ben''s from just over in Archer''s Market. They had already had a glass each, and Naya was rallying everyone to join her in a drinking contest. "Come on, it''ll be fun; let''s see who can drink the most!" She shouted.


    "Only if we use Cheese beer!" Bait shouted back to her.


    "Oh, you young whipper snappers, I''ll drink you both under the table. I used to be part of the Green Banner army, you know, and we sure could hold our liquor," Edis said while gently elbowing them.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll referee this," Illaria said as she approached the table. "Ladies, gentlemen, and Goblins. All those who want to participate, get over here and grab a mug." Illaria said, letting her voice boom over the crowd. Hoc walked forward, only for Sarbie to tap him on the shoulder and shake her head no. The boy looked disappointed but solemnly nodded his head in agreement. With all three contestants armed with a mug of cheese beer, Illaria signaled for them to begin. All three downed their beers with enthusiasm.


    "Dis so good! Ben truly is cheese master!" Bait cried out. Naya and Edis didn''t share Bait''s devotion to Ben, but both easily emptied their mugs. There was a brief intermission while Illaria and Alvec filled up the next round of cheese beer for the three contestants to down.


    There were murmurs through the crowd. "This can''t end in anything but disaster, can it?" someone asked.


    "Sure, but it will be a fun wreck to watch." Another partygoer replied.


    The second round of beers was placed in front of the crowd, and Illaria signaled for them to drink again. Moments later, all the beer was drained from the mugs. Two beers deep, each of them was still raring and ready to go. Another round, and then another, left Naya and Bait both struggling. They tangoed with their pride and refused to concede, while Edis still took it like a champ. The fifth round of beer was placed in front of them. For Naya, this was a simple matter of pride; she couldn''t admit defeat like this. No. She was a fighter; she had to be built of sterner stuff.


    For Bait, it was more about the desire for more. Bait always wants more, more cheese, more beer, more cheese beer. It was the way of the world. Why should Bait''s stomach object to more when he so badly wanted more? They both decided that it was worth doing one more drink. Both regretted it, tapping out immediately after the drink to lay down or vomit. Cheers rang through the crowd for Edis, who chugged another beer for good measure, standing up and flaunting that he had bested the two adventurers.


    Alvec left them to their own devices and moved over to Sarbie and Hoc near the live music. The band was composed of a hodgepodge of races. A tiefling with sapphire skin and silvery curled horns, unlike his own, was playing the violin. A dwarf was belting out a chant, and a couple of halflings played flutes to accompany it.


    He waved hello to both Hoc and Sarbie. "Pleasure to have you both here; we couldn''t have done any of this without your help," Alvec said, praising them.


    "No worries, it was the least we could do for you," Hoc said. "I mean, I had a blast talking with a ghost and then seeing him have his funeral urn restored. It was a good ending to a poor chapter in his unlife. I welcome the good we both brought into the world out of this. Our community is stronger for it."


    "I''m also glad I could help. It is a nice feeling so needed," Sarbie said, shaking her head in agreement.


    "Are you guys having fun?" Alvec asked.


    "Certainly. Did you see that fireworks display?! Holy shit that Mavec knows how to impress a crowd," Hoc said.


    "Yeah, caught me by surprise too. He didn''t tell me he was cooking up anything quite that exciting," Alvec admitted.


    The trio chatted while they enjoyed some snacks and the live music. Eventually, Sarbie indicated it was time to bow out, and Hoc went with her. The night wore on, with Illaria occasionally joined the band to belt out a new sea shanty. The event was a success, and most of the neighbors bowed out near the middle of the night. As the final round of people were exiting, there was another loud boom, this one more like a thunder crack than the fireworks from earlier. A wave of arcane energy rushed out over the mostly empty square. Alvec, having abstained from drinks, was alert enough to examine the spell. Teleportation, his eyes quickly traced to the road a few hundred feet away from himself.


    A devil that reminded him of a minotaur with wings bellowed loudly into the night air. It unsheathed a colossal battle ax and charged forward. Alvec thanked his lucky stars that the creature had spawned far enough away to give him a few moments to cast. He quickly donned his arcane armor. The ghostly blue chainmail wrapped around him, providing a light mystical glow that outshone the torches. "Hey, we''re celebrating here; if you could just be on your way, that would be great!" Alvec shouted in infernal. With two of his allies so drunk they could barely stand, this was not a fight that any of them wanted. Sure, Illaria, Mavec, and himself could probably handle one lone enemy... but it wasn''t a great scenario by any measure.


    Some of his neighbors who hadn''t managed to get to their houses screamed for guards. Standing over seven feet tall, the muscular devil charged forward again, swinging his ax at Alvec. A flash of steel intercepted the blow. Illaria moved in front of him, parrying the blade to the side and scoring a deep gouge into the monster. Naya stumbled to her feet and pulled free both scimitars. She wobbled a bit before she tried to dash forward. She lurched a few feet before she found herself clutching at one of the tables to stay upright. Bait wasn''t much better off than her. He got to his feet, his movements floaty and dramatic as he tried to compensate for how the world was spinning. He fired a shot that went horribly wide, blowing out a window in a neighboring house.


    "Guys, if you can''t stand, you can''t fight!" Alvec shouted.


    "What if Bait lay down? Then Bait shoot?" He asked as he belly-flopped onto the ground, maintaining a grip on his musket. From way up on the pavilion came a bolt of lightning which slammed square into the devil. Mavec was standing there, Praha still sitting beside him. "Let''s finish this quickly; we''ve still got non-combatants here!" Mavec shouted down to the group.


    "Believe you me, we''re trying as hard as we can," Illaria said as she swung at the creature again, scoring another good slice that sprayed Alvec with its ruddy blood. "Naya, perhaps Echo can lend a hand?"


    "Echo, protect Alvec," Naya muttered. Her loyal wolf obeyed; he lowered his head and growled before he charged in as she uttered the words of power, and he grew equally as large as the devil. He snapped at the beast''s legs forcing it off balance, which gave Alvec an opportunity The ram¡¯s horned teifling slammed his electric sheathed hand into its chest, sending another jolt of electricity through it.


    It roared and swung twice at Illaria. She deftly dodged out of the way of the first one and expertly parried the second before once more drawing blood. Despite its ferocity, fear was building behind its eyes. It hadn''t been able to land so much as a single swing on its prey, and they had been able to singe and slice him repeatedly. Thoughts of fleeing briefly entered its mind. It huffed air out of his nostrils and charged forward, slamming into Illaria. He pushed her clear out of the way. Echo tried to bite him but was a moment too slow. Alvec lashed out, drawing a dagger with his tail and tossing it to his open hand before slamming it into the fleeing devil. He buried the blade deep into the creature, who wrenched the dagger from Alvec''s grip and continued its charge forward, dagger still buried in its back.


    It thundered down the street, attempting to get away from them. Only to find that the red-haired Aasimar moved with the grace of her kin, the Azata, and the wolf, even enlarged by arcane magic, retained every ounce of speed and elegance of a deadly predator. There was no escape. Mavec scooped up Piccora, leaped off the building, and tried to keep running when he hit the ground, but he wasn''t so lucky. He twisted his ankle bad and stumbled forward, using the last of his momentum to give Piccora a light toss. The rabbit bolted into the road beside Alvec. Mavec once more channeled a lightning bolt from Piccora''s position. He trusted her to aim the magic and threw his arcane might behind it. The blue bolt dashed down the road, striking the creature again.


    After the last bolt finished coursing through him, it looked downright maimed. Echo finally bit into him, his fangs catching him this time. After a brief struggle, the wolf brought the beast crashing to the ground. Pinned by the ferocious wolf, it was too easy for Illaria to hammer down the final sword stroke, a thrust right between its eyes. Illaria let out a momentary sigh as she cleaned her blade. It was about half a minute later when the guards started arriving. Illaria, Alvec, and Mavec were there to meet them, standing over the corpse. There was nothing valuable on the creature, just his ax.


    No notes, marks, or indication of why it had arrived here. There wasn''t anything Alvec or Mavec could find magically that shed any light on the situation. The best guess is that he was subject to a teleportation spell, but whoever teleported them only knew roughly where they wanted the creature to go. A worrying thought, as it meant that its true destination might have been either in the outlying lands of Sha-Laial or perhaps even somewhere in Sha-Laial itself. This devil might have aimed for the Child of Akrixi in the swamp. Still, Alvec couldn''t imagine this thing being the sort to talk it out with the manifested spirit. No, whoever sent this thing meant it to be a foot soldier. A powerful one at that. Had Alvec, Illaria, and Mavec been drinking as much as the rest of the group... it might have killed them. If the monster had also appeared earlier in the night, many unprepared individuals would have been at risk. Alvec didn''t like the feel of this.


    "Hey, better us, right?" Mavec said before lighting up a cigarette while leaning over the corpse.


    "Excuse me, but we''d like to have you all return to your home''s courtyard. We''ll have some questions for you shortly." The first guard said as he ushered the trio back inside. Bait and Naya had managed to take up positions inside the compound.

 26: Writ of Arrest

    Alvec


    The guard had set up two positions, one down the street where the devil had been slain and one outside the compound. Alvec hated the silent implication of it. He''d have offered them his services in the investigation, but he was already keenly aware of how it would look if he pushed the matter further, especially being a Tiefling. They were already being considered possible conspirators based on the guard''s positions. Pushing to join the investigation would read to them as fear. Fear of what they might discover on their own.


    It was forty minutes before the guard marched into the square, spears at the ready. Fear dug it''s claws deep into Alvec when he saw who was with them. A soldier with a white cloak and shining silver chainmail strode in with them, face hidden behind a golden mask with an expressionless face on it.


    Someone had called in a Captain of the Gold Banner Army.


    Alvec took a deep breath, trying to center himself. They had done nothing wrong. He could prove that the strength of the magic used exceeded his current power to cast. Teleportation was 5th circle magic; Alvec had only recently learned to use the third circle. He''d learned a spell to speed himself and his comrades up, but that meant he was still far from being able to teleport. Granted, that didn''t rule out the usage of a scroll, a piece of parchment with the spell inscribed into it. Often, the ink would burn away as the magic inside was put to use, and sometimes, the whole thing would burn to ash. Either way, there wasn''t a spent scroll or any ashes just lying around in the area.


    "Everyone, line up," the Captain ordered, voice distorted by the mask.


    Alvec jumped down, letting the magic from his boots nearly nullify what might have been a hard landing for anyone else.


    "Come on now, what is this all about? We already have given our statements." Illaria asked as she and Bait fell into place.


    "We are investigating who summoned this devil. You will participate in our investigation," the Captain stated firmly.


    "So you think we did this?" Mavec asked. "We were the party hosts; why would we want to crash it?"


    "We don''t worry about motive, just the truth," The person in the mask said. Naya joined the lineup, still struggling to stand. "I will ask this only once. Did you summon this devil?" Divine power pulsed around them. It felt like chains wrapping around Alvec''s mind, locking up the parts of his psyche in charge of creativity and lying. He''d heard of this spell before, but it was his first time experiencing it. The Gold Banner Army didn''t have the right to Alvec''s mind. He pushed back against the sensation until he felt the chains snap. He made sure not to look too at ease lest the Captain take his fighting back for a non-answer. "No," he, Naya, and Mavec responded the same. The other two looked stiff and tense. Neither looked to have busted out of the spell.


    "Why would we be doing that?" Illaria asked. Shit, she''d broken the spell too.


    "Bait, hear screaming. Bait, grab musket. Bait, try to shoot devil." And so had Bait.


    "Understood. Guards take these two in for further questioning," the Captain said, pointing at Bait and Illaria.


    "Excuse me?" Mavec asked. "They''ve been with us all night, and the Goblins drunk off his ass. If Illaria was a spell caster, we''d have noticed by now."


    "Would you like to join them?" the Captain asked.


    "Where is the arrest warrant?" Mavec asked.


    "The writ of arrest is in my office."


    "You didn''t even bring it with you?" Mavec asked.


    "Now, step aside or be cuffed as well," he said as two pairs of handcuffs were brought forward.


    "This isn''t right or fair," Alvec said as he slid out of the way. "Where are you taking them?"


    "If we deem them innocent, you''ll know tomorrow."


    Alvec fought to keep his tongue in check; his words needed to be measured in response. He wouldn''t do them any good losing his temper.


    "They couldn''t have summoned it. I was with them all night; I''m an expert in my spellcraft, top of my class at Ot Najan..... I''ve been traveling with them for weeks now. If either was capable of such a feat, I''d have seen it by now."


    "If you are correct, then you needn''t worry," the Captain said before marching Bait and Illaria forward.


    "Arresting fellow armed services seems like a pretty shitty thing to do, you know," Illaria stated while walking with them, fully cooperating. Alvec wasn''t so sure if he could trust the man''s word. No, he knew that he couldn''t. The Gold Banner Army operated with near impunity. He only knew one man who had survived a run-in with the Gold Banner. Even though he had been forced into near exile, a life of servitude amongst the Blue Banner Army was the price of his dealings with the infernal. Iridel Reynore... Alvec''s no good rotten devil-fucking grandfather. The very one who had created this bastard branch of the Reynore family. He let out a deep sigh and waited for the guard to leave.


    "Why are we just standing here?" Naya asked. "We should be doing something," She pleaded. "They''re our friends." She barely took two steps forward before stumbling into Echo, who propped her up.


    "Oh, we will be. I''m off to the academy, Mavec; wake up our lawyers. See what, if any, legal recourse we have. Perhaps we can shift this out of their hands and into local jurisdiction." Alvec wasn''t counting on it. Not if half the rumors were true about them, but it was something they had to do. He rushed to the academy, trusting that Echo would keep Naya out of trouble. He was a reasonably intelligent wolf, and Naya was seriously unwell. Alvec ran till the blood in his chest felt like it was pounding in his ears. Almost no one was around at the academy at this late an hour, but small things like locked doors, arcane or otherwise, wouldn''t stop Alvec today.


    He found thankfully that the main door was open, and it took him only a few moments to find a lone-bored young man at the help desk. "Hello!" Alvec nearly shouted as he came running up to the man.


    "By Kushang, I''ll call the guard if you don''t turn back around," He said, reaching for a wand beside his desk. Alvec glanced down at the devil''s blood smeared all over his clothing. He pulled out his bronze badge and slammed it on the table.


    "Relax, it''s not my blood. I need to buy a scroll of sending. I have the gold for you," He hurriedly dumped his coin purse out on the counter and shifted a pile of one hundred coins aside.


    "Sir, it''s after hours. I''m not authorized to sell any scrolls. I don''t have the license for it. If you could return after eight Am. I''m sure they''d be delighted to help you."


    "Look. I''m buying a scroll of sending. If you can''t sell it to me, that''s fine. If you don''t have the keys, that''s fine. I''ve had a very long night, friend, and I can not wait till morning. So I''m going to leave the money here. You''re going to count it and verify that it is, in fact, enough to buy the scroll. Then I will let myself into the scroll room and break whatever arcane locks I need to. Take a single scroll, and be on my way. That way, you didn''t do anything wrong. Your bosses can''t be mad at you; a man covered in blood threw a sack of money at you and then helped himself. All while you pleaded for him to stop. Whoever comes in for the first shift can process the payment as they have the correct license. We have an understanding?"


    The man looked at the blood stains and back to Alvec''s face a few times. "Am I going to be a bloodstain if I say no?"


    "Look, I''m not going to threaten you, but I''m not taking back the coin either. So just look the other way; you''re not paid enough to deal with this shit," Alvec said as he went to the door. The arcane lock was the easy part; who needs to dispel magic when you can subtly subvert it, giving himself the permission required to open it. The more complicated part was the actual lock on the door. He didn''t have much time to deal with that, so he smashed a vial of alchemist fire into the wooden door frame. He then guided the goop to burn through the small bit of wood needed to pull the door free.


    With one good yank, the door was open, and Alvec was inside the scroll room, where he again found himself using Alchemist fire to eat away the wooden drawers. After he had what he needed, he mended everything back to perfect, locking up behind him again. It was like nothing had ever happened. A scroll bought in the dead of night was no less legal than one purchased in broad daylight. Alvec walked back into the hallway and powered up the spell. It may have been of a higher circle of magic than Alvec could normally power, but the scroll was doing the heavy lifting for him, so to speak. "To Iridel Reynore: Friends of mine are accused of summoning a Devil. I know for sure that they didn''t summon it. The Gold Banner has them. Assuming they are innocent, how safe are they?"


    A reply came, "I thought you were smarter than this Alvec. Just wait."


    "Oh fuck off," Alvec shouted at the spent spell scroll. He could entirely do without the lecture. "It''s called building a body of evidence, you short-sighted git." If they were watching Iridel and spying on Alvec even now, they would know exactly who was contacted and, better yet, what was said. Last Alvec knew, Iridel was near the coast, near Ac-Aziza. The distance was so long that it would be effortless for someone to splice into his transmission. Which was fine. He hadn''t asked anything damning. There wasn''t anything to damn. It was a simple communication, in which a scared kid, running up against something much bigger than himself, asked an adult he knew had come out the other side of dealing with them if his friends would be ok. As far as potential messages, it was a tame question.


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    However, he quickly concluded that the Gold Banner Army wasn''t just sketchy and abusive of their power... but also wildly incompetent. It would take no time to verify that Illaria couldn''t cast spells. Magic leaves a mark on you, arcane or divine. It''s a thin aura, but given even rudimentary analysis, which could have been done in the field, they should have been able to confirm that she wasn''t the one casting 5th-circle magic. The anger it inspired in him was deep, and he wasn''t entirely sure which aspect of this turn of events pissed him off the most. The incompetence was an extra insult to the injury of arresting his friends on charges easily disproved. For now, he''d have to just go back and get some sleep. If the Gold Banner didn''t reach out to them by morning, he''d take more direct measures. While it might not be possible to track the duo with magic, Alvec already had the beginning of a new transmutation spell in mind. If he could amplify Rem or Echo''s natural ability to track by scent, he was confident they could track down Bait.


    Mavec:Scythefell Street


    Mavec hammered on the door of Abul, Feng, and Krog in the dead of the night. Feng eventually answered the door. He was wearing a comfy pair of pajamas and bright purple slippers. His hair stood up at odd angles as if he''d lost a fight with his pillow. "Quick, let me in," Mavec said as he pushed into the entryway.


    "Dear boy, you do know what time it is, right?"


    "Two of our companions just got arrested by the Gold Banner Army. And can you believe it? He said the writ of arrest was in his office!" Mavec seethed. "Didn''t even bring it with him."


    "Slow down, slow down. What even happened?"


    "After you guys left, there was an incident," said Mavec, trying to calm himself. "A devil was summoned, maybe teleported is the better word, onto our street. We fought and killed it, and then the Gold fucking Banner Army showed up, compelled us to answer truthfully, and arrested Bait and Illaria."


    "How many years old are you in human? The halfling asked him.


    "Like twenty-two," Mavec responded.


    "Alright, let''s sit down. I''ll make us some tea. This might be a bit longer winded of an explanation than you had hoped for, Mavec, but I''ll do my best to bring you up to speed." Feng guided Mavec into the small kitchen, where he pointed him to Krog''s seat, which sat at an elevated position at the table. After a few minutes of futzing around in the kitchen, he presented Mavec with a cup of tea and sat beside him. "They call it Ardesian swamp tea; I assure you it''s quite good."


    Mavec took the cup and took a sip of it. It had a strange spicy taste he was unfamiliar with, but it was pleasant.


    "When he said the writ was his office, he didn''t mean that he had an actual writ or that it was in his office," Feng explained. "He meant that his position, his office, so to speak, gave him the right to arrest them. For better or worse, the Gold Banner Army has very little oversight. There is very little legal recourse if they decide to arrest or execute someone."


    "That is some bullshit," Mavec replied.


    "Perhaps, if I too had grown up during the calm of Ageneon''s reign, I might think it excessive," said Feng, taking a slow drink of his tea. "I was here for the Anarchy and Ageneon''s War. You have to understand, young sprout, back then, Devils were everywhere, and those who consorted with them were fairly adept at hiding it. To root them out, the Gold Banner Army needed near total authority and the ability to exercise their power without first going through due process. If they had, the devils would have escaped time and time again. They got a whiff of trouble and were in the wind."


    "Aren''t you worried about innocents getting caught up in it?" Mavec asked.


    "If I had not lived through both wars, I might feel similar to you. Perhaps in this day and age, they have overstayed their welcome. Back then, however, they were strictly necessary."


    "There had to have been better ways?" Mavec said.


    "I''m afraid not; they were in every shadow, willing to cut deals with anyone, and if you gave them even the slightest amount of time, they managed to escape. If we wanted to deal with the threat, there wasn''t much other choice. They had to be able to rush in and deal with whatever they found, free from consequences."


    "It''s pretty shitty," fumed Mavec


    "Perhaps. The tax inspector wasn''t Gold Banner, was he?" Feng asked.


    "No, just a regular civil servant."


    "Good," Feng nodded. "Because if so, it would be much harder to get the charges reversed if they had."


    "Alright, well, what do you recommend we do?" Mavec asked as he drained his cup.


    "Go get some sleep to start with," Feng said. "In the morning, they''ll hopefully reach out to you."


    "Thank you very much, Feng," Mavec said, standing up. "May I never need to darken your doorstep at three in the morning again?"


    "I sure hope not; I wish nothing but the best to you and your friends."


    Mavec took his exit, returning to the tower; he collapsed into a fitful sleep. Never thought he''d be so worried about the damn Goblin, that''s for sure.


    Bait and Illaria: Hidden jail


    The pair of Blue Banner soldiers were marched through the town in the dead of night. Eventually, arriving at a nondescript warehouse. They were quickly ushered in and shoved into holding cells behind iron bars. The guards took their armor and weapons, storing them nearby. "So what happens next?" Illaria asked.


    "I ask you as many questions as I feel necessary till I am sure you either did the summoning or didn''t," the Captain said.


    "My answer wasn''t a yes, you know that right?" Illaria asked. "I simply asked why you thought we might have done that? Why would we want to crash our own block party? Seems a might stupid to me if you don''t mind my saying so."


    "The most charitable reason is that you wished to advertise your prowess to your neighbors," said the Captain. "The least charitable reasons involve the defenses of Sha-Laial and important figures Devils might seek to corrupt, kill, and coerce in their own schemes."


    "Alright, I can almost see where you are coming from, but we didn''t summon them," Illaria stated.


    "You''re an Aasimar, correct?"


    "Yes, I am."


    "Your kind are hard to read," the Captain said. "Like your Tiefling companion, you naturally have some innate spellcasting ability. Even if you never refined it, I need to call in an expert to gauge if you could pull this creature from the shattered facet. The fact that you resisted my magic is a point against you, as one possibility is that you are stronger than you appear, which would indicate that you might be a conspirator after all. Granted, your goblin friend also defied my magic, so it is possible that you merely got lucky."


    "All of this is because I beat your spell and didn''t say no?" Illaria asked. "You lot really are as bad as the rumors say."


    "And what rumors do the Blue Banners tell of the Gold Banners?"


    "Dey say youse guys are parana-nnoid!" Bait said while he grabbed onto the bars and shook them lightly.


    "Don''t be minding my friend too much," said Illaria. "His grasp on common is tenuous at best. I do believe he meant to say you''re paranoid, which I happen to agree with."


    "If we''re going to spend all night together, I think there''s one more thing I need your companion to do." Magic flowed through the air and wrapped around Bait''s mind. He tried to slip and squirm out of it like before, but this time, he didn''t have the add-dren-al-aine from the fight to help him. The fog of the cheese beer was lifting, too. "Bathe,"


    "No! NO!" He screamed as the spell took root in his mind. Bait stood up and walked over to a water basin, verbally protesting the entire way. The magic was too strong, and he began to clean himself with soap and water. "You ruin Bait''s precious dirt skin. Help protect Bait from cuts!"


    "What did you do that for? That was just cruel and unusual." Illaria said.


    Another soldier arrived. He bore the chainmail and cloak of the Gold Banner Army but no mask. "We have a report to make on the other companions. Sir."


    "Go ahead," the Captain said, sitting at a small wooden table.


    "Alvec Reynore quasi-broke into the academy and borrowed a scroll of sending. He contacted Iridel Reynore. The contents of the message were simple. He insisted his friends were innocent and asked what, if anything, he could do. He was told to wait. Since then, he has returned back to the tower."


    "The other wizard?" asked the Captain.


    "Went to a lawyer''s house where they had a conversation for around a half hour. Scrying spells were successful. He was given little more than a history lesson from one of the lawyers about the reason for the Gold Banner''s existence. He has also returned home."


    "Their other companion?"


    "Has fallen asleep with her wolf," the soldier said. "Our men are not approaching her since she has made no effort to leave."


    "How long till our Diviner gets here?" asked the Captain.


    "No estimate as of yet, sir; this operation has occurred much later at night than any of us were expecting."


    "Might I be asking a question?" Illaria asked.


    "No," said the Captain. "You should just sit there and wait quietly."


    "Well, I was just curious: what does Quasi-breaking into the academy look like?" Illaria asked.


    "Actually, elaborate on that point, soldier," said the Captain.


    "He entered the academy. Tried to pay gold for a scroll. Was refused," the soldier said as he scanned the report. "So he handed the man behind the counter the correct amount of gold and then entered, damaging the locks and repairing them as he exited. As far as I can tell, the only real law broken is the sale of a scroll without a correct license. This would constitute a small fine as it was a non-violent misdemeanor."


    "He''s as hard-headed as those damn ram''s horns," Illaria said with a warm smile.


    "BAIT DOES NOT WANT TO BE CLEAN!" Bait wailed in the background. Outside of the minor update about their allies, nothing else happened until another person in a gold mask arrived. This one pulled a chair beside Illaria''s makeshift cell and looked intently at her.


    Illaria glanced over at the Captain. Their armor was identical to the newcomer, save an insignia of rank on the fold of the cloak. Even their voices sounded identical behind the mask.


    "No," said the Diviner. "No way she summoned it or used teleportation. Her arcane talent is limited to whatever she can do from her bloodline. She''s never spent the effort to develop it. Might have made a fine sorcerer, but that''s about it."


    "Alright, that''s good news for the two of you." The Captain said.


    "Do you want me to check the Goblin too?"


    "They pay us to be thorough. Please do," replied the Captain.


    "No worries, it''s like looking into an arcane black hole. Nothing going on with spellcasting at all," the Diviner confirmed.


    "Great, so when do we go home?" Illaria asked.


    "Oh, not till after we chat with your friends," said the Captain. "We''ll be seeing them early in the morning."


    Illaria sighed and did her best to get comfortable; it would be a long night despite proof that they were innocent.


    -


    B: The Gold Banner Army presented an interesting problem for me when the mid-game rolled around. It was one thing to have low-level players chasing around automatons on abandoned land or running into mysterious monsters on the road, but as the players got stronger the threats I needed to throw at them would need to be stronger too. Since I made Kian a peaceful, orderly place, it was hard to throw the usual D&D enemies at them. Marauding bands of Orcs and Dragons gathering a hoard would be threats addressed by the Empire¡¯s military, not a random band of adventurers. It forced me to think outside the box, the results of which you¡¯ll see in later chapters.

 27: Cats Paw

    The Party Sha-Laial


    Morning came quickly for the trio in the tower. Just after dawn, soldiers arrived to escort them to the same unmarked warehouse. They were unceremoniously ushered inside the building. It looked as if no one but Naya had slept at all. Alvec had a particularly crazed look in his eyes, Illaria noted. She could only speculate what spellcraft he had been up to the last few hours. There were chairs situated around the table now.


    "Take a seat," the Captain stated as they pointed to the chairs. Naya sat down while Mavec and Alvec glared at the man and remained standing.


    "No, thank you," Alvec replied. "So, have you concluded the innocence of our friends yet, or do I need to get a few professors from the academy to vouch for my analysis?"


    "That won''t be necessary. Our Diviner determined that they could not manifest the devil that attacked you. I have no reason to suspect any of you since you each answered my question directly and correctly."


    Alvec fought to keep the smile off his face. He wanted to gloat about how he''d broken the enchantment, but he was well aware of the repercussions of that. He''d spend the day in jail, at the least.


    "Then what''s the hold-up? Let them out of their cells, and we''ll go," Mavec said.


    "We find ourselves in a unique situation," said the Captain. "I find myself in need of those who can slay Devils, and you find yourself in need of my ability to sweep things under the rug, such as stealing reagents from Throne Land. It only took us a few hours to research where you went before returning to Sha-Laial. Practically everyone knew you headed towards the Auraman manor."


    "The reagents we brought back were abandoned property. It may have rested on throne land, but it wasn''t Throne Land property itself," Mavec replied.


    "You very well may have a legal argument to be made there, young wizard," the Captain said. "But how many days will you spend in jail if I actively gum up the system?"


    "So what, you''re just going to threaten us and expect us to help you? Whatever you want, we''re not interested, right?" Mavec asked.


    Alvec nodded heartily while Naya and the others remained still.


    "Perhaps we''re thinking about this wrong," the Captain said. "This could be quite an opportunity for a young adventuring group. The spin would be simple: the devil attacked your party, and you tracked it down and killed those who summoned it. An impressive feat that would earn you a small amount of recognition here in Sha-Laial."


    "See, here''s the thing. If you hadn''t been here. If the Gold Banner Army had done literally nothing. We almost certainly would have done exactly that on our own. Now, forget it. This is your mess; you clean it up," Alvec chided.


    "I''m with Alvec guys; they could have handled this better. I''m not interested in cleaning up their messes," Mavec replied.


    "But can we really be letting devils run around our city?" Naya asked.


    "It''s their job to handle it, Naya; we can just sit back and let them figure it out on their own," Mavec replied.


    "As much as I agree, helping them is bullshit. Letting the devils roam around Sha-Laial isn''t good for any of us. We''d be doing the Blue Banner wrong if we didn''t at least go after ones we know about," Illaria stated. "Granted, until you let me out of this cage, I can''t be of much help now, can I?''


    "Really, Illaria? You really want to help them after they imprisoned you overnight?" Alvec said.


    ¡°No, Alvec,¡± Illaria said. "I want to kill some devils, so I don''t hear some horror story a week from now about how some poor baker was butchered in the middle of the night and his intestines were hung from the cast iron fence around his house."


    "That feels more like a demon move to me, but I see your point," Alvec replied.


    "Nobody likes a pedant Alvec," Illaria snapped. She paused momentarily, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "I''m sorry, I do be seeing your point. Devils love their deals and contracts, and demons love destruction and suffering."


    "Bait request we take a break. Want to get stink back before we go assault devils."


    "How would you... no, don''t. I don''t want to know what you''re going to do," Mavec stated.


    "Fine," Alvec said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes to center himself. "We do this, not because the Gold Banner asked us to, but because it''s right. Fuck them, but also fuck us if we do nothing with the knowledge of infernals running around."


    "Excellent," the Captain nodded. "It''s much better for us if the public remains as unaware of our work as possible. Please do not mention us when you supply the information to the town guard. We will push the story that you took care of this on your own," the man in the golden mask said.


    "How does this help you?" Naya asked.


    "Simply put, it allows us to maintain our mystique," said the Captain. "The less people know, the more they imagine we can do. The more cautious they act, the more time we have to search for threats before they escalate to issues we must respond to in force."


    "We''d be cat paws," Mavec confirmed.


    "Indeed, but it''s not without benefit for our tools," said the Captin. "You can keep anything you find and get the credit for finding and dispatching them; not a terrible trade-off for your work. Devils are known for keeping expensive items on hand to boot, so it could be rather lucrative."


    "So where are they located?" Mavec asked.


    The Captain slid a piece of paper across the table to them. "We''ve tracked them to an address based out of the forge district. We''ve already scouted it out and confirmed the presence of devils. How long until you depart to take care of it?"


    "It''s still dawn now. Mavec and I need to get some actual sleep, and I''m sure a bit more rest would help Naya and Bait; mid-afternoon would be the earliest we''d be at it," Alvec responded.


    "Then I''ll be sure the news doesn''t start circulating till after the dinnertime rush," the man said before opened up the jail cells and let Bait and Illaria out. The two immediately grabbed their armor and weapons.


    "Now, if you don''t mind, we''ll be leaving now," Illaria said before she stormed out the door. This whole night had sucked, and a day of what should have been relaxing and celebrating had now taken a turn towards much more work.


    While most everyone headed back to the tower, Bait decided he needed to fix his cleanliness problem in the only way a goblin could. Swimming in the trash. He found the city''s garbage pits by following his nose. It was guarded by two bored-looking humans. It wasn''t hard to sneak past them; all he did was throw a stone off to the side to distract them a moment before scampering into the landfill. He followed his nose to the stinkiest smell and promptly threw himself into it. He breaststroked poorly through the trash, stopping every few feet to rub himself with as much grime as he could manage. Illaria would probably yell at him but maybe not make him take a full bath. Maybe only make Bait wear less offensive scents. He''d find out soon before they go kill devils in the forge. Why devils want forge anyway? Isn''t hell hot enough? Why need forge in Sha-liral? Devils make no sense to Bait, but he shoot, and they die.


    Several hours passed as the group got some much-needed rest. As everyone roused themselves, the sun was already descending into the western skies. Naya was nursing a giant mug filled with water. Illaria and Bait looked the most refreshed. Mavec and Alvec slouched over their respective cups of coffee, propping their heads up with their arms.


    "Bait, I swear to Dahn-Daluzi, you best be standing upwind from us at all times," Illaria said, as she gave him a pointed look.


    "What the hell did you roll in?" Maved asked. "A pile of roadkill or something?"


    "Bait found town dump. Goblin nose leads Bait to best smells. Swam through them till stink back," Bait informed them.


    "Any chance we can cover it up with the scent of smoke?" Alvec asked.


    "Bait find smoke scent acceptable."


    "Good to know. We''ll hold a big fire for you when we return," Naya suggested.


    "Only if we get to hold him over it, a safe distance, of course," Mavec replied.


    Everyone headed out in front of Bait. The trip to the forge district wasn''t very long. Alvec and Mavec proceeded by casting as many defensive spells as possible. Alvec added a new layer of defense he hadn''t yet bothered using with this group. A spell that absorbed hits from projectiles. Specializing in a school of magic, like abjuration, meant that those spells were less strenuous and that he could cast more of them. As such, this spell was almost free. The group entered the indicated building in the forge district as armored up as possible.


    There wasn''t a whole lot to tell. This building was mostly empty; a few wooden boxes lay around, giving it the semblance that perhaps it was being used for storage, but the truth was in the dust. The floor had very little evidence of foot traffic, at least not human foot traffic. Naya could tell that something like a canine had passed over the floor repeatedly. In addition to the boxes, four large stone pillars reached thirty feet to the ceiling.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Deep roaring growls and barks didn''t catch Naya off guard in the slightest, while it seemed to give pause to most of the group. Her swords had been out this whole time, and she slammed magic down the blades. She could feel the extra weight, even as they moved with the same grace. Two giant beasts that could be mistaken for some strong guard dog if not for the glowing red eyes and the hellfire roiling in the back of their throats charged in. Echo pounced to intercept; surprisingly, the wolf was outmatched and quickly flipped onto his side. Naya rushed in, a whirlwind of steel cutting deep into the beast, pushing it away from her stalwart companion. The other hellhound ran at Mavec. It easily sunk its long, red, hot fangs into his outstretched arm. He screamed in pain as the creature shook him like a toy and threw him to the ground.


    Illaria rushed in and stabbed the beast. It didn''t release its grip on Mavec, though; it ignored the stab wound in favor of biting down harder. Mavec made the correct hand motions with one hand and slapped the beast with electricity. Just as Alvec offered aid to his companions, a hail of arrows struck him, causing him to stumble forward. He thanked his stars he''d cast that protection spell before entering the warehouse. At least four arrows lay broken on the ground behind him. Looking up at the pillars, he could see there were two devils. They were different than the minotaur-esque one they had killed last night. These insectoids had a thoracic body style that reminded Alvec of an ant, except the size of a human. In some ways, he was reminded of a centaur; its upper body was similar to a humanoid wielding a bow. Its multiple legs gripped the pillar while it reigned shots down at them.


    Mavec had demonstrated his third circle magic last night, and now it was time for Alvec to do the same. Only one member of their party had the tools to take care of this situation. The tiefling rushed over beside Bait and let loose the wave of energy, hitting as many of his allies as he could. He felt as if his heart beat twice as the world around him seemed so slow in comparison. Bait''s eyes widened as he followed Alvec''s outstretched hand to the enemies clinging to the pillars. The Goblin''s hands moved faster than ever before, seamlessly aimed, fired, and reloaded as if it were as easy as breathing. Four bullets pierced its abdomen, bisecting the first as it splattered tons of deep red blood onto the pillar. Both halves came crashing down; the legs and thorax clung to the pillar for a few seconds longer before landing with a dull thud. The pair exchanged a wicked smile. They''d be using this spell again in the future for sure.


    The one pinning Echo snapped its jaws on his neck, biting deep. Naya again unleashed both swords in tandem on it, dealing some nasty gashes, but not enough to end its life. With a defiant growl, Echo managed to rip himself out of the hellhound''s jaws and returned the favor, digging his fangs into the creature''s neck. The two tussled together. Illaria continued hammering on the one biting Mavec. Another jolt of electricity through it, and it fell over with a heavy thud. Mavec tore his arm free and scrambled to his feet.


    The remaining demon on the pillar fired off a few arrows at Bait. Alvec leaped in front, blocking them with his buckler. It hissed and cursed in infernal before skittering around the other side of the pillar. Bait frowned. While he was moving fast, it wasn''t so fast as for him to run halfway around the room and fire off two double-barrelled musket shots. No, he''d only be able to exchange one volley with the devil. Which he did. His bullet punched a clean hole in the devil''s chest, which blossomed with an ochre red.


    Echo managed to get the upper hand and flipped the creature just in time for Naya to bring both blades down into it, ending its life with a whimper. The remaining devil was far out of reach of everyone, including Mavec, so they waited for Bait to finish his duel with it. It wasn''t even a contest; a single arrow struck Bait in the gut, and he returned two more bullets into the creature. It struggled momentarily, readying another shot before its grip gave out, and it tumbled to the ground. The last vestiges of life left it with a sickening crunch as it impacted the ground.


    "Echo, here, boy," Naya said as she quickly laid her hands on his bloody neck. Her hands glowed green as she kissed her good boy on the forehead. "It''s ok, we''re going to make you feel better. Just might take a few seconds." She repeated the process, her magic flowing over his skin and repairing the deep wounds. His fur still looked rather patchy, and of course, he looked disheveled as he was absolutely slick with a combination of his blood and the hell hounds.


    "Any other devils?" Illaria asked, scanning the room. There weren''t any threats that they could see hiding in the shadows.


    "Fuck this hurts, Alvec. Can I get some healing?" Mavec said as he stumbled forward; his shirt sleeve was torn off, and blood was seeping from the deep bites.


    "Sure thing, while we have a moment," Alvec said as he held the wand''s tip to Mavec''s arm. The warm white light slowly stitched him back together. His new skin was a bright pink, and his arm was still slick with his blood, but that would be fine now. Rem hopped off Alvec''s shoulder and ran over to a section of the floor, and started scratching at it. A quick investigation revealed a fairly well-concealed hidden door and a staircase below the facility.


    Alvec took the lead, sparking a mote of light between his fingertips for the two humans in the group. The staircase led into a room lit with torches of various colors. A large summoning circle was carved into the floor, and the corner of the room was shrouded in magical darkness. Alvec unhesitantly stepped inside of it. He had to be sure that the room was clear of threats. Being magically blind was unusual for him, as Tieflings could see through most darkness, including lesser magical darkness. He grasped out in front of him and eventually found something interesting. It felt crystalline in nature and was situated on a pedestal. He lifted it up gently, and the darkness immediately dispelled around him. He sighed in relief, seeing that there wasn''t anyone else in the room. The relief was short-lived as his eyes came across two tapestries that the darkness had obscured. An unmistakable image of an Eirinyes was in an almost stained glass mosaic style. The furies, fallen angels known for their wrath and cruelty. They were very direct schemers who offered straightforward bargains when willing to offer a deal at all. Alvec knew all too well about them; the devil that was his grandmother was an Eirinyes, which set his mind ablaze.


    Once was a fluke, and twice was a pattern. A devil appearing outside his new residence was strange enough. Being coerced into dealing with devils in the same city, straining coincidence. Discovering a shrine to what might be your infernal grandmother shattered any illusion that these events were unconnected. He took a deep breath, trying to recompose himself. He didn''t need to freak everyone else out. For the moment, no one needed to know that anything was wrong. He rejoined Mavec, who was taking a look at the summoning circle. Alvec pocketed the purple multi-faceted gem the size of a softball and looked at the ring himself.


    "You seeing what I''m seeing?" Mavec asked. This circle was old, well-used, and meant for large-scale purposes. Additionally, the lack of casting from the devils they had faced made it clear that whoever was maintaining this circle... they weren''t here now.


    "I think so. This isn''t new," Alvec said as he pulled out a pencil and began sketching the runes used for the summoning. It was best to detail all evidence he could before they destroyed the circle. A nice gouge on the floor should be enough to disrupt it temporarily. Then, the guards could work on smashing up the tile afterward. Making sure no more devils could use this as an entry point.


    "IF they only just found out about this, then there are a LOT more devils operating in and around Sha-Laial than I''m comfortable with," Mavec said. Alvec nodded in agreement.


    "It''s certainly something we''ll have to keep an open eye for."


    "You guys find anything useful?" Illaria asked.


    "Just a crystal I think we can sell to the academy... after I write them an apology letter," Alvec said.


    "Oh, yeah, they told us what you did. Thank you for the concern, Bait, and I really appreciate it," Illaria said. "Though, maybe you don''t traumatize the poor late-night desk attendant next time," she said with a wink.


    "Hey, I didn''t set out to traumatize the kid. It''s not my fault I was covered in devil''s blood. In fact, if I remember correctly, it was your sword that sprayed me with so much blood in the first place," Alvec replied.


    "So, what exactly will we tell the town guard?" Mavec asked.


    "I think it''s pretty simple, right? We tracked the devils back here and killed them. Straight forward and simple. The Gold Banner should be happy about that."


    "Less so about the bit where we think the person or persons using the summoning circle weren''t killed in our attack, and worse yet, it looks like many infernals came through here," Alvec said.


    "We could omit that information?" Naya suggested.


    "We could, but we''d be endangering them in case the devils wanted to strike back at them for revenge," Mavec replied.


    "No, we definitely tell them what we were able to figure out," Illaria said.


    The group nodded in agreement. They left the warehouse and sought out the first guard they could. "Excuse me!" Illaria said as she flagged them down and waved them over. "Pardon me, but we really need to speak to the Captain of the guard. Could you please fetch and send him to the warehouse over yonder?" She said, pointing out the building they had attacked.


    "What''s this all about?" the guard asked.


    "We found a den of Devils. They''re dead, but I thought someone might want to know," Mavec said tersely.


    "Shit, I''ll go fetch the captain!" He said as he jogged off down the road. It was a good half hour before a contingent of guards arrived. Thankfully, it was the same guard captain Illaria had met up with the other day.


    "Well, I can''t tell if you''re lucky or cursed. The same goes for me, of course; I get to see you cast against the setting sun... with the caveat that I''ve apparently got a mountain of devil corpses to deal with. How much truth is there to that?" he asked, addressing Illaria only.


    "Ah, captain Siros," Illaria said as she gave hima curt salute. "I wouldn''t be saying you have a mountain of devil corpses, but you do have about four of them."


    "Four too many. What else can you tell me?" he asked, stepping beside her and motioning for her to follow as he entered. The corpses he looked over indifferently. "Foot soldiers here. Not one of them has the arcane power to pull off a summoning circle. I''m guessing you''ve got some bad news for me, right?" he asked.


    "Yes, sir, my wizard friends don''t believe the summoner is among the dead, and this particular circle has been active for a long time."


    "I was afraid you would say that," he sighed. "I''ve already told the boys to bring the big hammers. We''ll remove the circle and keep pieces of it for evidence. The last thing we need is for someone to come along and mend the floor back together. I won''t be having them regain a summoning circle that easily. Lieutenant! Make sure we bring a piece of the circle to every barracks in the city." he snapped as a man ran beside him, barking yes, sir.


    A good ten guards went down with them and began hammering up the floor. Alvec marveled at the man''s forethought. Mending was a simple spell that could have fixed superficial nicks in the pattern. Still, even a spell-like make whole, a much higher circle of magic, would struggle to recreate the loop if the pieces of it were spread out enough over the city. Granted, it was also possible for someone to use shape stone and recarve the runes, but it certainly would be more time-intensive. Even the slightest variation could cause the spell to falter, and it would take serious practice or know how to get it working again. It''s why big summoning circles were uncommon. A simple gateway for a single small devil made much more sense than a gate this size. Yet here we were, watching the town guard smash the stone floor to pieces and cart bits of it around the city.


    "You certainly know what you''re doing," Alvec replied with a bit of awe.


    "I didn''t become a guard captain for nothing, kid," he replied.


    "I can see that."


    "Is there anything else you lot can tell me about this?" he asked.


    "Nothing you don''t already know," Mavec replied. The man nodded in agreement.


    "Yup, this is really bad. I''ll have to redouble patrols. May even have to officially invite the Gold Banner Army to assist us. Gods above and below, I hate doing that."


    "They do seem like a mite bit of trouble to work with," Illaria said, trying to agree without tipping her hand. The poor man didn''t need to know that the Gold Banner Army was already actively in the city and entirely aware of the situation. However, it bothered her that they hadn''t provided any reconnaissance information. Outside of giving the location and confirming infernal activity, they hadn''t done much at all. Were this a Blue Banner operation, they would have scouted it out, determined a rough number of combatants, gauged their favored tactics, and deployed countermeasures accordingly, like a scalpel or a well-placed dagger. Instead, the Gold Banner had acted much more heavy-handed and wielded the group like a simple cudgel.


    Alvec was right to call them incompetent. Unless there had been some secondary objective the party wasn''t privy to, this operation was a success not due to tactics or talent but due to their powers alone. An alarming thought if true.

 28: Strange Happenings

    The following day arrived without incident back at the tower. Just after breakfast, several men came to renovate the building and provide the furniture Illaria had ordered on everyone''s behalf. The group had migrated out beneath the pavilion because of how noisy a process it was.


    "Perhaps it''s about time we be getting back to the Blue Banner Army," Illaria mused out loud.


    "No, Bait still need to learn more about cheese from Ben!"


    "Yeah, you can''t leave so soon!" Naya exclaimed. "Besides, you can''t leave me with these two bookworms. When will I ever get to do fun things, like drink, sing, and dance to your songs?"


    "You can drink without me, Naya, and there are plenty of other talented singers here in Sha-Laial," Illaria said.


    "Yeah, but none of them sing rousing sea shanties," insisted Naya. "I''ve heard four sonnets dedicated to the local lords in the past week. All of them were boring."


    "I should at least send a message back to the fleet and see if there is anything they have planned. I wouldn''t want to miss the action," Illaria said.


    "Well then, let''s head to the academy. Offering support to the banners is a common thing. Maybe they can do a sending for you to your commanding officer," Mavec suggested.


    "CAL, CAl CLATTERBACK!" Bait bellowed. "Bait no talk to Cal. He make me pee off back of boat like rest of crew. Bait want whole boat to be stinky, Cal no let it by confining pee stink to back of boat."


    "That''s Commodore Cal Clatterback to you," Illaria chided.


    A short ways away, the hot spring, which they had still not had time to check out, began to roil and pop, sending jets of water splashing dangerously onto the worked stone around it.


    "Well, that''s a new one," Alvec said as he directed his thoughts to the gargoyles. "Is that normal for the hot spring?" A long silence greeted him before a terse answer.


    "No, I would investigate that carefully if I were you."


    Alvec nodded. "I think we''ve got two reasons... no, three to visit the academy."


    "Four, I requested to speak to someone who knows Old Imperial. Just got confirmation they found the time to meet with me." Mavec replied.


    "Why do we want to learn Old Imperial again?" Naya asked.


    "We need to know what Kaavas means. It''s clearly important, but we''ve only seen it in writing. Old Imperial has a lot of tonal differences that aren''t conveyed well in ink. Doubly so if the person writing it isn''t an expert in it, which I doubt Vato was," Mavec replied.


    "Why are we even concerned about this in the first place? Some dying wizard said he feared it, and we fought a monster? Isn''t that some normal adventuring stuff?" Naya asked again.


    "I mean, maybe, but we live here, and he made it sound like we were in for an awful time," Alvec said.


    "Besides, there''s little reason not to investigate it. It''s not like we have too much going on right now. After yesterday, I hope it stays that way for a bit. I''ve fought more devils this week than I imagined I''d see in all my life," Mavec said.


    "Same. I thought a bear would be the worst thing I''d ever have to hunt. Not hell hounds and strange ant-devils," Naya said.


    "Before we head out, though, I''ve been thinking," Mavec said. "I still have a lot of gold on hand. Maybe we should hire some help. A maid might be good for having someone around here and tidying up while we''re gone. Maybe even feeding the horde of cats living in the stable. Ya know, whatever we want to pay them for."


    "How much would that even cost?" Alvec asked.


    "I crunched the numbers," Mavec said, tapping his head. "Roughly three gold a month. A minimal investment when you consider that we''ll be able to return to a well-maintained household from wherever we went. Not to mention, the gig should be fairly easy whenever we''re away, too."


    "Alright, I''ll front some gold for it," Alvec said, sliding a few gold pieces onto the table.


    "I think we all can," Illaria said, supplying a few as well.


    "Alright, by my math, we can pay a six-month salary upfront. I''ll start advertising next time we stop in the tavern," Illaria said.


    "Wow, I''ll have a servant. Sorry, guys, this is breaking my brain a bit. This is the sort of thing royalty have, not me. Right?" Naya asked.


    "Welcome to adventuring; the dangers are very great, the sleeping arrangements are shitty most nights, but the pay is absurdly good," Illaria said.


    The group chatted at the table for a while before departing across town for the academy. The very first thing Alvec did was rush in and hand off a letter to the administration. He ducked back out before anyone could read it and rejoined the group as they headed for the evocation wing of the campus. Mavec and himself had decided that if anyone were going to have a clue as to what was going on with the hot springs, it would be whoever the head of the evocation department was. It didn''t take them long to find them either; the loud, thunderous booms brought them to a heavily fortified room where active demonstrations were given to students.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Now, see here, by using additional spell reagents, you can fortify your spells further. An additional dash of bat guano provides just a little extra oomph to your fire spells." He cast out a fireball, and as he said, it burst far wider than usual. Though Alvec wouldn''t describe it as extra oomph, it was more the speed at which the magic reacted to the will of the caster and expanded out from its central point. It was still beneficial, but it wouldn''t do more damage. Instead, it would be harder to dodge¡ªstill a precious lesson. Having just a little extra material on hand could save your life.


    The pair waited patiently for the demonstration to be over. As the students filtered out of the room, the man approached them. He was also a tiefling with dark blue skin and long silvery horns curved out of his head like a gazelle. His robes were a clean, crisp orange that popped against his skin. "Hello, how may I help you?" He said, greeting them.


    Alvec and Mavec produced their badges, symbolizing that they had already graduated from an accredited institution. ¡°I¡¯m Alvec, Abjurer of Ot-Najan¡±


    "And I''m Mavec, an artificer of Jai-Anorona."


    "And I am Tivix, head of the Department of Evocation here at Sha-Laial. How may I be of assistance to fellow graduates?"


    "We recently inherited this property, which has this strange hotspring," said Mavec. "We''ve been guessing it might be connected to the elemental facet of water, but we really don''t know enough about it to be sure. Today, it started roiling and popping off bubbles of near-boiling water. So we thought we''d stop here and ask if you''d heard of such a thing?" Mavec explained. It felt a little strange to be leading most of the conversations for Mavec, but Alvec was lost in his thoughts. Alvec would share eventually. Till then, Mavec wasn''t going to press.


    Tivix put his hand to his neatly trimmed white beard. "Your assumption sounds correct. For unknown reasons, the Empire of Fire and Water has very thin veils between the facets of Fire and Water. What you''re describing could be a nexus point, somewhere so thin that magically aided travel between them would be quite easy."


    "Should we worry about things coming through from the other side?" Mavec asked.


    "It is hypothetically possible, though it seems a bit unlikely," Tivix mused. "It might not hurt to pop an alarm spell up there if you think it could be dangerous. You''d at least know if something or someone came through the other side."


    "That''s a very reasonable suggestion. Thank you, master Tivix," Mavec replied.


    "We can set that up," Alvec confirmed. "If you want to master Tivix, you are more than welcome to come look at it; we''re at 889 Scythefell Street."


    "Perhaps I will, though not for a few days, most likely. I''ve got much of my own research to do here at the academy and lectures to give as well. Though I''m sure you''re both aware of how to use reagents to augment your casting."


    "Well aware of it, but we haven''t needed to up our game any," Mavec said.


    "Maybe not a bad idea to invest a little extra, though," Alvec mused.


    "All things considered, yeah, probably not a bad idea."


    "Well then, I''ve got to prepare for my next set of demonstrations," said Tivix. "Be safe, and use protection from the elements if you have it. The last thing you want is to get burned by scalding water," he said as he ushered the two of them out the door.


    The pair split up, Alvec rejoined the rest of the group while Mavec headed to the library for his appointment with the Old Imperial specialist. The library at the academy of Sha-Laial was one of the biggest Mavec had seen; it had spectacular lighting, with crystal sconces whose light level you could control with a small dial at the base of each of them. Neater yet, they cast different shades of light, a vast boon depending upon the composition of the paper and the ink upon the page. A piece too white hit with bright sunlight was most challenging to read, but bathed in a soft yellow light, the words would pop off the page. Best yet, they had adjustable lamps made of metal filament with the same crystals at the end. You could gently position them over your book to give off the right amount of light from the right angle.


    It was a far cry from the small library he had grown up in, where he had first built a construct. He missed the tiny little guy. Warren had forced him to abandon all of his creations. It had been a real shock to Mavec that Cellocht had chosen to recognize him. Sure, his water purifier had been a tremendous technological improvement for the town of Jai-Laeal, but Mavec had taken the heat for several things he hadn''t done and been run out of town over it. It was all in the past now. Adventuring with Alvec offered a lot of possibilities, even if he felt like he was in over his head most days. He was getting stronger, though; he''d never imagined casting a lightning bolt. That spell was so far beyond him when he first left home. To think that he could do it any time now, every day of the week, was a bit crazy.


    It wasn''t too long of a wait in the library before a human woman who looked maybe a decade or two older than Mavec came up and introduced herself as Tani Auwin. "You''re the one looking to talk about Old Imperial? I''m something of an expert; we can borrow one of the side rooms, or we can talk right here," she said. Her hair was a sandy brown, which fell in delicate curls to her shoulders.


    "I think I''d like to speak in the side rooms; my interest in this is related to a sensitive topic," Mavec informed her.


    "Alright, follow me," She said as she led him towards a side room with a small table and a glass door. She wore the academy''s standard robes, though some embroidery indicated that she was not only a graduate but a researcher. The academy must have decided they needed someone here who could decode the Old Imperial speech.


    "Alright, so how much are you looking to decode?" She asked after she closed the door and sat down.


    "A single word. Kaavas."


    "Is that the correct pronunciation?" She asked.


    "No earthly idea; it''s come up in our travels twice. Once from a guy coughing up a lung. The other time was in writing, with no accent marks," Mavec said.


    "With a single word of this length? Between three to six if I had to guess."


    "Alright, hit me with it; what are we looking at?" She took a moment to go over it.


    "For example, if it pronounced Kavaa-s, that would mean filth great or great filth. Ka-vaas would translate roughly to foul light. If it were Kav-aas it could read as many growth. Or Ka-va-as would be something like Foul Flight circle."


    "Those all sound awful," Mavec said. "If we can discover the pronunciation, would you help us look for references to this Kaavas?"


    "I could certainly try. Our resources here are not as good as the capitals or Ac-Aziza''s, but we have a fairly robust collection of historical tomes."


    "Thanks; I''ll be sure to contact you if I find anything that helps us confirm what this means." The two said their goodbyes, and Mavec rejoined the rest of the group.


    -


    B: Ha, the title of the story ruins the mystery a little bit, doesn¡¯t it? The players puzzled over this for a long time until it¡¯s true translation came out. But ¡®A Foul Light Shines¡¯ was way too awesome a title to pass on.

 29: The Facet of Water

    Illaria and Alvec


    The academy had done one better than gift Illaria a scroll of sending. No, they had set her up with a minor artifact, an orb of scrying and speaking, Allowing her to communicate with her commanding officer at any distance. She didn''t have a lick of spellcasting talent, so she required someone to stay with her and tune it to the correct person. It took a few times, as it zeroed in on other people with the same name, but eventually, it zeroed in on the correct commodore Cal Clatterback.


    "Illaria reporting in. I''m currently in Sha-Laial, on the shore leave you granted. That said, I am contacting you to ask if there is anything I need to rush back for?"


    "Illaria, I can''t see you at all, so you''re at an academy. Did you say Sha-Laial?¡±


    "Yes sir, I did be saying Sha-Laial."


    "Huh, that''s a strange twist of fate. Short answer: I want you to stay in Sha-Laial. You''ll know why soon enough. As for if there are any campaigns in the planning stages. None so immediate that I need you to head back yet. News already reached us through the Red Banner that Cellocht gifted you a magic item. Congratulations."


    "Alright, I''ll stay here, I guess," said Illaria. "I assume I''ll be finding out the reason why shortly, correct?"


    "A few days at most, I reckon. Anyway, now that you''ve been granted an extension on your shore leave, try to enjoy some of it. All work and no play doesn''t make for a sharp soldier when they get called back. Signing off Illaria."


    "Thank you, and take care, sir," she said, saluting him despite his inability to see her.


    The group met back up and exchanged notes. Mavec informed them what Kaavas could mean, but it wasn''t a big revelation. Despite being helpful information, it wasn''t enough to reveal how they should focus their research. They''d just have to wait until something else caught their attention. Or perhaps this would be so far in Vato''s future that they''d never need to worry about it¡ªa possibility Mavec brought up repeatedly.


    Oh, how Alvec wished he could believe that. Finally, with nothing seemingly urgent to be done, it was time for him to hole up in his room and begin his enchanting work. Naya had paid him in advance for the enchantments on her weapons, and Alvec had some work he wanted to do on his gear. His mithril buckler needed to be enchanted badly. It would help him deal with threats more effectively. It would take him at least four or five days, relatively uninterrupted, to get these weapons where he wanted them¡ªthe days passed quietly while he and Rem worked on the weapons¡ªreturning them to Naya each night when he''d completed as much work as he could on them.


    After a few days, he sent Rem to fetch Naya as he set up in the courtyard. The best way to show off the enchantment was to give her a target and a baseline. He set three scimitars on the table; hers lay on one side, and a brand new but unenchanted one lay at the far left. He''d set up some planks of wood dug into the ground. Rem and Echo had more than a bit of fun helping out with digging for this project.


    "What''s all this about?" She asked, looking at the poles sticking out of the ground. "Are we building something?"


    "Nope, take a swing with this first sword," he said as he pointed to the new sword. She grudgingly took the blade and gave a good slash at the wooden beam. It bit in, leaving a small gouge despite knowing she''d hit it harder than that. "Alright, now try yours out." She set the new sword down and looked at her father''s scimitars. They seemed to glow faintly, a light green hue. She picked it up and ran forward, slicing again at the piece of wood. Her footing was off, and she expected the cut to do nothing. Instead, it slid much further into the wood plank than her previous slice.


    "Whoa, you weren''t kidding when you said you''d strengthen my swords."


    "The enchantment translates speed into striking power. Should work out well for you."


    "Thanks; you sure you don''t want me paying full price for these?"


    "We''ve been over this before; I''m not making these for the money. The better our gear, the more likely we live through any bullshit we come across. Greed now could mean an early death later. I''m not a fan of that idea."


    "You finish up everyone else''s stuff yet?" Naya asked.


    "Yeah, I''ve got Bait''s gun ready. Found an enchantment to make his black powder more reliable. Shouldn''t fail as often anymore."


    "That sounds good; Mavec ask for anything?"


    "No, he spent all his money upgrading Piccora, gearhead that he is."


    "And Illaria?"


    "Just a simple upgrade to her sword and her cloak. Hardly took me a day."


    "What about your gear?" She asked.


    "Just two things this time... I may have spent too much gold to contact my grandfather the other day. Else, I could have maybe made two of these." Alvec pulled out an ordinary-looking dagger that faintly glowed with some arcane symbols. A lightning bolt and a hand seemed faintly etched in glowing blue light on the blade.


    "Oh? What exactly is it?"


    "A dagger of spell storing. Think of it like a rechargeable wand that can only hold a single charge. I can choose to let the spell loose whenever I connect."


    "How often is that going to happen?" Naya asked.


    Alvec frowned at her. "You realize I''m in pretty decent shape, right? So long as I''m supporting someone by targeting the same enemy, I think I''ve got a fair chance, and it was cheap enough for a backup weapon."


    "Fair point; you''re a bit faster than Mavec, after all. I can see you scoring a hit here or there." Naya said in agreement. "Still planning to make something for the church?"


    "Nah, not right now," Alvec said as he shook his head. "They haven''t tried to cause us any problems for the moment, so I''d say we''re in the clear and don''t need to enact project bribe them with magic items."


    "That''s good, at least," said Naya. "Glad you figured out a way to combat the stench from Bait''s room. It was starting to become unbearable."


    "I''ll never understand goblins, but a combination of wind spells and a charcoal filtration system seems to be doing the trick well enough," said Alvec. "You only get a whiff of his foulness whenever he opens the door. I''ve also enchanted the door to shut firmly behind him. So hopefully, it''s just a whiff, and it''s over with before the stench can spread."


    Naya stayed in the training yard, testing out her new blades. They did cut like magic. She focused on calling up the well of power within herself, boosting her speed further. She could easily get even deeper into the wood¡ªa resounding success.


    Illaria found herself at the bar chatting with the muscle angel again. "I''ve had a few people reach out about the job posting you guys made. When do you want me to set up interviews for it?"


    She sat at the bar nursing an ale. "I was thinking we might as well be interviewing them on the same day. Why don''t we settle for the last day of the week." Illaria said.


    "That sounds good to me; I''ll relay that to the applicants next time they''re in," he said.


    "You happen to have any sea-faring merchants through here lately?" She asked. "Perhaps other members of the Blue Banner army?"


    "Not too often, to be honest. More riverboats than seaboats here in Sha-Laial. Why do you ask anyway, Illaria?"


    "Well, I might as well be telling you. My parents were abducted during a pirate attack. I joined the Blue Banner, hoping I''d find them somehow. Hasn''t panned out yet. So I ask from time to time when I meet a merchant or other sea-faring travelers."


    "Next drinks on me, friend," he said, as he poured another and slid it in front of her. "You give me a good enough description, and perhaps I can ask around when I have that sort come through here."


    "That''s mighty kind of you," Illaria said, taking another good sip of her ale.


    "Any particular band of pirates responsible?" he asked.


    "It was Cutthroat Crowley."


    The muscle angel let out a long whistle. "Well, that explains why you think they''re alive. He''s known for being ruthless but pragmatic. He certainly wouldn''t be killing them off. You seem to be rolling in a good amount of gold; why not go to the academy and get the head of divination to just search for them?"


    "Well," sighed Illaria." Until recently, I thought the kind of gold needed for that sort of thing would be beyond my ability to earn. It''s certainly a thing I will be giving a lot more thought to now that we''re earning a lot more money than I ever expected to see. But what if I put my every last copper into it and then nothing? What if I''m wrong, and they were killed off years ago? If I spent my last coin just to discover that, I don''t know how I''d recover from that."


    "I mean, it would be devastating news," he said. "You''d survive, though. Hell, you''ve already lived through this awful experience. Why couldn''t you live through more?"


    "I don''t know; it just feels devastating. It''s been hard enough to lose them, and I still have hope that they are out there and alive. To discover they aren''t, that all the hope I''d been holding onto was false. There''s only so much devastation a person can suffer, right?"


    "You''re selling yourself short, the way I see it," he said. "You''ve got your comrades in the Blue Banner and your friends here in Sha-Laial. You might need to lean on them, and perhaps more than a little bit of ale or wine, but you''re made of stronger stuff than you''re giving yourself credit for."


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Illaria gave them a description and headed off after the second glass of ale. The night passed peacefully as everyone settled in with their new gear.


    It wasn''t till late in the wee hours of the pre-dawn morning that the alarm spell went off.


    Alvec rolled out of bed, slipped on his boots, grabbed his shield, cast a defensive spell around himself, and rushed to the window. He flung the window open as wide as possible and leaped through it. It was only a twenty-foot fall, and the boots'' magic mitigated almost all of it.


    Emerging from the roiling water''s surface was a giant crab. It easily stood about twelve feet tall and had pincers that looked large enough to snap the tiefling in half. Their shells were a perfectly normal ruddy orange coloration. Alvec breathed a sigh of relief. While fighting giant crabs wasn''t exactly something he expected to do, it at least wasn''t some horrid flesh abomination. The last thing he needed was a crab-like creature. He could hear the sounds of the group rallying together from his open window. With his shield enchanted, it rarely made sense to cast spells that enhanced it, as the magic was only marginally more potent than the enchantment itself, but seeing another giant claw emerge from the water''s surface convinced him to go for every bit of defense he could. The edge of his shield seemed to elongate with the same ghostly blue energy as his arcane armor spell; with that said, he took a defensive position and waited for them to approach.


    Surely enough, both creatures noticed him and converged on his position, quickly skittering at him. They both reached out for him, attempting to clamp him, but found no purchase. He was too quick and too well-shielded for their claws to touch. Granted, focusing on defense as he was for the moment, there was nothing more he could do but keep dodging until they eventually got lucky. No matter how good the defense, if you repeated an attack enough times, eventually, it would swing just right, or he''d dodge just wrong. All the protection he had prepared would mean very little if all it had to do was keep squeezing. Not that he didn''t have a contingency for that, too, but he''d much rather not lather himself in grease.


    Illaria and Echo were the first two to emerge from the tower. Illaria''s wakizashi was already in hand as she charged out to see Alvec beset on both sides by giant crabs. It was not the strangest thing she had seen in her stint on the ocean, but this wasn''t the ocean. The favored animal of the spirit, Shoalsatta, didn''t belong this far inland, especially not at that size.


    She and the wolf ran in unison and moved to attack the one on Alvec''s left. The sensation of entering his force field was still something that she was getting used to. As she took her position, the air felt heavy around her, almost solid. The crabs were still too focused on Alvec and ignored the newcomers. A mistake. Illaria thrust her sword through one of the leg joints, eliciting a feral hiss. Echo''s teeth clamped down on another leg, and he tried unsuccessfully to shake it to the ground. Mavec, Naya, and Bait emerged from the house, too, but they were much further behind than Illaria and Echo. Even with their weapons drawn, they couldn''t strike the crabs before they again tried to clamp down on Alvec.


    Alvec dodged again, staying just out of their reach. Illaria tried to bring her sword to parry, but the crab was too quick. It clamped down on her shoulder, and she cried out in pain. It nearly held her in place, but she twisted out of its grip just in time. Alvec disengaged, retreating a safe distance back from the action. Mavec released a thunderous lightning bolt, but both crabs moved with alarming speed; neither took more than a mild jolt. Naya rushed forward, landing a single slash as she flanked with Echo. Bait unloaded his bullets, punching holes in the creature''s exoskeleton. The one that had been shot skittered forward, risking several blades while reaching for the goblin. Naya again landed a slice, but Alvec and Illaria failed to connect their weapons and spells.


    It reached Bait and clamped down; despite his small frame and quick movements, it managed to latch onto him well, hoisting the goblin high into the air and preventing him from reloading. "Stupid crab, you food, not BAIT!"


    Mavec fought to suppress a laugh as he searched his memory for the right spell. Finding nothing particularly helpful, he once more focused on the other crab. Sending Piccora forward with a shocking grasp was the smarter course of action. Doing the same on the one Bait was being held by risked electrocuting the poor goblin¡ªa risk he didn''t want to take. There was no assurance that more crabs weren''t on their way. Killing the only expert with ranged weaponry, who could hole up in the tower and rain death down on them, seemed like a categorically dumb idea. Piccora slammed into the beast, and electricity coursed through it.


    Bait tried his best to squeeze free, but he couldn''t, and the crab pinched him to the point where he was worried he would be split in two. "HALP!" the goblin screamed as he struggled desperately to free himself. He could imagine it, sliced apart under the floating ribs, goblin entrails crimped by the pressure. Torso and legs separated, with only intestines between them searching for each other. Dis terrible way for goblin to die. Bait always assume he go out in either big boom or after eating one too many cheese.


    Alvec sighed; as much as he wanted to do something that felt productive, he needed to do something that was productive. He couldn''t just leave Bait as he was, and for the second time in too few days, he regrettably greased the goblin. Bait suddenly slicked with what tasted like butter, slipped through the crab''s claws, and plummeted to the ground, where he quickly scurried away. Naya, Illaria, and Echo each attempted to slash or bite at the crab before them. They brought it low between their efforts, and Illaria delivered the killing blow by driving her wakizashi between its eyes.


    The crab lashed out again, trying to grab Bait, but Alvec slammed his shield into it, pushing it off target just enough. Bait hurriedly reloaded and quaked like a duck. Alvec took the cue and swooped low as Bait unloaded another few shots into the beast. No longer having to worry about Bait, Mavec aimed and let loose another bolt of lightning. The crab sizzled and steamed under the current of electricity and collapsed.


    "Everyone okay?" Alvec called out as a thick fog of steam exploded from the hot spring. It was thicker than any fog Illaria had seen over the seas of the Empire. She could scarcely see her hand held mere inches from her face.


    "Everyone stay still and keep your guard up," Illaria shouted. If this was just a strange effect from the hot spring, that would be fine, but if this was directed by something conscious, and it was trying to obscure vision so that they would be easy prey, that was an alarming possibility she couldn''t entirely discount.


    The fog slowly dissipated, and a strange vision met her. She and the others were not in the material facet.


    They were somewhere else. It looked like the same location, but it was wrong. The light here was tinted blue, and the sun seemed to dance far beyond some strange substance. Water was everywhere, spilling between the cobblestones and gently running over most surfaces.


    "Are we in the facet of Water?" Naya asked. She didn''t know much about the facets, just that they existed.


    "No, we''d be drowning if we were," Mavec replied.


    "I think we''ve got to be adjacent to it, though," Alvec replied as he looked around. A sudden roar caught them off guard as a blue dragon-like creature landed upon the pavilion.


    "I will possess this place of power," It screamed in Draconic, the language of the dragons. "I will determine who walks between the worlds. For I am a dragon, and you will serve me."


    Alvec raised an eyebrow to it. This was not a dragon, at least not an actual dragon. If anything, the creature before them was some drake, one of their lesser kin. They were built more like bats than four-legged dragons. They often lacked the ability to cast magic beyond spewing some sort of elemental breath, and their intellect wasn''t much to write home about, either. He cleared his throat before responding in draconic. "Excuse me, oh mighty king, but we''d like to go back the way we came if you wouldn''t mind sending us on our way, your lordship." It was a coarse language that hurt his throat to speak. Lots of guttural sounds that were hard for non-dragons to make. He hoped he hadn''t fucked up any of the pronunciations.


    "Fools, only I get to walk the worlds! You will perish for your trespass," it screeched at him.


    "Well, hate to say it, guys, but we''re not avoiding a fight," Alvec confirmed before using magic to accelerate most of the group. He excluded Mavec because it was difficult to cast spells faster. Possible but very difficult.


    Illaria trusted what Alvec had said and used the increased speed to dash up to the pavilion and climb the ladder. She moved in and struck at it, scoring a grazing wound on its flank. The beast took to the sky and spat out a blob of acid. Bait scrambled to get out of the way of it. The lump of fluid hit the ground and erupted into a hissing cloud of fog, blocking the sky from where Bait stood. It burned against his skin, too. Bait jogged out of the acidic mist and repositioned himself, taking a shot at the dragon.


    "I''m out of lightning bolts, guys!" Mavec shouted as he took cover. "Unless it lands, I can''t do much for you."


    "I think we''re all in that same boat!" Illaria said as she weighed the merits of leaping off the pavilion.


    "I do have a bow, but I''m shit at using it!" Naya shouted.


    "Anything is better than nothing right now," Alvec replied.


    "Bait got this; you just protect Bait!" Alvec nodded and rushed up beside him, pulling out the healing wand. He forced magic through it to help top Bait off. He was the only one who could reliably hurt this creature; keeping him up was paramount. More acid rained down on them. Alvec, of course, attempted to dodge as well but quickly found that it wasn''t essential for him to do so. The acid was weak enough that his wards were canceling out the damage. Naya switched to her short bow and began launching arrows. As she had indicated, she wasn''t all that great with it. While the shots connected, they were only glancing wounds that failed to do much damage to the drake. Concerningly, the drake seemed to disappear even though they had all been looking directly at it. It struck Illaria with its claw as it swept by her. She''d tried to raise her blade, but it had been invisible until the moment before impact, making it hard even to attempt to parry. This creature was dangerous, for sure. Hiding in the fog was making it hard still to hit.


    Alvec was out of luck as far as hurting the thing went. His only ranged spell on hand was a necromancy spell designed to weaken foes. Luckily, he caught a glance of it and took aim carefully before releasing the sickly green ray of energy. It struck the drake square in the chest and sapped tremendous strength from the beast, so much so that it was suddenly struggling to keep its weight aloft with its wings. The drake now looked emaciated and starved as it clumsily descended to the ground. The party wasted no time capitalizing on this turn of events. Echo enlarged at Naya''s command and quickly grabbed and pinned the drake. It would only take another few moments for Naya and Illaria''s combined swordplay to finish off the fake dragon.


    The group gathered back up and cleaned off their weapons. Alvec nabbed a few scales and a vial of the drake''s blood. Even drakes had uses for alchemical and enchanting purposes, even though they weren''t true dragons. He shook his head in disappointment. He had tried to save the creature''s life by giving it a gracious way just to let them go. Poor thing had misjudged their strength. A loud voice cried out from above them.


    "Begone foul beast, in the name of the Six Strengths, I will vanquish you!" A humanoid creature with crab-like armor and four eye stalks growing out the sides of his head came running out of the tower. They paused when he saw the group recuperating. Mavec waved.


    "Hey, we already killed it for you. Unless we''re the foul beast, in which case, fuck you," Mavec said while lighting a cigarette and leaning against the tower.


    "People from the other side! It''s been far too long since I''ve seen any of you. My though, you don''t look to be any of the recruits that I knew. Have you recently joined the Six Strengths?"


    "Uh, no, I''m afraid we haven''t. We happen to live in the compound they used to occupy," Illaria stated.


    "Used to? Are they not still there?" He asked, blinking at us with his strange two-lidded eyes.


    "No, I''m afraid not," Alvec replied. "There isn''t an easy way to say this, but the Six Strengths are dead. There was a war, and they didn''t survive it." The man before them looked defeated as he sat on the ground.


    "I considered them comrades. They taught me some of their ways, and I vowed to them to defend this side of the portal from threats that would seek to harm their world."


    "We''re sorry for your loss," Naya said. "Do you know how we get back to our world?"


    "I will drink to their memory tonight. As for how to get out of here, the same way you came in. Use the hot spring."


    "Well, we''re glad to have you guarding this entryway. We''ll do our best to guard our side too," Alvec said, giving a solemn nod. "Perhaps we can stop in every once in a while?" He suggested.


    "I''d like that. It is a tad lonely over here."


    "Where even is here?" Illaria asked.


    "A question better left for scholars than myself, I''m afraid. It is home, this tower is home, the lands beyond appear to be a replica of the world above, but it is also distinctly its own."


    "Alright, well, it''s been a pleasure, but we should try to get back now, and then we can test later if we can travel back and forth at will," Alvec said. The last thing he wanted was to miss a window of opportunity to get back home and be stuck here for who knows how long. The group rushed back to the pool and took a dip into it. When their heads resurfaced, they found themselves in the world they knew. Alvec let out a sigh of contentment. Everyone pulled themselves from the water. Thanking the fact that the hot spring kept the water within itself rather than drenching them. Alvec reapplied the alarm, and everyone returned to their day-to-day business.

 30: Open Interviews

    It was a pleasant day in Sha-Laial; the sun shone, and the temperature outside was lovely. The party was set up under the pavilion in preparation for the interviews. It was time to see whose attention the flyers and word of mouth had drummed up. Echo lazed on the floor in front of the table. The five of them gathered on the other side and set up a chair not too far from where Echo was resting. Rem and Piccora were also chilling nearby. It might have looked a bit strange of a sight, but in some ways, Alvec wanted that. They wouldn''t be a good fit for the household if they were scared off by even the most tame of days. Mavec waited by the gate; as one of the most normal looking of the party and fronting a reasonable sum of the money, it made sense for him to be the first one the applicants interacted with. He had posted a sign asking for applicants to wait at the gate.


    The first person in line was a woman with short-cut hair wearing an extremely plain dress. "You here for the maid position interview?" Mavec asked. She nodded her head.


    "I am. Are you the client?"


    "I am; the name''s Mavec."


    "I am Greta. Shall we speak here or inside?"


    "A little of both, follow me," he said, leading her to the pavilion. She didn''t react at all to the wolf lying in front of the party. Nor to any of the party itself.


    "Alright, so first question. You have any experience working as a maid?" Mavec asked.


    She shook her head from side to side. "No, I''ve not been paid for this sort of position before. However, I lived in a monastery for some time. As part of my living arrangement, I was expected to do various cooking and cleaning tasks. I feel that these skills will translate well."


    "Very important question, how are you with animals?" Naya asked.


    "Will that be part of my job description?"


    "Someone needs to feed the cats who live in the barn when I''m away. We''ll provide extra coin to cover the expense," Naya insisted.


    "Cats I can most certainly handle. Would I need to do anything for your... uh... dog?" the woman asked.


    "No, I take care of Echo almost exclusively. So long as you give him space or show him kindness, he shouldn''t be anything more than a lovable dope," Naya said.


    "Do you have any experience working with any alchemical substances?" Alvec asked. "Or, at the very least, can you read?"


    "I do not have any experience with alchemy, but I can read."


    "Alright, I can work with that," Alvec said, making a note on a piece of parchment before him.


    "Anyone else have any questions?" Illaria asked.


    "Bait do! Will you try experimental cheese?" A confused look crossed her face.


    "Am I likely to be presented with experimental cheese?"


    "As soon as Bait finishes cheese forge and his apprenticeship to master cheese maker Ben. Then there will be many cheeses to try," Bait said confidently.


    "Supposing that they are safe for humans, I would try them and tell you how they are," she said.


    "Anyone else have any concerns?" Mavec asked. When no one voiced any, he politely excused her. "Alright, thank you for your time; we''ll post the interview results at the tavern.


    "Thank you for yours," she said, giving a polite bow after standing up. After she''d left earshot, Mavec called for thoughts.


    "She seems fine," Alvec said with a shrug.


    "She''s... uh, very mellow? Maybe even bland. Sure, she wasn''t freaked out by our questions, but I don''t know," Naya said.


    "She''d get the job done by the sounds of things," Mavec said.


    "Well, we can''t be making up our minds before seeing our next applicants. Mavec, go see if the others have arrived yet," Illaria said.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''ll go see what we''ve got." Mavec returned to the entrance and found the next woman waiting for him. She was red-haired and near the same age as Illaria. She was already wearing a black and white maid outfit. Mavec hadn''t discussed the dress code in the flyers purposefully. He had no intention of making anyone wear an outfit that was honestly a bit degrading. Still, here she was, already in one. "Here for the interview?" He asked, already painfully aware of the answer.


    ¡°Yes I am, names Sorali!¡± She said, curtseying and beaming a wide, bright smile at him.


    "Alright, follow me; let''s get this over with." Mavec again led her up to the pavilion and the waiting party. Upon seeing the wolf, the young woman''s eyes lit up excitedly.


    "May I pet him?" she asked tentatively.


    "Of course. Echo, be good," Naya commanded. Sorali approached the wolf and squatted beside Echo, putting both hands into his mane and giving him a good long scratch.


    "Oh, what a good boy you are," she said as Echo did little more than try to lick her in response.


    "Well, that answers Naya''s only question," Illaria said with a smile.


    "Sure does. I vote we hire her," Naya exclaimed.


    "We have one more interview lined up, and we haven''t asked a single real question; we''re not offering the job until after we interview everyone; otherwise, it would be unprofessional," Mavec stated. "Please take a seat, and we''ll go over our other questions since you''ve already allayed Naya''s only concern," Mavec said. "First, do you have any experience being a maid?"


    "Oh, you bet I do, even have the outfit to show for it. I worked as a maid in the service of the house Taeshas for the last few years. The estate has downsized as of late, and I need new employment. I was rather surprised to find a posting outside of the noble houses here in the city but more than intrigued by it. Your pay is competitive with what the noble houses offer, and being a maid for adventurers sounded like a small adventure in its own right. I was rather worried I''d be without work for some time. Getting an interview at a noble estate is difficult. Same for the merchants."


    "You have any experience working around alchemical items?" Alvec asked.


    "Not in the slightest, sir, but you give me clear instructions on what to stay away from, and I sure as sunshine will. I can read and write, and if you need me to learn the basics, I would be up for learning anything you feel you need to teach me."


    "Noted," Alvec replied.


    "Do you like cheese?" Bait asked.


    "As much as the next person, I suppose. I think I like cheddars the most," she replied.


    "Bait also make decision. Hi-er this one."


    "I think that clears up any of our concerns," Illaria said, shaking her head in agreement.


    "So why did the estate you were working at shrink?" Mavec asked.


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    "I''m sorry, I really can''t talk much about my previous employer. When you work for someone, you make sure to do right by them, and it wouldn''t be right to share their struggles with you."


    "Ya know, I actually really like that answer. The interviews are over; check back with the bar tomorrow for the results. As stated, we have to interview everyone, but I can say that was a solid showing." Mavec said as she ushered her to head on out. Once she had left earshot, Mavec spoke again. "Okay, she''s hired. No sense even debating it; she has the experience, is willing to learn, and is good with animals. Her personality might be a bit too sunny for me, but fuck it, she seems like a good overall fit. Any objections?" Mavec asked.


    "Oh, she was certainly a delight. I''m all for hiring her," Illaria stated.


    "We still have one more person to get through, though," Alvec said.


    "Yeah, it''s only fair to interview everyone who applied," Mavec said before getting up and heading back down to the gate. This time, he returned with a tiefling girl, light blue skin, a short tail, and almost silvery, spindly curled horns. Her dress was modest, and she clasped her hands in front of herself nervously.


    Naya nudged Alvec gently with her elbow. "Hey, her horns look like yours but a bit more magical."


    "Alright, first question, have you ever worked as a maid?" Illaria asked.


    "No, actually, but I need something to pay the bills while I work on establishing myself. I''m a bard or at least a bard trying to make a name for myself."


    "So you don''t see this as a long-term position?" Mavec asked.


    "Ideally, no, but a lot of making a name for yourself, enough to live off from, involves the sort of luck you just can''t plan for. So, while I hope not, it could be months, years, or decades. No offense, but I hope it''s not the last one."


    "After you''ve made it, would you be inclined to stay on at least long enough to give us time to find a replacement?" Alvec asked.


    "So long as the process wasn''t intentionally protracted, or you''ve been gone away on an adventure for more than 6 months without contacting me, then yeah, I suppose I could do you that kindness of staying on to train."


    "Ever work with any alchemy equipment?" Alvec asked.


    "No, but I understand special care needs to be taken with it. Are you guys setting up a lab? If so, I''ll have to be extra careful around the reagents. They''ll be labeled, right?"


    "Of course, it wouldn''t be a very safe lab if it weren''t," Alvec replied.


    "So why the interest in this position if you want to be a bard?" Naya asked.


    "Well, the barkeep said this maid gig was for a group of adventurers. If nothing else, I thought you guys might provide some inspiration for some songs."


    "So we''d just be song fodder for ya?" Illaria shook her head. "Not sure that''s what we''re looking for out of this relationship."


    "I don''t know; we could use our own hype-man," Alvec said. "Gets our name around town faster and gives us a lever to pull to help get word of mouth out. I plan on offering my alchemy and enchanting services as soon as possible. Granted, both cost so much we''d want to start small with work on a commission basis."


    "Yeah, that''s the problem with magic and alchemy," she said, nodding her head.


    "They cost a lot more than the average person can afford. It''ll certainly take time to drum up a sustainable business."


    "You sound like you know a bit about it; how?" Alvec asked.


    "My parents are merchants. They may not have approved of me following my dreams. They wanted me to stay and run their shop after they passed away. Living in the same town as them all my life... it was their dream, not mine."


    "But you have some training dealing with shopkeeps?"


    "A little; I''ve done some work for my parents."


    "Would you be interested in a similar pay to help us set up and maintain our establishment in our absence?" Alvec asked. "You''d be able to set the hours while we''re away, too, giving you plenty of time to work on other gigs."


    "It''s a very tempting offer, but that sort of work is a little more skilled than the maid work you posted for. Would the rate be negotiable?"


    "Give me a second to crunch some numbers, and I''ll offer a new rate," Alvec said. She was correct; the work he was asking would be worth more; it was skilled labor and required someone sharp and organized. At least double that of the unskilled labor a maid provided. Double alone didn''t sound like enough. "Ten gold a month; if we are in the black each month, you get a 5 gold bonus."


    "I don''t know how I can say anything, but yes. It''s not what I thought I was walking in here for today, but it falls into my skill set. Are you okay running a negative balance? Most new business owners don''t really understand that aspect of it. You don''t just start with a base of customers; you have to build that, and it takes time and money to make it happen."


    "Oh, we''re fine with that," Alvec said, nodding along. "As far as living arrangements are concerned, you are welcome to stay here if you don''t have a place, or if it''s more practical, there is a boarding house just across the street. I hear their rates are excellent," Alvec said.


    "Yes, the bartender down the street recommended them as well. Apparently, the old man who runs it used to be part of the Green Banner Army; I bet he''s got some stories to tell!"


    "He sure does! Shame you couldn''t have been here for the block party. Edis drank us under the table. The old man''s still got it!" Naya said.


    "Oh, I was actually! I was playing the violin most of the night. Those fireworks were something else," Inellia said.


    "Bait no talk about that night," He said, visibly shuddering.


    "To be clear, he doesn''t talk about it because a member of the Gold Banner Army forced him to take a bath; it had nothing to do with the drinking," Illaria supplied.


    "You guys had a run-in with the Gold Banner? Are they as bad as the rumors say?" Inellia asked. "I missed the... excitement."


    "That''s a question I think best we do not answer," Alvec interjected. "As much as I would love to speak my mind freely on the subject, I worry we''d give you some song inspiration that might get you into more trouble than it''s worth." The last thing he wanted to do was have blood on his hands from giving her information they would like to silence her for.


    "I understand. Thank you. So when do I start?"


    "Your pay starts now, but honestly, I need a few days to get us some basic inventory made, so how about this time next week." With their employment details sorted out, Illaria stopped by the bar to deliver the news for Sorali. Alvec, Mavec, and even Bait spent several days making things to sell at the shop they were opening. Alvec placed a strong emphasis on making a lot of cheap items. Having the stock and a variety of items was far more critical than having high-value items. He made sure to get a book made up and placed on the counter, which detailed the various other things he could be commissioned to make. It was the best way to stay reactive and not to burn through every last gold he had. He could also, if money on hand was too tight, go to the academy and offer his services for enchanting. It would fetch a fair price and help him float his shop until he could garner enough support.


    Standing in the shop front, it was finally starting to come together. The building was segmented into three sections, held two labs on either side and the sales area in the center. Bait and Mavec had made a space for clockwork and gunsmithing, which had a serious amount of overlap between them. Bait and Alvec had set up an Alchemy lab, which meant that they had more black powder and ingredients on hand to make black powder than Alvec knew what to do with. The labs were bare bones in decore compared to the sales area. Shelves lined the salesroom, and there was space for spell scrolls, but the wizards hadn''t done much to fill that space. Spell scrolls were both expensive and honestly not in high demand. They''d likely stock some first or second-circle spells eventually.


    Alvec could easily imagine certain protection spells being in high demand. Especially those that dealt with fire. On the same note, he had a section near the front counter devoted to dousing orbs. Potion bottles filled with alchemical reagents designed to put out fires when thrown at them. They were cheap to make and in great demand. Fires were dangerous, and as much as cities tried to find ways to put them out before they consumed whole neighborhoods, it was challenging to deal with them effectively. Keeping one or more of these little things in a kitchen meant you could kill any fire before it got out of hand.


    "So what are we going to call this place anyway?" Mavec asked.


    "Honestly, no idea; naming this is the hard part," Alvec confessed.


    "Maybe we make an acronym out of our names?"


    "We could, but I''m not sure B.A.M. is a good name for our combined shop. Leans a little too heavily into Baits explosive work."


    "A.M.B. sounds dumb, too; M.A.B. also doesn''t have a ring to it. Okay, yeah, the acronym idea is out."


    "Okay, but what if we take that and run with a bit. We offer Alchemy, Clockwork, and Gunsmithing. C.A.G., G.A.C., A.C.G. alright... not quite working either."


    "Well, what if we''re being too specific. You''re offering enchanting and weapons that could be summed up as equipment; what if we used an E instead of a G. That gives us ACE., and that''s a strong word. Maybe we''re Ace Outfitters? Or something like that."


    "Ace Equipage."


    "Alright, that''s probably the best we''ll get on that. No name will be perfect for a combined shop like this." Mavec said as he walked to the counter and wound up one of the small clockwork toys he''d made for the stop. It was a little clockwork squirrel that simply would run around when fully wound. He couldn''t help but hope that these little toys inspired other people to look into Artificy, much like other works he had seen had inspired him. He had plans for larger projects, but those were definitely the sort of things you did on commission and not left stocked in the storefront. For now, providing trinkets like this was more than enough to keep him satisfied.


    "So, is this our retirement plan?" Mavec asked.


    "Something like that; I don''t want to be adventuring for all of my life," Alvec admitted. The future was still hazy, but if A.C.E. took off, it was one other way he could achieve his goal of building a place where he felt he belonged. He''d already done a fine job finding people to share his life with. When time permitted, they would need to head to Lom-Itoti, get some samples, and see if any magic circle could overcome whatever foul effect had turned the village into plants. For now, though, it was time to rest and prepare for the future.

 31: The Festival of Blades

    The city of Sha-Laial was still waking up as Hoc, a Paladin in training, ran down Scythefell Street as fast as he could. The main gate of the compound was closed, as it was still early dawn, and the adventurers who lived there had no need to be up in the pre-dawn hours. He quickly ran to the side gate, which was thankfully unlocked, and let himself in. He rushed to the tower and began to bang on the door.


    A bleary-eyed woman a few years older than him, with hair the color of a setting sun, met him at the tower¡¯s doors. She was not yet in her typical dress and instead met him in a simple, rough-spun tunic and pants. ¡°Hoc friend, what do you need at this hour? Do I be needing to get my sword and the others?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Yes, wait! No, Kinda?!¡± he said, practically vibrating with excitement.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost me a bit, Hoc,¡± she said as she swept her long hair out of her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Festival of Blades! It¡¯s happening soon!¡±


    ¡°Might we be talking about this Festival of Blades later?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Yeah, we can. Stop by the church when you get a chance, and I¡¯ll be sure to fill you guys in on all the Sha-Laial traditions for it. I know they throw it in other places, but everywhere does it differently, right?¡±


    ¡°Thank you kindly, Hoc; now, if you don¡¯t be minding, I¡¯m going back to bed for a few hours. We¡¯ll see you later today,¡± she said before she closed the door on the excitable Paladin in training.


    Illaria followed through on her plan, returning to bed till the sun solidly shone in the sky. The smell of cooking from the kitchen downstairs awoke her. She came down to find Alvec cooking as he did most mornings. He¡¯d told her it was a lot like practicing Alchemy and that making a meal for everyone helped keep his skills sharp. Illaria hadn¡¯t called bullshit on it, but she certainly didn¡¯t think he was being truthful about why he was cooking, least of all to himself. It might have been a tad embarrassing to admit he enjoyed cooking for the motley group of adventurers. Illaria sat at the table and was soon greeted by a plate of eggs and fresh honey wheat rolls. She dug in, stopping afterward to thank him. She felt particularly blessed; Alvec was a better cook than half the Blue Banner army cooks. Maybe there was a smidge of truth in his comparisons to Alchemy after all.


    ¡°What was all that banging earlier?¡± Mavec asked as he poured himself a big mug of coffee he was oh so fond of.


    ¡°Yeah, I thought it was Bait at first, but it didn¡¯t sound like gunshots,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Oh, that was Hoc; he apparently needed to be telling us that the Festival of Blades is going to be happening here in Sha-Laial,¡± Illaria replied.


    ¡°The Festival of Blades? That sounds fun, what is it?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°How do you not know these things?¡± Mavec asked, perplexed as he rubbed his temples.


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    ¡°My village didn¡¯t even have a road to it. Next question?¡± she snapped at him.


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting tournaments held throughout the empire. Each city does them a little differently. Teams sponsored by the banners, by nobles, merchants, and independent entities enter into them and fight it out single elimination style,¡± Illaria informed her.


    ¡°They''ve usually a pretty hefty amount of prize money on the line too. Coffers are running a bit low; could be a good way to get us back solidly in the black,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not even in the red,¡± Alvec chastised while he considered the thought. ¡°Though it would keep us that way for a long while,¡± he stirred the pot behind him with his tail as he faced the table. ¡°I¡¯d be up for entering; what do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fairly new adventurers; this could get us a lot of positive attention, especially if we can win it,¡± said Illaria. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t win, it might get us enough attention to earn us a new job regardless. Though I just now be remembering that Cal Clatterback asked me to stay here, I reckon he wanted to use me either on the Blue Banner team or as a sub should they become too injured during the competition.¡±


    ¡°So, are we going to participate in this?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°I think we should at least go check it out,¡± Alvec stated. ¡°If the entry fee isn¡¯t too steep, maybe we can get in there and make a name for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°We should see Hoc first; he wanted to tell us about local customs. I know we had a lot of street food and nautical-related events in Ac-Aziza. There might have been some dunk into the water and some boat racing available to boot,¡± Illaria noted.


    ¡°Bait say we go now; Bait want to shoot things!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be plenty of time for that, I¡¯m sure,¡± Illaria assured him.


    ¡°Too slow lately, need more action. Fight Pirates or something?!¡± Bait said.


    The group finished their breakfast and departed towards the church. It wouldn¡¯t do to keep Hoc waiting too long. The streets of Sha-Laial were certainly busier than normal. The usual faces were all there, but so many new faces were filtering through the city, too. They¡¯d barely taken a handful of steps down the road before they found Ij struggling to carry several bags full of canvas and paint. It was stacked over his eyes, so he could only squint around the side to see if he was about to walk into anyone. Naya darted over and offloaded one of the bags from him rather forcefully.


    ¡°Help, I¡¯m being robbed! HELP!¡± he screamed at the top of his lungs.


    The crowd on the street looked over, confused. Mavec raised his hands. ¡°Everyone ignore the artist for a moment. He¡¯s both an idiot, and the bag was in the way of him seeing who was helping carry his bags.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Hey neighbors. Sorry about that; this is just my whole livelihood and all. I¡¯d be delighted if you could help me get these to my room. Gotta get prepared, mix up my paints, and be ready to paint a lot of godawful derivative bullshit... but hey, it pays the bills, I guess,¡± he said with the saddest smile Illaria had ever seen.


    ¡°Let''s get these to your doorstep at least,¡± Naya said as she walked to the boarding house across the street. An old man¡¯s laughter met her as she took the steps.


    ¡°Lending a helping hand, I see; always glad to see a little good in the world,¡± Edis said as he waved hello.


    ¡°Well, hello to you too, Edis. If I leave these here, you¡¯ll watch over them, right? It would be a shame if Ij couldn¡¯t pay his rent because he lost all of his painting supplies,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re safe while he runs in and puts them away. Green Banner Scouts honor,¡± he said, a wide, brimming smile across his face.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Before Ij had even taken the steps up to the wrap-around porch, Naya was already bounding toward the church to rejoin the others. She¡¯d never been to any Festival of Blades before and wanted to know the whole scoop from Hoc. It must have been pretty special if he¡¯d come to bang on their door so early in the morning.

 32: Wizards Hate This One Weird Trick

    All the extra cleanings that Hoc and Sarbie had been asked to perform clearly had paid off. The church practically looked like a bastion of shining gold set among simple wooden houses. Hoc and Sarbie were both dressed in slightly fancier versions of their regular outfits.


    ¡°Pardon me, but have I perhaps missed a minor holy day venerated by the Church of Kushang?¡± Illaria asked. ¡°You both look very nice; I¡¯m just a bit out of the loop, it seems.¡±


    Hoc laughed heartily at the question. ¡°No, this is all due to the Festival of Blades! Rumor has it that TaeCol will be one of the judges during the event! He hasn¡¯t been to visit Sha-Laial in some time! He¡¯s the most famous Paladin in the whole order! Everything has to look exactly perfect for him.¡±


    ¡°Hoc looks up to him as a role model if you hadn¡¯t already figured that out,¡± Sarbie said. She looked a little less thrilled about the topic at hand.


    ¡°Come on, Sarbie, we should be honored to be graced by him. He¡¯s a living legend! Responsible for helping end Ageneon''s War! Don¡¯t pretend you''re not at least a little excited.¡±


    ¡°That''s all well and good, but this is more your thing than mine,¡± she reminded him.


    ¡°So, what do they usually do here in Sha-Laial to celebrate the Festival of Blades?¡± Illaria asked. ¡°Other than the tournament itself. Is it still teams of five?¡±


    Hoc was practically beaming as he answered. ¡°Here in Sha-Laial, we do teams of five, too. As far as attractions, first and foremost, they obviously build a wooden stadium in one of the open fields; pretty sure that happens at every Festival of Blades. The real action is along the river. Lots of street food and attractions. Merchants from all over set up along the river walk and sell their wares. Painters like that Ij fellow are also all over the place. If anyone has a good or a service to provide, they make it available.¡±


    ¡°Anyone sells cheese?¡± Bait asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain there were some vendors who carried cheese, but I don¡¯t remember anyone specializing in it outside of Ben. You know what I do remember, though?¡± Hoc asked with a grin. ¡°Some absolute genius made a slingshot that launched people into the river. You had to sign a waiver just to participate. I really hope they bring that back again. There are also plenty of carnival-style games and a few other traditions. Lots of cool lantern lights get hung over the river walk, and there''s a ritual about releasing little paper boats with candles onto the river, too. They also hold a few events for the competing teams so people can get a feel for what the team represents.¡±


    ¡°Any idea how much it costs to enter the festival as a competitor?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°No idea, wait, are you guys considering putting in for it? That would be awesome! I¡¯d know someone competing in the festival. You guys have to promise to tell me if you get in!¡±


    ¡°If you guys are going to try to participate, you¡¯re going to want to head over to Ardon field; that''s where they¡¯re building it this year. I overheard some of our priests talking about assisting with the wards,¡± Sarbie said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to figure out how they do that particular enchantment,¡± Alvec mused. ¡°It''s supposed to stop any of the damage from becoming lethal. I¡¯ve got a few guesses, but I¡¯ve never been close enough to get a good look.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that, ¡°Sarbie said as she motioned for Hoc to join her. ¡°We¡¯ve still got a long list of cleaning projects left. They want this place to look like it¡¯s never been used.¡±


    Hoc let out a sigh before he shuffled away from the group. ¡°She¡¯s right; they are pulling out every possible stop to make this place shine like nothing has before. They even hired someone to put gold, silver, and copper filigree into our doors and benches. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it looks stunning, but shouldn¡¯t we spend the money on a more practical cause? There have to be other things that would benefit from this type of funding, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably, but this festival brings in a lot of tourism and taxes, which means those projects will benefit regardless of the churches'' direct expenditures,¡± Sarbie stated.


    ¡°This is too much money talk for me,¡± Hoc said as he returned to cleaning.


    ¡°Bait bored, too,¡± the goblin grumbled. ¡°Let''s leave stupid clean church. Smells like lemon, lemon offensive to Goblin society.¡±


    ¡°I hate to agree with Bait, but I don¡¯t want to hear anything more about economic theory,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll get on our way,¡± Illaria said before leading the group back out of the church. The field they needed to go to was a relatively large open space west of the river. It was near the city''s northern section, and it was easy to see how the river street was being transformed for the festival. Areas of the road had been cordoned off with wooden stakes in the ground and a rope around them.


    ¡°If we fail to get into the festival as combatants, maybe we can buy a stall and offer some equipment from ACE Equipage,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°That would be a good business move,¡± Illaria responded. ¡°The stalls likely aren¡¯t very expensive since they are pop-up stalls only used during the festival.¡±


    Arriving at the field, it was clear that the construction of the stands was well underway. They were raised about three or four stories high and in a reasonably wide circle. Taking a glance, it didn¡¯t look like they had begun any of the enchanting yet. The first bit would be to ensure no damage spilled into the crowd. That part was easy enough to imagine. Barriers of force would solve that issue easily. The harder one, and Alvec was far more interested in, was how they kept the participants from dying.


    While Alvec was busy looking over at the stands being built. Mavec spotted a familiar face in the crowd and broke away from the group quickly. The last year or so of his life had been ruined by this man. He¡¯d swindled and stolen from Mavec¡¯s community, skipping town to leave Mavec to suffer the backlash alone. This pretentious young man, with his smug smile and cocky prim and proper posture, was infuriating. His clothes were well-tailored and made of finer materials. Clean slacks and a pristine silk shirt portrayed the image of a man who wasn¡¯t even good at the craft he professed to practice. Artificy was more than just the designs; it was about the feeling of working with metals and grease, of twisting them in new ways that created fantastic results. Warren didn¡¯t practice the craft; he merely talked about it while others did the real work.


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    As he got closer, Mavec was certain this was Warren Alston. He¡¯d know that mug anywhere.


    ¡°Warren, Warren Alston, right?¡± Mavec said as he approached him.


    The man looked at him, eyes briefly going wide with recognition before he adopted a false smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, have we meet?¡±


    Mavec¡¯s eye twitched as he smiled. ¡°Oh, just a case of mistaken identity, I guess!¡±


    He turned away from the man and took a half step away before he spun around and slammed his fist into Warren¡¯s face. ¡°Remember me now?! I do! Like I could forget your damn smug mug after everything you¡¯ve done to me?¡±


    Warren stumbled backward, clenching at his bleeding nose.


    Naya raised her fist in the air and started to holler, ¡°Fight, fight, fight!¡±


    ¡°Should we be stopping this?¡± Illaria asked her hand already positioned on her sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never known Mavec to just punch anyone before; I figure there has to be a damn good reason,¡± Alvec said as he stood back. ¡°Maybe if either of them goes for a spell, but supposing they don¡¯t... I think we just let them punch it out.¡±


    ¡°Wizard fight, Wizard fight, wizard fight!¡± Naya continued chanting.


    The two casters struggled against each other, grappling on the ground. Neither looked particularly good at it, and Alvec was at least reassured neither could kill the other. A small ring of other wizards was gathering around to watch the entertainment. Eventually, a gruff-looking dwarf pushed his way through the crowd.


    ¡°What''s all the racket about? Break it up, Break it up!¡± he shouted. The dwarf grabbed Mavec and pulled him from the man that none of the party recognized. Leaving the man to scramble up and walk away as fast as he could. Mavec struggled to escape the dwarf''s grip but could not as he grasped for Warren.


    ¡°Running away, coward! Warren Alston, a thief, and a coward!¡± He shouted as loud as he could.


    ¡°Alright, kid, you¡¯re coming with me. Let''s go talk about this somewhere more private.¡± The dwarf said, pulling him into a tent nearby. Alvec followed. He had forgotten the man''s name, but it was the master of Artificy at Sha-Laial¡¯s academy. Alvec flashed his badge and entered the tent.


    ¡°Sorry about this, sir; I¡¯m unsure what got into him. All I know is that he¡¯s never done this before, so I assume there''s a good reason,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Damn straight, there''s a good reason,¡± Mavec seethed. ¡°That rat bastard stole my designs, passed off his shoddy work as mine, and got me run out of my hometown. He¡¯s a thief, a fraud, and a coward. Fuck him.¡±


    ¡°You have any proof of this claim?¡± the dwarf asked.


    ¡°Yeah, just look under Piquora¡¯s hood; you¡¯ll find some of the same components. Look at the leg joints specifically; that''s where I saw the most similarity,¡± Mavec replied. Alvec raised his eyebrows. The dwarf did as Mavec suggested, popping open some panels and examining how the legs of the robot worked.


    ¡°By Sarosa, I¡¯ll be damned. This work looks exactly like the joints he submitted with the academy''s Artificy team. We¡¯ll have to explore this allegation more seriously later. For now, though, it''s already submitted; until after the tournament ends, there won¡¯t be anyone willing to investigate it. You understand, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I understand you don¡¯t want to admit your team uses stolen parts!¡± Mavec shouted back.


    ¡°Mavec, shouting at him isn¡¯t going to be productive. Of course, the academy won¡¯t do anything this close to the festival that might jeopardize their chances of winning. It''s the smart business play here, and you know it,¡±Illaria said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it, and it doesn¡¯t mean it''s right.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, surely there has to be more we can do,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°Well, if you want to kick the tar out of him in a legally sanctioned fight, you could all see about participating in the Festival of Blades. It would certainly put a lens up to Warren Alston. Which, if what you say is true, would not be a good thing for him,¡± the dwarf said.


    ¡°And how much exactly would the entry fee be?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°That would be about 40,000 gold pieces. Costs a lot of money to keep those wards up,¡± the dwarf said.


    Alvec nodded in agreement; protecting such a wide area and from so many possible sources of damage meant that it was likely not a single enchantment but dozens of them layered atop each other. Strangely enough, he¡¯d heard people refer to this as the cheese method. Each piece of the defense might have an obvious defect, so you added another layer that precisely compensated for it. Spells as strong as this likely consumed whatever material was used in their casting. Perhaps some rare metal or hard stone was consumed by the spell.


    ¡°That''s...¡± Illaria paused as she contemplated how much gold she had on hand remaining. It wasn¡¯t much. Upgrading her gear had been expensive. She had maybe a few thousand gold pieces left, and looking at the rest of the group, it seemed to be about the same situation. Over the last few weeks, everyone had either taken Alvec up on his enchanting or sought specialty items that Alvec couldn¡¯t get. ¡°...a lot more gold than we have,¡± she said, frowning.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need to find forty thousand gold as soon as possible. How long do we have till applications close?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°About two weeks, we need to allow for more people to arrive in the city,¡± said the Dwarf.


    ¡°Alvec, what''s the play?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°We look for someone to sponsor us. Lahzan of the bellforge, the Church of Kushang, a noble house, or maybe even Ben? Forty thousand is a lot of money, and we will need someone with deep pockets in our corner if we can get a sponsor. If not... if not, we¡¯ll have to try to find something which could be lucrative,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Ok, so we divide up and seek out these people?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the church this time,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°Bait, go ask Ben. Ben cheese master, he will definitely help his cheese acolyte,¡± The goblin said as he scampered out of the room.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m going with Bait. I¡¯d suggest the academy, but we already know they''re in with Warren, so I¡¯ve got no idea who else to ask,¡± Mavec stated as he rushed after Bait to join him on his impromptu trip to Archer''s Market.


    ¡°That leaves me Lahzan, which makes sense,¡± said Alvec. ¡°From one tiefling to another is probably the best bet. I hope he¡¯s arrived in the city already. I¡¯ve got a strong feeling he won¡¯t be missing out on this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let''s all be going,¡± Illaria said before heading out of the tent.


    ¡°It''s been a pleasure; please forgive Mavec for his actions. Sounds like that Warren guy had it coming,¡± Alvec said before ducking out with Naya right behind him. Alvec let out a sigh as he and Naya began the trek through town. Hopefully, at least one group would have luck securing financial support. Otherwise, participating in the Festival of Blades was a dream.

 33: Benefactors

    Searching for Lahzan in Sha-Laial shouldn¡¯t be too hard. If he was here, he¡¯d be with other Tieflings, and an influx of them would be easy to track down. He was a man of taste, too, so he¡¯d likely head to one of the fancier inns. That meant he¡¯d be looking along the river on the eastern or western sides near the central bridge. Thankfully, there were only a handful of inns that met that description. He struck out on the first two on the eastern side of the river. Luck was with him at the third stop. He hadn¡¯t even had to talk awkwardly with the clerks behind the checkout desk. Lahzan was sitting in the lobby while a group of sturdy-looking Tieflings moved their stuff into the inn.


    ¡°Lahzan, I knew I¡¯d find you here,¡± Alvec said quickly, rushing to sit opposite him.


    ¡°Alvec Snaptail, how have you been since the party?¡± Lahzan asked, his eyes lighting up.


    Naya took a seat tentatively beside Alvec and looked over her shoulder. She could see Echo standing up and looking into the inn. He was such a good boy. Getting a proper look at Lahzan, she could see why Alvec had thought to seek this man out. He certainly looked as if he was cut from money. He wore a sharp, well-tailored charcoal-black suit, and his shoes were so shiny that she could practically see herself in them. His hair was well groomed, and the salt and peppering of it made him look particularly distinguished.


    Alvec didn¡¯t look entirely like he belonged sitting across from him, yet he also looked supremely confident and comfortable. Alvec''s outfit was clean, but the bandelier full of alchemical tonics and explosives painted a different image from the businessman across the table.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve been good. I''m finally getting settled into the tower,¡± said Alvec. ¡°That''s what Cellocht''s gift was, a property that used to be owned by the Six Strengths, a martial guild that existed here before the wars.¡±


    ¡°That''s good to hear. Is it just a barracks, then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, it''s got a tower, a few training yards, a stable, and most importantly, a few outbuildings. We¡¯ve decided to set up a shop out of those. ACE Equipage here for your alchemy, clockwork, and equipment needs, such as enchanting and gunsmithing.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit risky in a place like Sha-Laial? Competing with the academy will be difficult,¡± Lahzan mused.


    ¡°Perhaps, if we were going into this unprepared,¡± Alvec said with a flourish. ¡°Knowing that we¡¯ve got stiff competition from the academy, we¡¯ve been careful in constructing our business model. We¡¯ve stocked up on low-end items and have a commission system for higher-tier items. We¡¯re trying to make stock people will actually buy and advertise our ability to create things for them. Since we expect lower business, it means we¡¯ll thrive on being agile.¡±


    Lahzan nodded along. ¡°It makes sense, so long as your goals are modest, it sounds achievable. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re planning on expanded locations; it''s just to be a mom-and-pop alchemist shop that occasionally takes on high-paying jobs like enchanting. So what brings you here anyway?¡± he asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t announce I was coming, nor have I been here long. Since you have a place in the city, you aren¡¯t staying here either, so you clearly came to see me.¡±


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    ¡°Come on, Lahzan, you wouldn¡¯t miss the Festival of Blades. Too good of an opportunity to advertise for the Bellforge,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Right you are,¡± Lahzan replied. ¡°But why here?¡±


    ¡°Alvec said you were fairly upper class, and that meant you¡¯d be near the eastern side of the river if you could help it,¡± Naya chimed in. ¡°This wasn¡¯t our first guess, but it took less time than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Ah, and you are?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Naya, I¡¯ve been traveling with Alvec. I was at Cellocht''s party as well.¡±


    Lahzan snapped his fingers as she jogged his memory. ¡°You were being honored for saving a merchant from an assassin vine strike! I remember now. Cellocht gifted you a ring.¡± He paused for a moment, giving her a quick evaluation.¡°So again, I ask my friends, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for patronage to enter the Festival of Blades as contestants. We¡¯ve got a good, strong, and diverse team. The entry fee is forty thousand. Even a partial backing would be exceptional.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Alvec, but I must pass on that offer. You might be the hero of Rust Hill, but I can¡¯t back you in good faith, not when I¡¯m putting up my own team.¡±


    Alvec let out a soft sigh. ¡°I thought that might be the case, seeing how many other Tieflings traveled with you. Damn shame.¡±


    ¡°Any chance you can get some clients before the deadline?¡± Lahzan asked. ¡°A single good magic item sale could provide you entry.¡±


    ¡°It''s a possibility, but I fear it might be a bit of a challenge. It''s hard enough to find buyers for magic items, let alone expensive ones like that.¡±


    ¡°I wish you the best of luck on this; you understand, right?¡± Lahzan askd.


    ¡°I know, it''s just a business move,¡± Alvec said, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°If I see anyone needing enchanting work, I promise to send them your way.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alvec said, looking at the other tieflings. Their skin was all a bright, noticeable shade of red, and their horns were all rather pronounced, shooting straight up from their skulls centered towards the front. Tieflings came in all colors and all styles of horns and tails. Some had enlarged teeth, and others had thick skin or sharp claws. Some, like Alvec, could almost pass for humans if it weren¡¯t for the horns and tail. ¡°I figure, if they¡¯re good at forging bells, they¡¯ll be equally good at fighting.¡±


    ¡°A good bet,¡± Naya said. ¡°But don¡¯t count us out yet.¡± The sum of gold felt insurmountable, but their search for funding had only just begun. The team wasn¡¯t going to take a defeat lying down. They¡¯d find something for sure.


    ¡°Would you both like to stay for some coffee?¡± Lahzan asked, gesturing towards a tiny kitchenette in the corner of the lobby. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can share some more gossip.¡±


    ¡°There is one more thing I need to ask about,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Shortly after the party, I was tasked with finding a man by the name of Tyir; it sounds a bit like a Tiefling name to me. Have you ever met anyone by that name?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have,¡± Lahzan said. ¡°Who asked you to look for them? And why didn''t they give you more details? I¡¯m sensing a story there.¡±


    ¡°A little bit of one,¡± said Alvec. ¡°A dying man asked me to find him and deliver a message, but he passed before we could ask him any clarifying questions. Just trying to do right by the man''s memory.¡±


    ¡°That''s a shame; good on you for trying to do the right thing. I appreciate that.¡± Lahzan said.


    Another strike out, but to be honest, Lahzan might have known them because he was a well-connected man. Outside of that, there wasn¡¯t any reason to suspect he knew this Tyir.

 34: Boar Eaters

    The mismatched pair of adventurers were halfway across the city in no time. Mavec was particularly grouchy as he fought through the crowds to keep pace with Bait, who managed to seamlessly scamper between the bustling people with an ease Mavec envied. The sun was still high as they finally reached the gate they needed and headed out onto the open road. It couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour before Bait stopped raising a hand over his large, beady eyes and looking down the road.


    ¡°Mavec might be trouble. See thing hiding in the brush,¡± Bait said, grabbing out his musket.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Mavec said as he reached down and touched Piquora; arcane energy warped around her, insulating her from any would-be attacks. The pair approached the possible ambush sight carefully.


    ¡°Everyone come out,¡± Came a voice as a goblin riding on top of a goblin dog emerged from the underbrush. The creatures still vexed Mavec. They looked like a medium-sized dog, a hairless cat, and a rat, all at the same time. Lanky, naked, and gross. ¡°Just another Goblin. Where clan?¡± He asked, pointing a spear at Bait.


    ¡°Bait no know, who you?¡± He said, looking up at the goblin on its dog. He was shirtless, with lots of jewelry made of teeth. Bracelets and necklaces were full of incisors. What clothing he did wear was furs over his legs and waist. He had far more hair than Bait, a nice little mohawk of chalk blue hair.


    ¡°I am Boogie, Leader of the BOAR EATER CLAN!¡± he shouted as he brandished his spear into the air.


    ¡°Boar eaters sound dumb. Cheese better.¡±


    ¡°Boar eaters eat cheese too, but we hunt boar with the spear. Spear best weapon,¡± Boogie insisted.


    ¡°No, Boom-boom, best weapon!¡± Bait shouted back.


    ¡°No, stab-stab best weapon.¡±


    ¡°Boom, boom!¡±


    ¡°Stab-Stab!¡±


    ¡°Are we seriously debating which weapon is better... because it''s the gun,¡± Mavec stated.


    ¡°Who ask you, hooman?¡± Boogie asked.


    ¡°No one, but your argument was dumb, and Bait was clearly right,¡± Mavec responded.


    ¡°Why you here?¡± Bait asked, pointing at the goblin.


    ¡°We travel far to fight in Festival of Blades. Prize money helps us find a thing. No tell dumb boom-boom lover, though.¡±


    ¡°How you pay?¡±


    ¡°Of course, spear is best weapon; of course, we pay. We no dumb boom-boom goblins. See!¡± he said, pointing to several large sacks of coins.


    Bait frowned. ¡°Bait wish Illaria was here; then we take their coin, problem solved.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not stealing. It would make this faster but bring me down to Warren¡¯s level. No, thank you,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°As if you could, Boar Eater Clan too strong to be robbed by lonely little boom-boom maker.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, eat shit, too,¡± Mavec said as he walked past them. ¡°Come on, Bait, we¡¯ve got to talk with Ben. We can leave this prehistoric trash behind.¡±


    ¡°Bait agree,¡± he said, jogging past them and continuing down the road to Archers Market. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and they reached Ben¡¯s cheese shop before the mid-day. Ben and Biswell were both outside. Ben was still particularly bandaged up, and Biswell was thankfully not. Bait ran over to Ben, and the two wandered off momentarily to chat. Leaving Biswell and Mavec alone.


    ¡°So, uh, why exactly do you work here?¡± Mavec asked. Biswell smirked at him.


    ¡°HEY, BEN,¡± Biswell hollered over to the pair of short humanoids, ¡°I need a raise!¡±


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± Ben shouted back.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even ask how much,¡± Mavec exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need two more gold a month!¡± Biswell shouted.


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    ¡°So it shall be,¡± Ben shouted once more.


    Biswell turned and smiled widely at Mavec. ¡°I could ask for the same thing tomorrow, and I¡¯d get it without him even batting an eye. The little guy is a loon, but he pays his people well. As a former supply officer, doing this kind of work is easy for me, and the pay is exceptional.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I should have guessed the little weirdo paid well,¡± Mavec said, nodding.


    ¡°Ben, Bait need money. Forty thousand gold pieces. Bait and friends want to fight in Festival of Blades. We promote Ben¡¯s company while we compete. Name team after Ben?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Ben drawled. ¡°Are you sure you will win? Bring honor to my cheesery?¡±


    ¡°Bait hopes to win.¡±


    ¡°Hope is not enough, Bait; you must win if I am to give you the gold.¡±


    Bait wanted to say yes. It easy to say yes. Bait know he could win. Bait no know if he will win. Every battle a risk. Boom-boom was good, but couldn¡¯t make sure he won.


    ¡°Bait, no promise to win. Battles hard. No knowing till dust clear,¡±


    Ben smiled wide at Bait''s answer. ¡°Then I shall not be supporting you with gold but something else. In the Valley of Steam, you will find a rare goop harvested from the hot springs. Use this ingredient when making your first cheese in your own forge.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, Cheese quest. This help Bait, too! Forget Festival; need cheese ingredient. Mavec, we go now!¡± Bait said as he headed back over to Mavec and Biswell. ¡°We go now, no fund, but gather team, we go to Valley of Steam. Get super-rare cheese ingredient, start cheese empire!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Bait, I¡¯d be willing to go there, but I don¡¯t think we can start a successful cheese empire that could make us forty thousand gold in two weeks. Just seems like a lot.¡±


    ¡°Do not doubt the power of cheese?¡± Bait asked as he wagged his finger at Mavec.


    ¡°Let''s head back; maybe someone else will have had better luck figuring out how we¡¯re going to get forty thousand gold,¡± Mavec said, heading back towards the road to Sha-Laial.


    Illaria at the church


    Illaria sat in one of the private rooms enjoying tea with one of the head priests. The room was opulent, and she felt out of place there. Especially since she was in just plain old clothing. The cup of tea was in a porcelain cup on the desk, and she sat in a delightfully comfortable chair. The man across from her was old enough to be her grandfather with white hair.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we won¡¯t be able to honor that request,¡± he said before he took a long sip from his own cup of tea. His robes were primarily white, with an inlay of gold, silver, and some copper wound jewelry.


    ¡°Even if I offer the deed to the tower as collateral?¡± she asked.


    ¡°While a fantastic offer, unfortunately, I still can¡¯t go for it,¡± he said as he swept his head from one side to the other. ¡°I hate to pass up on such a good offer. Father Efran of Ac-Rilir wanted that property so badly.¡±


    ¡°Could you be providing an explanation as to why? I don¡¯t understand what about this proposition isn¡¯t good?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°It''s simple; we¡¯d be competing against ourselves. While the church doesn''t have a specific team, our members are hired out to nobles frequently, and more importantly, the Red and Blue Banner armies are supplemented with members from our ranks. We would most assuredly be fighting against our own brothers. Thus, we can¡¯t, in good faith, fund another team.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Illaria stated, taking another long sip from the cup before her. ¡°Thank you very much for the tea. It''s not my usual beverage of choice, but I am thankful nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°And I thank you for thinking of us and stopping in. Your group has certainly livened up the street. It''s also nice to see Sarbie and Hoc making friends near their age.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve both been very helpful to us. It''s a pleasure to have met them,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°I wish I had any tips or advice for you. Perhaps one of the barkeeps will have a better idea of what you should do? This challenge could be insurmountable, though. Forty thousand gold, in only about two weeks, will be more than most people could hope to raise.¡±


    ¡°I know, it''s just that our artificer really wants in on this. One of the opposing teams has a man who stole his designs on it. The only chance he has of putting the spotlight on this other man''s theft is to participate at the least, if not win,¡± Illaria said as she finished her cup, thanked the cleric, and left.


    Hoc met her in the lobby. ¡°Illaria, is it really true? You guys are going to compete in the festival?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying Hoc, but so far, we¡¯ve not been able to secure funding. It''s a lot more than any of us have on hand. Hopefully, someone in our group hasn¡¯t struck out.¡±


    ¡°It would be so cool to see you guys competing.¡±


    ¡°It would be exciting,¡± Sarbie chimed in. ¡°I wish I had any advice for you guys, but I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯d get that kind of money quickly.¡±


    Illaria bid them goodbye and headed back to the tower. Over the day, the rest of the party filtered in and gathered to discuss how their efforts had gone.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve got nothing,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°This is impossibly frustrating!¡± Mavec shouted.


    ¡°Maybe Edis and Nora have that kind of money saved away? Former Green Banner army and all?¡± Naya suggested.


    ¡°I already told you, we go to Valley of Steam, get special cheese ingredient, then we make amazing cheese to share with world. Gold flow like da river into our hands.¡±


    ¡°Bait, I appreciate that you think we can be solving every problem with cheese, but I don¡¯t think it actually works like that,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Truth, some problems are solved by boom boom. Wish we could have boom-boomed stupid boar eaters.¡±


    ¡°Either way, I think we¡¯ll be needing to find a new solution,¡± Illaria stated. The group gathered around the dinner table as Alvec started to cook. The team floated dozens of outlandish ideas as they broke bread over the long wooden table.

 35: The Law Officers of Abal, Feng, and Krog

    A knock at the door broke everyone out of their annoyed chit-chat. Naya rushed to open it, revealing one of their lawyers, Krog, stood on the other side. He seemed so much smaller here than he was in his own office. The cramped hallways and drawing rooms of the lawyers office made this already tall and gruff man seem to be an absolute giant. Here, where the rooms were designed for human comfort, he seemed much less imposing.


    ¡°We drew straws on which one of us got to visit you at the tower. I drew the short straw, and I couldn¡¯t be more delighted. I love my coworkers, but the house is built for halflings, and a halfling I am not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, welcome on in then?¡± Naya said, glancing at everyone else. ¡°We know him, right?¡± She mouthed over to Mavec, who sat closest to the door.


    ¡°He¡¯s one of our lawyers,¡± Mavec responded out loud.


    ¡°My apologies, I¡¯m Krog. Of Abal, Feng, and Krog. Figured everyone here knew us by reputation, if nothing else,¡± he said as he walked in. Krog was only average height and weight for a middle-aged orc; Illaria stood slightly taller than him. He had the look of a lawyer, wearing a brown and almost frumpy suit. ¡°Anyway, I have some good news for you today! We¡¯ve settled the issue of your tax bill with the city government. In total, you owe them about thirty gold. As for us, we are owed five more gold. I¡¯d call that a pretty sound investment, seeing as they had you down for thirty thousand.¡± He smiled very wide.


    ¡°Whoo,¡± Mavec said, devoid of any emotion. Alvec walked forward and extended his hand to shake.


    ¡°Forgive my companion, this is most excellent news, and we¡¯re very excited,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Well, Mavec sure isn¡¯t,¡± Krog said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive him; we¡¯ve encountered some difficulty. He¡¯s dead set on getting us registered for the Festival of Blades, but we don¡¯t exactly have the money for the registration fee,¡± Alvec informed him.


    ¡°We have a few thousand gold between the lot of us, certainly not enough to pay entrance, and all of our efforts have been for naught,¡± Illaria stated.


    Naya sank onto the ground and used Echo as a pillow. ¡°It sucks. I wanted to fight! I think Pacta will be here with the Red Banner army,¡± Naya stated. ¡°I know I beat her at Cellocht''s party, but I don¡¯t know if I could do that outside of one-on-one combat.¡±


    ¡°So what I¡¯m hearing is that you guys need a way to make some money fast,¡± Krog said as he sat at the table, stroking his chin.


    ¡°Have you thought about going onto Throne Land and reclaiming salvage?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Thought that was illegal; our run-in with the Gold Banner Army had them threatening legal action because of that very thing,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know he was wrong in your case. The items you recovered were not part of the original survey; they were items abandoned on the Throne Land after the survey. Making them abandoned property and not the property of the throne. You¡¯d be perfectly fine to take such things if you could find a suitable site.¡±


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    ¡°Bait already know where we go. VALLEY OF STEAM, Ben says so! Make special cheese!¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Krog said as he paused for a moment. ¡°I think your goblin friend might be onto something.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°If memory serves,¡± Krog began as he tapped a finger to his chin. ¡°The academy sent a fairly large expedition into the valley of steam. I don¡¯t know what they were there to study or the results of their expedition. Still, I know that it was abandoned, and due to the difficulties of accessing the site, a large amount of equipment was left behind. Considering the thermal activity there, you may easily find some enchanted items. Those alone would fetch a good amount of money. Perhaps enough if sold back to the academy to make it worth your trip out there.¡±


    ¡°How far away is the Valley of Steam? We¡¯ve only got about two weeks to get there and back,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°About four or so days travel from here. If you leave tonight, you should be able to make it so long as you only stay a few days there. If we swing by the office, I might have a map noting the approximate location of the abandoned worksite. They filed a rather hefty loss on their taxes to the city that year with us. It won¡¯t be precise, but it should be helpful,¡± Krog said.


    ¡°What do we think, guys? Want to race against the clock to recover some abandoned gear and sell it back to the same dopes that lost it in the first place?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Not really seeing much else of a choice. How else will we get that kind of money in any reasonable time frame?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Alrighty then, everyone suit up; we leave as soon as we get this map from Krog,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Copy of the map; I¡¯d be in hot water if the original disappeared. Record keeping and all that,¡± Krog said.


    ¡°Understood, a copy is more than fine by us,¡± Alvec said as he rushed to gather his pack and restock his bandolier with alchemical items.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go speak to people at the academy, find out what they were investigating over there?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Do you really think we have time for that?¡± Naya responded.


    ¡°No, let''s just get over there and recover their left behind equipment,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll excuse myself and go find that map,¡± Krog said before he made a beeline to his place just down the street. The rest of the party finished tidying things up. Serali was informed that they would be out of town for a few days and gifted all the extra coin she might need to feed the colony of cats who lived in and around the tower.


    With that done, the group headed off to the lawyer''s office. Illaria opted to wait outside; like Krog, she could appreciate wanting to stay out of the house. The rest of the group squeezed into the dwelling and the drawing room with Krog. He already had it laid out on the table and was copying some of his notes from it onto a brand-new map. ¡°You can pay me for the map later. We keep extras on hand for just such occasions.¡± Only a few moments later, he passed the maps off to Alvec. ¡°I hope they serve you well and that this is more than a fool''s errand. I don¡¯t think many people know about the academy''s expedition there, so I doubt it''s been pilfered through already.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Krog. You might have just done so right by me; I can¡¯t put it into words. If we find what we need, I¡¯ll have to buy you a drink,¡± Mavec said as he squeezed back out towards the door. Being around Bait was tolerable so long as you were upwind of him in this cramped space; well, he didn¡¯t want to stand next to the walking garbage heap.


    The group slowly filed out, saying their goodbyes to Krog and beginning to make their way back outside the walls of Sha-Laial. It was already somewhat late in the evening, but some light was still left to burn, and they didn¡¯t have time to waste. They could travel a bit by torchlight or basic spells if needed. Whatever got them closer to reaching the valley of steam as quickly as they could.

 36: The Valley of Steam

    The days of travel were safe, leading up to the Throne Land. The look of trees and the very dirt of the earth felt different here. Despite the rushing and running waters, the sea breeze seemed stale, almost acrid and stagnant. The dirt was more yellowed than any that Alvec was used to seeing. Much of the Empire had fertile soil, a rich dark color with red clay mixed here and there. No, this soil was a chalky sandy brown that seemed a bit loose beneath their feet. The trees were all deciduous, overtaking what might have once been a pathway through here. It was still possible to follow the trail, but it was far more of a struggle than it should have been.


    Following the path as best they could, they eventually stumbled across a small river and water geysers, which erupted into twenty or thirty-foot columns of blistering water. Steam billowed out around them in thick clouds. This sort of geography, while very much native, was also incredibly alien to the group. The coastline, which Illaria and Bait frequented, had nothing to compare this to, and the lands of Alvec¡¯s youth were also devoid of this kind of volcanic activity. Among the blasts of water and along the black stone embankment of this small river, four small pink creatures wearing leather armor walked the beach. Curiously, each had a large black dead snake draped around their neck.


    ¡°Kobolds,¡± Bait hissed in annoyance. Kobolds like Goblins, small and known for mischief. But dey dumb, dey little lizard folks who worship dragons. Dey no know the glory of Dogmother. Stupid Kobold just walk on two legs like goblins, but inferior in everyway. Bait no see any boom booms with them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t suppose they¡¯re friendly, do you?¡± Naya asked as she ducked behind a tree to stay out of sight.


    ¡°Bait, go find out!¡± he said before he stumbled out from the tree line. He scampered towards them and shouted. ¡°Hey, you friends?¡± As Bait approached them, he realized two of them looked too big. Like they were inflating and deflating with each breath, they were very buff-looking kobolds when their bodies swelled up with air. Not so much when they breathed it out. Looked kinda of scary, almost dead or possessed. Though Bait no see anything else wrong with them. The creatures hissed and drew weapons, charging for the group. Bait took aim with his musket and pulled the trigger. The rounds slammed into the buff kobold charging at him, and they seemed to let out a low whistling sound as they kept moving toward him. ¡°Not Friends!¡± Bait yelled back to the group. Illaria rushed forward; she unsheathed her wakizashi with one smooth motion and slashed at the kobold charging Bait. It managed to sidestep at the last second, her blade singing by it only centimeters from its skin.


    Naya rushed forward in front of Bait, taking a defensive stance. Having worked with Illaria for a while now, she¡¯d noticed something. Illaria was faster than she was. Not necessarily in terms of reflexes but in how much ground she could cover. She was quick as a literal wolf, without the help of any magic. There were spells Naya could cast to do that, but to do so naturally was amazing. Echo could, however, make it all the way to the one Illaria was now engaged with. The wolf did so; he went off to the creature''s right side as he had been trained. He snapped his jaws at the kobold, and the tiny thing quickly shifted out of the way.


    Energy surged through the air around them; an arcane spell was coming together above Naya and Bait. Both of them dove for the ground as a super-heated cloud of steam erupted around them. The heat burned the back of Bait''s nearly bald head. Naya was almost entirely protected against it, her hair shielding her neck. Only the back of her hands burned a bit. The heat from the steam dissipated quickly, but the fog remained. Bait couldn''t get a clean shot.


    Things had unfolded quickly enough that Alvec hadn¡¯t been able to armor up before the fight. As such, he hung back, gathering his arcane armor around himself. He and Rem ran forward to support Bait as soon as that was done. Mavec also hung back, but he sent Piquora ahead. There were indeed some benefits of having a construct like Piquora. It meant he could hang back and let her do the work. The fog cloud presented a challenge because it completely blocked any view of the combatants in the geyser field. He¡¯d have to chance leaving the cover of the trees if he wanted to contribute anything to the fight. So he did, breaking hard left up the embankment, trying to gain some altitude.


    Bait got up from the ground and rushed out of the steam cloud. He took aim at the one Illaria and Echo were fighting and placed a shot at it. It let out another strange hiss and stumbled backward. Moments later, from the fog cloud, two of the kobolds whose bodies seemed larger than they should be swept out of the mist and began trying to claw at Bait. Their claws easily bit into the flesh on his face, leaving long, nasty gouges.


    ¡°HELP!¡± Bait shouted again.


    ¡°Little busy right now!¡± Illaria replied as she took another decisive strike at the kobold before her. It was breathing heavily; no doubt the several shots from Bait had already weakened it considerably. Another good slash or two would likely be all it would take to bring it down. Her blade found its mark, this time biting into its chest. The blood spraying back at her tingled. The creature let out a frenzied howl and swung its claws at her twice. She deftly countered with her blade and, with one clean swoop, brought her sword through the front half of its neck and both of its wrists. The creature fell dead to the ground with one final hiss of steam. ¡°Watch out! Their blood is acidic,¡± Illaria shouted.


    ¡°Unless you or I plan to fight them alone, I think we might just have to deal with it,¡± Alvec said as he rushed forward and activated his arcane aura. He positioned himself right behind Bait. Ready to intercept at least one attack if the aura wasn¡¯t enough to protect him.


    There was nowhere for Bait to run. If he tried to aim his gun, they¡¯d just claw at him anyway. Bait no like being surrounded. If he did nothing, though, he¡¯d allow them to hurt his cheese acolytes longer. That was no good either. Bait decided to shoot; no sense being a coward. He aimed at the one on his right; it took a swing at him, and its claws seemed to move slower. Bait dodged out of the way and pulled the trigger, blasting a bullet into the one on the right. A second set of claws came at his unprotected back. The sound of claws striking metal rang in his ears as Alvec wrapped his tail around Bait¡¯s waist and tugged him backward while Alvec moved forward. Bait reloaded as he got his footing, rinsed, and repeated. The force of the bullet''s forward momentum meant that the blood didn¡¯t splash back on him but instead sprayed a steady shower of flecks of acid along the rocky black stone embankment.


    Mavec ordered Piquora to rush the one in the backline, the one making everyone''s life harder by casting these fog clouds. Piquora closed the distance and slammed into the kobold, drawing blood with its metal incisors. Meanwhile, Mavec took aim and launched a ray of fire at the thing. It hit its mark, searing the creature''s chest. Naya joined the fight just before her; she brought both blades at the animal. They bit into them, spraying acid onto her. It burned her hands and her exposed face, but not so much as to slow down her assault.


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    Echo came lumbering in, flanking with his master. He snapped his fangs down, catching it in his mouth; he clamped down hard. There was a sickening snapping sound, and the creature went limp in Echo¡¯s mouth. He released his jaws, and it fell dead to the ground. Echo¡¯s tail wagged, and he grinned, tilting his head slightly to the side.


    ¡°Good boy, Echo,¡± Naya cooed at him. Echo was a very good boy. Perhaps the best boy.


    Alvec reached out, turning arcane energy into electricity in his open hand; he slammed it into the remaining kobold before him. The energy fried through him with some startling cracking sounds. It wasn''t enough to end its life.


    Another blast of steam appeared around them, only missing Mavec because he was so far away. Echo leaped entirely out of the steam before it could penetrate his fur. Alvec ducked low, the heat only barely warming his skin. Illaria also felt only a warm tingle. Naya and Bait managed to get low again, but their skin showed signs of burn damage. Her hands were so bright pink that it looked challenging to hold her twin blades. The back of Bait¡¯s head, in particular, was a sickly discolored lime green. The team needed to end this and tend to the wounded immediately.


    Mavec forced magic through Piquora again, and she lashed out, sinking her fangs into the spellcaster. Electricity pulsed through him. ¡°Bait, the one in the back, shoot it!¡± Mavec called out. He was pretty sure he¡¯d weakened the creature enough for Bait to finish it off. Illaraia, Naya, and Alvec should be able to handle the other one. Bait, now far enough out of the reach of the claws, could now easily slip out of the steam without being swung at. He jogged forward and took Mavec¡¯s suggestion, aiming at the spellcaster further down between the geysers. He pulled the trigger, and his musket roared to life, the spark igniting the black powder and propelling the bullet straight into the creature. It spun to the ground as life left its eyes.


    Naya and Echo retreated out of the steam which burned their skin. Alvec and Illaria, however, stayed within it. While Alvec was no master of the dagger, he was able to provide enough of a distraction and a few shallow cuts to distract the kobold from Illaria¡¯s expert slashes. The two made short work of it, as neither steam nor acid affected either of them very much. They both emerged from the cloud of steam shortly. Naya and Bait were the only two injured by the combination of steam and acid, so Alvec and Rem took to treating them.


    ¡°So, the Kobolds here aren¡¯t friendly. Anyone be knowing what''s up with the snakes around their necks?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Not the faintest,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, some primitive snake veneration... or hatred? Not really sure, them being dead makes it hard to say,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°I think it has to do with warding off the river spirit, the serpent who was there when the boat got attacked. That''s the best guess I¡¯ve got,¡± Naya offered.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t someone want it to come around?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Usually brings about flooding, which left unchecked ruins farmland, etc.,¡± Naya said, looking around. ¡°Though I can¡¯t say, these kobolds looked like they¡¯ve been doing much farming.¡±


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°What matters is that we get past them and secure our entry fee,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Agreed, how are we looking?¡± Mavec asked, glancing at his two comrades currently being bandaged up.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be sitting the rest of the night out. Magic¡¯s done the best it can, but steam burns are nasty. Even with the best treatments I can give them, I think it''s likely best we wait till morning. Naya can barely hold a sword,¡± Alvec pointed out as he showed off her incredibly pink hands. Steam insidiously gets into every layer of skin. So even though the wounds didn¡¯t look particularly bad, Alvec was sure the pair needed more time to recover.


    ¡°We¡¯re best off setting up back in that forested section. Maybe a smidge off the beaten path, we can use fallen tree limbs for extra cover,¡± Naya suggested


    ¡°Sounds good in theory, but have any of us done that before?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°I can instruct you guys on it,¡± Naya said. ¡°Just don¡¯t ask me to actually handle it right now,¡± she said, raising her hands. The group followed her instructions and used what they could to camouflage their position. No one knew how many kobolds lived in this area and how violent they might become. Odds were good that this wasn¡¯t the last kobold they would have to face off against.


    As they sat by the fire, Illaria asked the question on everyone''s mind. ¡°So what¡¯s the story here, Mavec? Why are we out here risking our hides to earn an entry fee so you can fight this Warren Alston fellow?¡±


    ¡°I used to live in Jai-Enora. A modest town on the foothills. We had a lot of trouble getting clean water for the town. Mining made us prosperous, but its chemical spills made it very unsafe for people to drink from. So, I built a filtration system for the water from scratch. It worked. I was able to pump up well water and run it through my clockwork filtration system. At the end of the day, we had clean, drinkable water. The problem was the scale and my lack of resources. I grew up an orphan, only getting into the academies on merit. That''s where most of my test work on the filtration device was done. It worked, but I didn¡¯t have the means to make a larger-scale version, and the small-scale version would only provide enough clean water for a handful of houses. That''s where Warren came in. The absolute asshole promised to deliver results and funding.¡± Mavec paused to spit on the ground. ¡°He did, of course, else I would have had the academy on his ass for breach of contract. About halfway through the installation, I discovered that he¡¯d altered my designs in the later units, and not for the better. I tested them, and efficiency dropped to about a quarter of my design. It was barely better than before we started filtering it.¡±


    ¡°Which meant people were going to get sick, and when they did, your name was attached to the project,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Sure was, conspicuously, his name didn¡¯t appear on any paperwork. As soon as the project was installed, he fled. He took the savings from cutting costs and left before anyone was the wiser. When people started getting sick, I was stuck holding the bag. I was run out of town with nothing but my spell book and plans to create a new clockwork familiar. Did I mention that the mob that ran me out of town because of Warren shattered my first companion? A clockwork Squirrel was destroyed because of him. I will wipe the floor with him and whatever bullshit constructs he has. I¡¯m going to make them listen to me when I tell them that he stole from Jai-Enora and do my best to make him confess to being behind the failure of parts of the water filtration system.¡±


    ¡°That''s when we found you wandering the roads. You were in rough shape,¡± Alvec said, nodding his head in sympathy.


    ¡°Yeah, I was honestly worried you might have been hypothermic. It was raining, and you didn¡¯t even have a coat or a cot,¡± Naya said. ¡°I was glad we were able to make a pretty good shelter that first night. It rained so much. We all were curled right around the fire like tonight,¡± Naya mused as they all settled in for a restless night of sleep in the safety of this small campsite.

 37: Storm Brewing

    The group thankfully went undetected throughout the night. The cold ground, with little more than blankets for comfort, was less than ideal. Mavec sorely missed the comforts of his bed in the tower. He wasn''t cut out for this adventuring crap. Yet here he was, traipsing through the woods murdering strange-looking Kobolds who seemed to be either venerating or trying to piss off a giant snake made out of water. He rubbed his temples. He was up surprisingly early, and as much as he wanted to do maintenance on Piquora, he knew better than to do that. It was loud, and beyond being rude to those still sleeping, it also risked drawing attention to themselves. The sort they didn''t want or need.


    As the sun cleared the horizon, the rest of the group woke up. They ate their trail rations and prepared their gear before packing up and heading further into the valley. A few hours'' trek brought the group to a pontoon bridge over a relatively wide river. Several kobolds were milling about on the other side of the bridge, each armed with a bow. A mad dash across the bridge seemed like a poor matchup for their mostly melee-focused group. A shoot-out from this side also seemed improbable. Bait could toss out bullets all day long, but the returning fire from their bows would be a serious issue. As deadly as Bait had proven to be over the last month or so, it probably wasn''t wise to take on a pack of Kobolds alone. They wouldn''t live to tell the tale.


    Alvec could likely be a distraction, but if his spells wore off, he''d be dead before reaching halfway across. All in all, this was a shitty situation.


    "Anyone got any smart ideas? I''m drawing blanks on how we handle this," Mavec whispered.


    "Bait shoot them? Problem solved?"


    "I''m sure you could be killing a great many of them, but they''d be shooting back at you the entire time. Not so sure I like those odds," Illaria said.


    "Do we have to cross here?" Naya asked. "I mean, it sounds like we''ll be turned into pin cushions for even trying. We could go further up or downstream and see if there looks to be a good place to cross."


    "I''m becoming partial to that idea the more I look at their setup. If even two of us were good with ranged weapons, maybe we could force this fight with the rest acting as cover. Still, I just can''t see us getting through without taking significant injuries, and we don''t have time to rest a whole day after each and every fight. We''ll never make it back for the deadline. Is anyone opposed to finding a better place to cross the river?"


    "Bait want to shoot things," Bait said, patting his musket gently.


    "With only Bait opposed, I say we be getting a move on. Downriver of their position, that way, if we somehow fail and get swept off by the river, it''s not directly into them anyway," Illara said as she quietly walked downriver and the rest of the party followed.


    Bait shook his head. No shooting yet.


    Following the river, while staying safely obscured by the treeline was difficult. There was no pathway here, and the underbrush was thick and as tall as Bait. Illaria spent a lot of time hacking or bending plants out of her way as she moved forward. A good amount of time passed before she spotted a location that seemed far enough away from the pontoon bridge and had the makings of a suitable crossing point. Almost no one in the party was a strong swimmer.


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    Honestly, Echo was the best one for it. As strange as that sounded, these rocks jutting out of the water were a blessing. A good few hops, and they wouldn''t even need to get their boots wet. Illaria leaped first onto the rock formation. She stuck the landing and easily scaled up the next one. Bait got a running start and jumped after her, climbing up high. Naya and Echo did the same. Echo struggled to climb the rocks as his paws weren''t made for climbing. Alvec and Mavec both hopped over. Both slipped on the wet rocks, plunging into the frigid water. Naya offered a hand and dragged the two boys onto the rocks proper.


    No one had paid any mind to the sky above them. Clouds emerged from nowhere to cover the sun, and a driving rain fell upon them, making conditions even more treacherous. At the same time, a strange flash of purple light sent a shiver up Naya''s spine. All around them, a chorus of clattering erupted. Floating teeth drifted about in the air. A huge, elongated human skull floated through the sky. Glancing down momentarily, Naya recognized that the rain was so torrential it was raising the river level, threatening to bring the outcropping of rocks underwater.


    The situation was grim as they all drew their weapons and readied their magic. The teeth swarmed in on them fast. Illaria successfully parried the first two and even sliced them in twain. Still, it was clear she couldn''t keep up with the pace of their onslaught for very long as two of them bit into her. The pain was minimal; she''d been bit by far worse, but her efforts to move were hampered. She felt like someone had attached hefty weights to her, slowing her down dramatically. She tried to shake them off from her, but they wouldn''t let go. "Guys, try not to get bit; they slow you down. I''d hate to see what happens if they get you in the water," she shouted.


    The giant floating skull seemed to crunch its jaw together a few times before it rocketed a molar out of its mouth. The shot slammed into Alvec, knocking him backward into the rushing waters. He wasn''t a strong swimmer and wished like hell he was. If any of them were going to survive this, whatever this was, they''d need to get to the other side of the river or back to the bank they''d just left as soon as possible. If they didn''t, the party would be as good as dead. He could cast a spell to save himself, or he could cast a spell to hopefully save the party. There wasn''t a choice. Not really. No matter how much he valued it, his life couldn''t outweigh everyone else. He focused on accelerating as many people as he could. He could only affect five creatures with the spell. Piquora was an easy choice to skip as she didn¡¯t need to breathe. Other than that, he chose to skip himself and Rem. They were both already in the water, after all. He still had a chance to get out of this alright. He just had to hold on just another few seconds.


    Feeling the surge of energy through him, Bait stood his ground from atop the rock and fired off no less than four bullets at the giant floating skull. The shots crashed into it, but its lack of innards meant the holes it punched were small and seemingly inconsequential. More of the teeth swarmed in, biting at Naya and Echo. She was a whirl of blades striking down two pairs as Echo bit another one into fragments. There were still too many of them; a pair managed to clamp onto Echo and Naya each. The extra speed boost from Alvec''s spell meant that Echo leaped for the next set of rocks, leaving Naya behind. Naya whispered the command for him to grow larger, and he did. He was now able to threaten the giant skull floating over their heads.


    The skull ground its jaw a few times and, this time, spat a molar out at Mavec, who it struck and knocked into the water below. He managed to swim a few feet to grab back onto the rock as the water swelled and lifted him a bit. Echo, in retaliation, bit the skull. His own teeth grinding on the jaw. He tried to drag it down to the rocky outcropping, but it floated frustratingly above the ground.

 38: River Rising

    Mavec reached his hand out towards Alvec. "Grab on!"


    "Do you have a strength-enhancing spell?" Alvec''s voice resounded in Mavec''s mind. Mavec smiled; this made much more sense to communicate since there was no risk of chugging water if you didn''t open your mouth as often.


    "Yeah, just grab on though. I can strengthen one of us, and we can climb up," Mavec replied mentally.


    "Not me, I''ve got a scroll of summoning. I''ll bring out a dolphin, buff it, and it can carry us both to the other shore," Alvec insisted as he used his tail to pluck the scroll from below the waterline and begin casting from it. The one advantage of their current situation was that the rocks provided cover from the giant skull, keeping them roughly out of sight of the smaller teeth if they could see. It meant all Alvec was fighting with was the river, a struggle he barely managed to win. He felt the power from the scroll unleash, and moments later as if made from a pool of silvery light, a river dolphin arrived under Alvec and pushed him up above the surface. It swam against the current and parked beside Mavec.


    Still clinging to the rock, Mavec fought to hold on as he cast the buff spell on the dolphin. As it took effect, he couldn''t help but reflect that this was the most jacked dolphin he had ever seen, thanks to the spell he''d cast. Mavec wrapped his arms around Alvec''s waist and clamped his legs tight to the dolphin. He couldn''t help but laugh. Maybe it was the sense of danger he felt or the ridiculousness of their joint solution. Either way, he laughed manically as the dolphin darted through the water. It quickly got both wizards to the other side, practically throwing them ashore.


    Illaria abandoned her position on the rocks; the speed boost meant she wasn''t afraid of how many teeth bit into her. She stopped even bothering to parry them and just charged forward. Another pair of them latched on, but with her blistering speed, she was able to set foot on solid ground. "Bait, Naya, this isn''t a fight we want. Get across the river, forget about attacking, and just get your butts over here," she shouted. With her feet on solid ground, she''d at least be safe from possibly drowning. Across the river, the water-logged wizards pulled themselves up from the ground. She recognized the risks Alvec had taken to his person by choosing to speed everyone else up first. When they got home to celebrate surviving she''d be buying him a drink. She slid her sword back into its sheath and grabbed out her bow. It didn¡¯t get much use, but it was worth keeping on hand.


    Bait ignored Illaria, focusing again on the skull. He let off another few rounds as teeth snapped onto him. The skull, in response, swooped in over him and engulfed him whole. Naya slashed at it, her blade striking the front teeth already partially punched out by Bait''s bullets. She cut a solid hole into it and leaped into the opening in its teeth herself. "Echo, get to shore!" she commanded. This plan felt like suicide, but leaving Bait alone felt worse. Echo whined at her but reluctantly followed her orders. Abandoning his position on the high rocks and darting for the shoreline.


    Inside the elongated skull, Naya and Bait found themselves being chewed on. Bait took aim at the back of the skull and unloaded his musket again. The shots had peppered through it so much so that Naya was sure, with enough speed and enough force, they could just burst through. She scooped Bait up by the waist and threw herself at the back of the skull as hard as possible. Her petite frame smashed through the brittle wall of bone, and she and Bait tumbled out of it, plunging into the river below. The two dove below its cold waters and were immediately swept downriver. Echo, still sopping wet from his plunge into the water, dove back in, grabbing hold of Naya with his mouth and pulling her onto the embankment.


    Alvec and Mavec did their best to hold the enemies at bay; red hot flame leaped from Alvec''s hand and bounced between the floating sets of teeth, burning them to a crisp. Mavec launched a ray of fire at the giant skull. The skull spun around, marked by scorch marks and bullet holes, but still coming. As it lurched towards them, a deep rumbling sound shook the riverbanks. A wave of water rushed from upriver, taking the form of a giant snake as it barreled towards the skull. It opened its mouth impossibly wide and sunk its fangs into the skull. Just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared downriver, leaving only a flooded riverbank in its wake.


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    "What the hell was that?" Mavec sputtered.


    "I think that was Omral, a greater water spirit," Naya said. "I think it''s the same thing we encountered while on the High Arrow.¡±


    "Did it just eat the skull?" Alvec asked.


    "Sure, as rain looks like it," Illaria responded.


    "Ate them, swept them away? Hard to say," Naya replied.


    "Ok, I hate it, but I understand the spirit. I''m more concerned about the floating body parts that just attacked us," Mavec stated.


    "I can''t say I''ve ever heard of anything like this either," Alvec said. "I mean, necromancers exist, which would fit the bone motif, but usually they don''t float, and usually they aren''t just bits and pieces of bodies," Alvec confirmed.


    "Which leaves us back at, what the hell were those?" Mavec asked again.


    "I don''t think any of us be having a satisfactory answer to that question, which is in and of itself alarming," Illaria said.


    "Should we go visit the capital to ask around?" Mavec asked.


    "How does one visit money?" Bait asked.


    "How do you know the secondary use of that word and not the primary?" Mavec asked while looking at his goblin companion.


    "Bait goblin smart. Know many good things."


    "Is there any commonality between these strange creatures?" Alvec asked out loud.


    "Us," Naya responded.


    "Well, that''s not entirely true. The first one was already actively murdering someone before we even arrived," Mavec said.


    "Could it perhaps be related to the coded journal?'' Illaria asked.


    "It certainly could be. Though, I''ve checked it over several times. Can''t find a bit of magic on it that would cause anything to pursue or target it," Alvec replied.


    "It''s a strange puzzle, that''s for sure," Mavec said. "Too little information for us to make a real guess. We can infer from Vato''s journal, at the very least, that the "intruders" aren''t strictly here for the journal. As it presumably didn''t exist then."


    "A good point; the question now is, is there something actively guiding their appearance and targeting them towards us, or is it just a coincidence,¡± Alvec asked. ¡°Are they just arriving more frequently now, increasing the odds that anyone runs into them? How many travelers have just gone missing on the roads?"


    "All excellent questions, but could we discuss more after we get a fire going. Everyone but Illaria dipped in the water, and our clothing was all soaked. If we don''t dry ourselves out, we will either come down with something or have no chance for stealth as our clothing squelches when we move," Maved said.


    The group set about gathering up wood, and before long, they had not one but three fires set up in a triangle around themselves. Not wanting to strip down to nothing and be left even more vulnerable, the three fires meant they were at least getting heat from every direction. It could draw more Kobold or worse to their location, but it was better than nothing.


    "So far, we have too many questions and insufficient information. Not sure how we''d even figure that out," Illaria stated.


    "Guess there isn''t much sense trying to figure this out while we''re in the woods. Under attack by kobolds and strange creatures," Mavec said. "Alvec, what do you think we''ll find at this abandoned expedition?"


    "Considering the volcanic activity here, I''m guessing we''ll find some items with resistance spells woven in,¡± said Alvec. ¡°Heat resistance is the most important one, I''d imagine. It''s not a very expensive enchantment, but each one would be worth somewhere in the ballpark of three to six thousand gold a piece. We likely only need about ten sets to make this trip worth our time."


    "That makes sense; I wonder if they used any clockwork here. It''s sturdier than humans in terms of being able to withstand heat and the like," Mavec speculated.


    The party rested a few hours beside the fires, letting their clothing dry. When sufficiently dry, they began making their way forward again. The road they eventually found led to a tall hill with steep sides. The only way up was a switchback road. Bait took the lead, quickly discovering that the road was trapped. None of them were particularly well hidden, and it took Bait only a handful of minutes to either disarm them or to snake around them. The group went single file just to be safe while doing so. No one needed to take extra risks while avoiding the snares and pitfalls dug into this already dangerous road. After a little more walking, they came across some old log cabins covered in vines. Scattered around them were the collapsed remnants of wagons, one bearing the emblem of the Arcane Academy. They had found the expedition at last.

 39: In Hot Water

    The volcanic soil of the Valley of Steam meant that the greenery that survived there also thrived there. Despite being abandoned more recently than Ageneon¡¯s War, these buildings might as well have been relics of the Anarchy. The growth was so pronounced in spots that Alvec half considered burning his way through it. The only problem is that he''d have to coat the log buildings with chemicals to make them resist the fire. It would take more time than he had to lose on the project. Instead, the lot of them hacked their way through the underbrush. The combination of moisture in the air and temperatures had meant that the locks on the building had rusted almost entirely through. It was far faster for them to break them than to bother trying to properly unlock them. No one in the party was strong enough physically to break them easily, nor did anyone''s gear lend itself well to the task.


    Mavec took a spare rod of iron in his possession and used it a little like a crowbar till the locks snapped under the added pressure. The hinges on the doors had to be oiled before they would even move. The cabins, thankfully, weren''t compromised. While the environment had done a number on the moving parts, the rest of the wooden frame remained safe. They found no hint of what the expedition had been sent to study inside these basic buildings. No papers, maps, brochures, scrolls, or the like were in sight. When they packed up shop, every bit of parchment and ink had been removed, yet they had left so much actual equipment here. Mavec noted this and filed it under the "talk to Alvec" pile. It was hard to imagine them leaving so much raw material but being so particular about the findings. In a supposedly failed venture like this, he''d have expected to find a lot of documentation on the project.


    Instead, he found boxes of parts designed for working with advanced clockwork. Not exactly what they had expected to find, but it certainly would close the gap on the entry fee. Looking it over, accounting for the mild damage from the elements, he''d bet he could sell it back to the academy for somewhere near five or six thousand, and that was only the contents of this single small section of these buildings.


    Alvec had broken into another one of the buildings and found precisely what he was looking for. Enchanted clothing and a quick glance over them with his expertise were enough to key in on the fire resistance. Something crunched under his boots. Broken glass, no stains on the wood, nothing to denote any liquids had been inside of them. He grabbed the longest piece he could gingerly and examined it with the same style of forensic arcana. It was enchanted; it was pretty clear he was looking at a broken air bottle. Had they been doing extensive searching underwater or in low-oxygen spaces? It was possible; perhaps there had been more of them. Or maybe this was the only one that had just been broken in the move. The combination of the two items made it look as if they were perhaps interested in something located in the geysers.


    It didn''t really matter all that much. Whatever they were looking for, they had either found or hadn''t many years ago. Speculating about it with so little evidence was a waste of their limited remaining time. Even though the deadline would be tight, Alvec knew in his heart that Bait wouldn''t be convinced to leave until he had his cheese goo from the geysers. If they didn''t hurry and get that over with, it wouldn''t matter that they''d found a means of paying for the entry fee into the Festival of Blades.


    "We got stuff? We go get cheese ingredient now!" Bait eagerly demanded as he stomped into the room Alvec was in.


    "Yeah, just another few minutes. We have to secure enough stuff to get us that entry fee," Alvec said, taking stock of the number of enchanted suits of clothing. None of it was designed for combat, so whatever they were here for was purely academic. He packed up all those still in good shape and headed out the door following Bait. Mavec was also already packed up. Echo was now carrying many metal parts, which only started to weigh the poor wolf down. He bore it well, though, as if it was his sacred duty.


    Bait pulled out the map Krog had given him and began guiding the group further into the heart of the Valley of Steam. Thankfully, it appeared that it wouldn''t be much further to journey. It was maybe another half hour or so before they arrived in a mostly open area, where the heat from the water radiated out in a near-toxic way. It wasn''t soil but stone beneath their feet, with large yellow, green, and blue pools of steaming hot water. Geysers erupted from the ground at uneven intervals as well. Bait approached the largest of these lakes. If any of them was going to have the goop he needed, it would be the biggest one, of course. Goblin logic sound like that.


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    As Bait scampered close to the water''s edge, the ground shook, and the water stirred unnaturally. An unvarnished metal head emerged from the water. Illaria quickly drew her blade, and Naya followed suit only seconds later. Bait ran back while pulling out his musket.


    "Mavec, is that what I think it is?" Alvec asked as the thing in question lumbered out of the water. It had a rather round mid-section, with janky arms and legs that were also clearly unfinished.


    "That is a gods-damned clockwork mech," Mavec responded. It wasn''t wielding any weaponry and was in a crude state of composition. It was clear that whoever had built this had no expertise, only basic knowledge, plenty of time, and sub-par materials. This was not academy standard, though it looked to have been constructed with academy parts. "Want the good news?" Mavec asked.


    "What good news could you possibly have?" Naya asked.


    "It doesn''t even have a regular oversized weapon, which means it has no more exotic weaponry attached. Also, it''s almost certainly weak to lightning, so hit it with every bit of electricity you can," Mavec shouted.


    Naya smirked; that was good news. The spirits had answered her prayers, revealing to her a new use of their magic. She knew that if she called to them now, they would rain down thunder and lightning. With the storm clouds from the earlier rainstorm clinging to the sky, she knew she could coerce much stronger bolts of lightning.


    "Is there any chance it could be friendly?" Illaria asked.


    Mavec shook his head. "No, if it was triggered by proximity, it will most likely be hostile. If someone is piloting it, that brings up a bunch of other questions I don''t have answers to."


    The mech lumbered forward, taking a wide swing at Illaria. Its cart-sized fist was sluggish, and she quickly slid under it as she moved in to attack. Her blade struck the construct''s right leg. This sort of a fight wasn''t Illaria''s speed; she was much better suited for fighting flesh and blood creatures; all this clockwork was a challenge. It''s hard to damage a metal creature using a thin sword like a Wakizashi. Still, she struck the knee joint at just the right angle, severing a cable. Regrettably, cutting it alone wasn''t enough to halt its movement.


    Bait fired his musket, easily striking the rather large center of mass. His bullets faced the same issue as Illaria''s blade; too much metal meant his rounds were only slamming minor dents into the thing''s chest before tumbling uselessly to the ground. In times like this, Bait wishes he had portable cannon. Bigger boom maker, bigger hole, no care about metal.


    Echo rushed in to provide support, but Naya stayed further back, chanting under her breath; she called out the spirits of the stormy sky and directed them at her foe. The mech attempted to dodge the lightning bolt, but it struck it unerringly. The lightning seemed particularly impactful as the joints spasmed and staggered forward. Mavec followed her up by doing pretty much the same. He held his arm outstretched and fired off a bolt of lightning from his hand. It arched high, crackling above Bait''s head before striking the creature. The mech stumbled and went down on one knee as the electricity overwhelmed its circuitry momentarily. A hatch on the back of the creature popped open, and a red creature of roughly humanoid shape and height with batlike wings, long spindly horns, and carrying a double-bladed sword leaped out of it onto the ground in front of Illaria.


    "I''ll kill you all!" it shouted in a language only Alvec could understand.


    "Why are you attacking us?" Alvec asked as he rushed in, gathering electricity in his hand; he quickly slapped it into the devil, who convulsed slightly as his skin charred a bit at the point of contact.


    "You serve Kushang. I''ll kill every servant of the golden traitor!" He swung his sword first at Illaria, who managed to parry the blade, knocking it off course. The Devil spun and drove his blade at Alvec, who batted it away with his buckler. "You''re both quick; how troublesome," he said before letting out a low whistle. The mech stood back up and lumbered off towards Naya, Bait, and Mavec, who had thus far kept their distance.

 40: Echoes of the Anarchy

    "Alvec, are you trying to negotiate with this thing?" Illaria asked as she brought her blade at the devil between them, only to have him twirl and smack her sword aside while giving her a smug look.


    "Sorta? Not getting too far with it," Alvec responded. "Keep attacking for now," he said, switching back to infernal. "We''re not with the church, you asshole. Do you really think they send Teiflings and Goblins to do their bidding? Their upper echelon hates my kind." He drew his dagger with his tail and did his best to misdirect the devil before plunging the blade at his side. The devil laughed heartily and spun out of the way, dodging the blade.


    "That was clever, but you''re not used to wielding a blade, are you kin?" The devil replied as he kicked Alvec when he was most off balance, sending him briefly to the ground. Alvec spun himself back onto his feet using his tail as a counterbalance. "What''s your name, boy?"


    "Alvec Snaptail, now will you stop trying to murder us?"


    "By the nine hells, no, I''ll kill you while I smile. You won''t stop us this time. Soon, we will raise the iron castle, and it won''t matter who stands against us," he said before laughing loudly. "To know your name is so I may tell stories of a strange tiefling I killed." The devil launched another attack, wasting no time on two strikes at Illaria, who parried both of them expertly but couldn''t get in a solid riposte as his blades were constantly in motion. Focusing all his efforts on Illaria, he left his back open. Alvec seized the opportunity again, slapping him on the back and sending a jolt of electricity through him. Illaria took advantage of the momentary pause as his muscles seized and lashed out herself, landing a solid gash across his chest. Thick magma-like blood blistered where she had struck, spraying out onto her. It clung and burned, but by the might of heaven''s blood, she was safe from fires this weak.


    While Illaria and Alvec fought the devil side by side, the rest of the party squared off against the mech. Mavec couldn''t help but be impressed. For a clockwork construct clearly made by an amateur from leftover supplies, the thing was well programmed if it was able to fight without him piloting it. This devil would have had to have a relatively intimate knowledge of Artificy or magical prowess to scry on people with that sort of knowledge. He could only wonder why this devil had even built this thing. Was he incapable of hiding in the water without it? It''s not like it had a strong air supply. He couldn''t have stayed submerged in it forever... or could he have? He looked closer at some of what he assumed were extra cables. Had he created them to breach the surface and allow air like a snorkel? If air had been a problem, that would have solved it all right. Did devils even breathe, though? It didn''t matter; this thing was trying to kill them; it needed to be in pieces. He raised his hand again and let the arcane energy build to a buzz of blue crackling sparks around his hand before letting it lose again.


    The bolt struck it dead center, and it staggered a bit as a result. Naya moved away from it, calling down more lightning as she ran. Her spells, gifted by the spirits, seemed both weaker than the arcane magic Mavec and Alvec used, and yet they lingered far longer. While their magic was spent in a single magnificent flash, hers mimicked a natural storm, striking repeatedly. Mavec and Bait followed Naya''s lead, walking as far away as possible from the mech. The mech adjusted to their plans and charged over the rocky landscape, chasing them down. It thundered its fists down onto Naya. She couldn''t dodge and was sent flying backward by the strike. She''d rolled with it enough that nothing was broken, but by the spirits she hurt, it wouldn''t be good to take another blow like that. Bait peppered it with bullets during his retreat. The sheer bulk of metals made this a rather joyless fight for Bait. Shooting the devil might be more fun, but Illaria and Alvec looked like they had the situation under control. Bait needed more here, shooting the giant robot.


    Examining it, Mavec was sure they were getting close; electricity adversely affected clockwork and other advanced constructs. The effect was still being studied among scholars. There were two schools of thought, one being that the conductive nature of the metals meant that the lightning easily passed through it. The other is that some materials with low melting points warped when exposed to a sufficient electrical charge. Mavec didn''t care which one was right at the moment; he was just thankful that the machine, after taking four different strikes of lightning, the construct was looking rough.


    The bad news was that Mavec was straight out of lightning bolts, which meant he''d either be trusting Naya to finish it off with her spellcasting, a scary thought seeing as she was way more invested in those swords than she was in spell casting. Or, he could risk Piquora, get her in close, and slap him with a little more electricity. A construct that size could crush any of them alive in seconds. Sending his small construct against that monstrosity seemed like the wrong move... but waiting seemed worse. He pointed at the mech and nodded to Piquora; as she ran, she crackled with arcane electricity before barreling into the foot of the mech, sending another jolt through it.


    The mech raised its fists, preparing to pound the ground and crush Piquora and Naya in one swoop. Its motions were now entirely out of synch and jagged. It was clearly a massive effort just to raise its arms. Naya got up just in time, leaning on her swords, and called down one more bolt. It struck the outstretched arms, and there was a sound of metal grinding on metal as it slowly lowered down to the ground. "Is it over?" Naya asked as she tilted her head towards Mavec.


    Without getting a much closer look, he suspected as much. That sort of grinding noise meant that the internal gears had either worn or melted in such a way that getting them moving again without some serious magical repair would be an absolute challenge. He''d love to study it more in-depth later, but for now, it was time to lend Illaria and Alvec a hand.


    A few feet away from Mavec, Bait dropped to one knee and cast his eye down the iron sights. A shot at this range wasn''t easy, but Bait good. Bait Goblin good. He squeezed the trigger, and the musket ball launched forward. The devil saw the bullet and tried to smack it out of the air with his sword, but it slipped between his twin blades and punched a hole in his shoulder. He let out a hiss and stumbled back before unleashing another series of sword slashes at Alvec and Illaria. Illaria brought her blade up to counter, but the ferocity in his swing was too much, knocking her blade aside and scoring a deep wound on her sword arm, sending her Wakizashi clattering to the ground. He sliced at her again, finding purchase along her stomach. Her armor saved her from the worst of the strike, but it still knocked the wind out of her and left her doubled over. The devil turned his attention towards Alvec and snapped his teeth at him. His fangs scraped Alvec''s neck, leaving nasty gouges, but he couldn''t fully sink his teeth in.


    "We don''t need to be enemies; why are we fighting?" Alvec asked again, expending the last electric spell he had prepared today; electricity crackled around his free right hand. He struck quickly, punching at the devil. Going in for the bite had left him too close, so much so that it was hard for Alvec to miss. His fist connected with the devil''s stomach, and the electricity coursed through the devil one more time. The light behind his eyes seemed to go out, and the devil slumped over and landed hard on the ground. He took a few moments to compose himself. Anger ran hot in his blood; he wanted to kick his corpse and punish him for his idiotic choices. They needn''t have fought at all. This was entirely preventable. There was a story here, and the devil had taken it to the grave with him.


    What the hell had he meant by ¡®Raise the Iron Castle¡¯?"


    "A little help here, Alvec," Illaria said as she held her gashed arm with her good hand, applying pressure to a nasty wound. Her soothing voice snapped him out of it. He quickly grabbed the wand of lesser healing they''d bought and got to work treating her. He''d love to say it was a quick and seamless process, but he still struggled to activate the wands. Arcane casters like Alvec, a wizard by trade, weren''t generally able to use divine magic, the sort granted by the gods and the spirits of the world. The fact that Alvec could even use this at all, even if it was a bit spotty, was a testament to his dedication to the art of spellcraft. It had taken years of study to reach a point where he could actively activate wands of divine origin. He couldn''t craft or recharge them, but he could coax it out so long as they had power left in them.


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    "So, we just killed a devil riding in a mech? That was unexpected," Illaria said as Alvec pulsed the white healing light over her arm. "You were, ah, talking to it; mind filling me in on what we learned?" she asked. They hadn''t been traveling together for too long. Still, it was hard to imagine the same idiot who rushed out into the rain on the boat being any sort of schemer or malicious entity. Whatever his words, his intent was likely good; she''d give him the benefit of the doubt.


    "I tried to talk him down. Devils aren''t dumb, and we had him pretty sufficiently outnumbered."


    "Didn''t work, huh," she said with a small smile.


    "No. He did say a few interesting things, though."


    "Oh?" asked Illaria.


    "He said ¡®Nothing will stop us from raising the iron castle¡¯ and referred to Kushang as the golden traitor. No idea what he was on about, but I really don''t like the phrase "to raise the iron castle."


    Illaria nodded in agreement; it sounded terrible to begin with; not knowing what exactly it was made it much worse.


    "Can''t say I''ve ever heard of that before. Perhaps we ask the church when we return home?" She suggested.


    "Yeah, since they mentioned Kushang specifically, I feel like it''s a good idea for us to check in with them and see if anyone knows what that phrase might mean." Alvec agreed. "I''ll go talk to Sarbie and Hoc when we get back. You and Mavec can handle bartering with the academy, and Naya and Bait can go hold our spot. We''re going to be cutting it close as is. I figure we heal up and hit the road again. If we retrace our steps, we should be fine."


    "So long as we don''t be encountering any more strange creatures at the river crossings, that is," Illaria said.


    Mavec approached the pair of them. "Before that, should we take a closer look at this mech? Pretty sure we''ve fried it, but maybe we can find more helpful information."


    Alvec nodded in agreement and glanced at the water it had come out of. He could probably survive being submerged in it. It might even be worth it if he had a pair of water-tight goggles. A mech with a devil inside of it was already a severe surprise. There very well could be other important things beneath the scalding hot and likely toxic waters. He scowled. It just wasn''t safe enough. It was far too dangerous without precautions to make sure he couldn''t inhale any of it into his stomach, lungs, eyes, or sinus cavity. Healing a burned lung or eye was a difficult task with only a wand, doubly so if you were the only one able to activate it. As much as the thought tempted him, he had to be responsible and sit this out.


    "Hey, can I borrow your boots?" Mavec asked, pointing to Alvec''s footwear. "They''re enchanted, right? Minimize fall damage. I''m not exactly the best climber; this will make sure I don''t break my neck trying to find out more. Also, do devils need to eat and breathe?"


    Alvec blinked a few times before hopping from one foot to the other and handing off his boots. "Short or long answer?" Alvec asked, offering Mavec a shoulder to lean on as he swapped the boots over.


    "Short."


    "No, no eating, drinking, or defecating," Alvec supplied.


    "Cool, that actually lends some weight to a theory. I will find out if those "unfinished pipes" on it are hollow. They might have barely broken the water''s surface so it could breathe. They do need to do that right." Mavec replied. Alvec''s eyes lit up; it was an ingenious way to hide if true. If the pipes allowed in enough oxygen and only barely broke the surface of the water, water that was thermally heated so very few creatures would even approach it close enough to look and likely had other toxic properties... then the devil could just hide in his mech till literal ages passed. Had he? Had he been here since the Anarchy? Or were there a bunch of mechs in hell brought to the surface whenever they felt it was a good idea? Lots of questions and still few answers.


    Mavec climbed the wreck of a mech. It only took about half a minute for him to appreciate his choice to swap gear with Alvec. He tumbled off twice before he got to the top. Each time, he hurt himself no more than a slight bruise. When he did finally reach them, he confirmed his suspicion. The pipes were hollow, and they would easily lend themselves to hiding. The troublesome part was that even though the parts looked old, the construction looked new. It was hard to say for sure. They''d blasted the damn thing so many times the heat might have merely made it seem as if the welds done to it had, in fact, been more recent than they actually were. He filed the thought partially away. There wasn''t definitive proof that he could easily find, and they had a time limit. Knowing that this devil had a freaking stealth mech was already alarming enough. It having been built more recently than the Anarchy and Ageneon''s war was, in contrast, only mildly more alarming. He looked around one last time before climbing down and trading his boots back. While the magic may have made them fit his feet well, it wasn''t the same as walking in his boots. Alvec looked visibly ready to get his own back as well.


    "Find anything?" Alvec asked.


    "Stealth mech confirmed. Since he doesn''t need to eat or drink, that devil could have chilled in there indefinitely."


    "So, was he a straggler from the Anarchy?" Illaria asked.


    "That I''m less sure on,¡± Mavec sighed. The equipment is old, but the weld looks more recent. Maybe that was all the lightning we cast on it playing a trick on my eyes? Maybe it heated up the spots where the welding was done? It''s a common practice to do light welding with metals with lower melting points. Easier to bind the two pieces of metal together. Hence, the seams on constructs can be a good spot to strike at. Better chance of inflicting good damage. Happens a lot, too, when cost or reliable materials are a concern. Anyway, I''ve got no way of confirming without taking a much longer look, and we don''t have time for that."


    "I''d say we''ve done our duty enough just by investigating this much," Illaria said. "If we can''t learn anything more here in short order, we best be getting a move on."


    Bait had wandered to the edge with several empty glass vials. He reached beneath the stone lip of the lake and found the goo that Ben had described. He scrapped as much as he could into the tubes and corked it. The goop he collected had a strange bright orange quality to it. It looked tasty; maybe Bait try some now? He uncorked one and gave it a long sniff. Smelled strange; dat good. Strange ingredients make you you-neek cheese. No, Ben tell Bait to bring back ingredients, not to sample ingredients. Bait must be dis-sky-pined. Only way to make best cheese. Had to wait long time, dat why he need many cheeses at same time, so he no wait as long. After storing his orange goop vials in his pack, he scampered up to the group.


    Alvec picked up the double-bladed sword and sheathed it in his pack. It wasn''t enchanted or anything like that. Still, he could tell that an exceptional level of craftsmanship had gone into the blade. He wouldn''t be surprised if it meant something. Perhaps Iridel would know... not that he wanted to contact him again. The prior contact a few weeks ago had been unpleasant, to say the least. He''d heard nothing else since then from him either. It was possible that Iridel didn''t want to use spells to communicate since he was sure they were being monitored, which left more discrete channels the only option. Short of visiting the Blue Banner army itself, Alvec wasn''t sure he could safely ask about devils to him.


    He was the one who had made a deal with one, a deal which had resulted in Alvec''s father being born a tiefling. A contract that left the Reynore family strained, as Iridel and his wife Anel kept up a pretense of a united family despite the apparent distaste for one another. It was half the reason Iridel was with the blue banner. Perhaps he could have used the family''s name and history to leverage a better public service. Still, the Blue Banner kept him away from home for significant periods, a blessing perhaps if your wife hated you.


    Alvec shook his head; it didn''t matter right now. He could always pursue information from the academy or the church. He was bound to run into someone who could provide some possible context.


    With that, the group began their trek back the way they came. Echo and Naya took the lead, quickly following the pathway in front of them. With their tracking abilities, they''d be back home before long.

 41: Barter and Bargains

    The return trip to Sha-Laial was rushed, but thankfully, without issues. Naya and Echo had managed to keep the group safely out of sight of any kobolds or wild animals as they traveled back the way they came through the valley. Once back onto the main roads, there weren''t any real threats. Bandits and the like were not all that common in the Empire since Ageneon ascended to the throne. They''d never encountered a proper bandit gang in all their travels. The worst they''d encountered was a group of armed thugs on a bridge it was clear they didn''t own, but their usage fee was very minimal. A fee low enough that most people wouldn''t even think twice about just paying it. It made sense to keep it quiet, stay a few days, collect enough coin, live comfortably for a few months, fade away before authorities came to investigate and strike again somewhere else a few months later. It''s more grift than robbery.


    Upon hitting the city gates, the team split up as discussed. Mavec, Illaria, and Echo broke off and headed for the Academy. The sun was about midday in the sky when they snaked their way over to the magical shop the academy ran. A centaur, a rarity in the Empire, stood behind the booth today. He had a big, bushy beard that practically looked like a lion''s mane in color and fluffiness. His black shirt boldly bore his bronze badge with the symbol of evocation on it. Illaria took the lead. She confidently strode up to the desk and brushed her long red hair away from her face. "Excuse me, good sir, we''re here to sell some items to the Academy. We''ve recovered some enchanted clothing and parts for clockwork contraptions that might be of some interest to the Academy." She swept her arm to Echo, who carried the bulk of the products.


    "Well, certainly, we''d be most interested in looking at these items and seeing if we can make some sort of deal," the man said, giving a soft huff.


    "Excellent, here''s what we''ve got," Mavec said as he placed examples of each part they had, with a detailed note on the exact quantity as well as the grade and quality of each piece attached. "For the clockwork, I was thinking somewhere in the ballpark of 10,000 gold. You''re welcome to check my appraisal, and afterward, you''ll see that I''ve given quite a lowball number."


    "I''ll need to call someone from the Artificy department down here to verify," he said.


    "Understandably, good sir, though before you make any calls on that, we also have these," Illaria said as she placed a set of clothing on the tabletop. ¡°Our enchanter assures us they are enchanted with protection from fire, a reasonably expensive enchantment. We have about a dozen pairs of them. He''s suggested a price of 30,000 for these pieces. He estimates their real value to be much higher. Still, we understand that there would be little demand for this product outside of the Academy itself. We thus are willing to accept a much lower price for it."


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    "Sounds like I need to call for an enchanter, too, to verify the authenticity of the items." The centaur cast a spell, and he spoke a message out loud. About ten minutes later, they were joined by a gnome and a dwarf. The gnome was in pristine, crisp-pressed clothing, while the dwarf was covered in soot; his clothing bore multiple scorch marks. They conferred behind the counter, and each appraised the items brought before them.


    "The best we can do is 20,000 for the entire haul," the centaur stated confidently.


    Illaria laughed. "Our asking prices were already quite generous. If you won''t be treating fairly with us, then we''ll take everything and try to source it ourselves. We''d be able to charge full price that way and only have to sell about half to make our target goal. I''m sure some noble houses could be convinced to buy a suit or two of fire resistance. It wouldn''t be hard to make the case to them that having at least one suit around would mean they survived a fire where others might have died. I''m quite certain I could sell all twelve of these by nightfall if you don''t take the deal."


    "Now, isn''t that a bit hasty? Perhaps we can do a little better. 25,000 for the lot."


    Mavec picked Piquora up and placed her heavily on the table. He grabbed back the piece of parchment he''d written his estimates on, methodically crossed off every price, and wrote in a new, much higher price, then did the same with the list for enchanted items. "This is what the parts would retail for on the general market. We intentionally lowballed because we''d like to offload them all right now. We figured we''d take a hit for convenience, but not if you won''t meet us halfway. You buy these, and you either get to use them for the Academy itself or resell them for double and churn a profit. This is a good deal, and we won''t be swindled out of a single copper. Forty thousand for the set, or else we walk. Illaria is right; we don''t need to offload all of it today, just enough at full price to get us that forty thousand. So what''s it going to be? A fair deal for the Academy or nothing?"


    The centaur glanced over the numbers again and asked his colleagues for advice. They whispered their words so that Illaria and Mavec couldn''t hear them. "After discussing it further, we agree to the price of 40,000."


    "Alright, then we should be signing for it and getting this process started," Illaria said. Several minutes went by as the paperwork and currency were prepared.


    "Can you believe they tried to scam us?" Mavec said, annoyance ringing through his voice.


    "Yes, it''s the job of a business to make money, Mavec; they aren''t in it for altruism," Illaria replied.


    "Yeah, but we already cut them an excellent deal."


    "Considering we paid nothing for it, I see why they wanted to go even lower. Too bad for them we had a set amount we needed to get, else that tactic might have worked in their favor."


    "Still, a dick move," Mavec said as he lit a cigarette. About another half hour later, they were approached with several large sacks of platinum coins. Mavec let out a sigh of relief. Bait and Naya hopefully did a fine job holding their place for the tournament.

 42: Rise of the Cheese Acolytes

    The pair of them walked the river road and were left in a state of wonder. Paper lanterns lit by magic cast a warm yellow light across the street. The scent of roasting meats and baked goods warred in the air. The sections roped off just days ago were all filled with bright, colorful stalls and games. Bait very much wanted to explore the stalls, but Illaria tell him he no go see Ben till after they register for tournament. Sooner it done, the sooner he go get instruction on how to make best cheese out of strange goop.


    Naya had never seen a festival like this. In Lom-Itoti, the biggest festivals were for the harvests, which involved a feast and a lot of dancing and songs by firelight. She had been fourteen the last time she''d been at such a festival, and seeing all of these dredged-up feelings, she had trouble articulating. Emotions she couldn''t talk about with Bait.


    "Bah, no rat-sticks! How children learn fear if no rat-sticks? Festival of Blades lame."


    "Glad to see I''m not the only one feeling like a fish out of water," she said aloud as they walked towards the field where the stadium was being constructed. The last festival she had been at had also felt strange for a laughably silly reason compared to what she felt now. She was becoming a young lady, and some of the local boys were starting to take a shine to her as they did. She''d felt like she was walking in twilight, standing on both sides of worlds she didn''t feel entirely like she belonged in. In many ways, she felt that now. She was an outsider here, and yet she would be a participant.


    Mavec deserved to have his revenge. It sounded like Warren had taken almost as much from Mavec as Naya felt she''d lost. She could not let him be so close and fall short of closure. The pair eventually found the tent they were looking for and entered it. The Dwarf from before, the master of Artificy, was waiting, tinkering with something on his table.


    "Excuse me, is there still a chance we can register for the Festival of Blades?" Naya asked.


    "There is still one slot available. Do you have the entry fee with you?" He asked.


    "No, others go get fee; we come here to hold spot," Bait said.


    "Will they have the fee?" He asked.


    "They will," Naya responded. He grabbed a clipboard with parchment on it and handed it to her. It took her a moment to review the material. Education wasn''t exactly one of Lom-Itoti''s strong points. There weren''t any wizards or the like, and the value of reading and writing was... less than here in the cities. Much of the form was bare, just consenting to be part of the festival. Something about the entry fee being non-refundable and other warnings about how the city isn''t liable for any injuries resulting from participating, physical or otherwise. All of it was fine. They were adventurers; what was a little danger to them? Alvec had already assured her that the tournament wouldn''t be fought to the death. Letting talent die was a waste of resources, and as such, complex wards were set up to allow all of the damage to strictly knock the contestants unconscious.


    The biggest issue was coming up with a team name. She thought about asking Bait for help but didn''t even want to know what crazy things the goblin might write down if he had it his way. Maybe a pun involving cheese? Munster hunters? She laughed lightly to herself. No, Alvec would want her to do something serious. Ace. Like the name of the shop. Ace sounded weird on its own, though. What was the term used in their card games? Alvec had shown her so many of them. Aces high! That would do. She filled it out and double-checked all her answers to ensure she hadn''t missed anything before handing back the clipboard.


    "Good. This means I can finally close up shop. Do you have any questions?" He asked of her.


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    Bait didn''t pay attention to the conversation the others were having. Instead, he wandered over and looked at the clipboard. He was goblin sneaky and easily managed to get the form and glance over Naya''s answers. Most of it was boring, legal-speak boring. Aces High. Eh, not bad name, but Bait do better. He grabbed an ink quill, crossed off the name Naya had written and put in a better one. Cheese. Acolytes. The Cheese Acolytes. Nothing better than cheese; they were Ben''s acolytes, honor Ben, and honor cheese with a name like this. Bait set the clipboard back down and rejoined Naya, satisfied with work well done.


    "Ok, thing done, when leave?" Bait asked.


    "Not till we get your entry fee. You said your friends were coming straight from the Academy?" The dwarf asked.


    "Yes, they had a bunch of items to sell, and that should get them enough gold to pay for this, no problem," Naya responded. Eventually, Mavec and Illaria arrived with Echo carrying a lot of coin.


    "Here it is, the entry fee. Now, if you don''t mind, we nearly drowned to get this, so I''m going home and sleeping on a good bed and taking a dip in the hot spring," Mavec said as he unloaded the gold. The dwarf was surprisingly quick to verify the amount was correct. No doubt using some spell to speed the process along. Counting to forty thousand would undoubtedly take much longer than the few seconds he spent on the task.


    "Alright, now that I''ve verified your entry fee is legit, you are all signed up as contestants in the Festival of Blades. The first event that officially kicks off the festival is an introduction to the teams done in the stadium in two days. You''ll want to devise ways to distinguish yourself from the other teams."


    "Then I assume the fights will begin properly on the third day?" Illaria asked.


    "Indeed, it''s single elimination, and sixteen teams are competing. The Academy, The Red Banner Army, and the Blue Banner Army are also competing."


    "That makes sense probably why my commanding officer wanted me to stay put. Must have hoped I''d be an alternate for them if they needed one," Illaria said, nodding along. "Either way, I''ll be looking forward to seeing a few of my fellow blue banners again."


    "I''ll see you guys back home," Mavec said before leaving the tent.


    "Bait bored," he announced before following Mavec out of the tent and into whatever mischief he desired.


    "Any other questions I can answer?" the head of Artificy asked as he grabbed a sign already attached to a stake which read "full roster." He excused himself to step just outside the tent and hammer it into the ground.


    "I think we''ve covered everything," Naya said as she followed him out into the night.


    "You think we can win it?" Naya asked her as she and Illaria slowly walked along the river road, heading back to Scythefell Street.


    "It''ll be tough; the Academy, the Blue Banner Army, and the Red Banner Army are nothing to laugh about. Any one of them could prove to be too much of a challenge for us, to be honest, Naya," Illaria said.


    "Yeah, but we''re pretty strong, right? We''ve got a lot of gear, thanks to Alvec too. We should have a good shot, I''d think."


    "I''m most worried about the Blue Banner, honestly. Pirates along our coasts have kept them in pretty good shape. They might be a serious contender. I could be seeing them win this."


    "What about the Red Banner army? Are they going to be a challenge?" Naya asked.


    "Can''t be saying I know enough about them to hazard a real guess. They haven''t had any big skirmishes for a while. They could be out of practice, but I don''t know if that''s a good way to think about it. They just as easily could be exceptionally well drilled and disciplined. They can also afford to fight more recklessly since we know that no one, barring an accident, should be dying. That might free them up to use tactics they might otherwise hold back from doing." Illaria said.


    "Pacta is part of the Red Banner. We both beat her in a sparring competition; if that holds true, it should be winnable. I like our odds."


    "We''re a real wild card here," Illaria said.


    "Shoot, that would have made a good name for us. I went with Ace''s High."


    "That''s pretty good too, actually. Let''s hurry home. Hopefully, Alvec got the information about that phrase we heard."


    "Yeah, it was pretty ominous. I don''t appreciate this part of adventuring."

 43: Inquiries

    Alvec cursed to himself as he opened the door to the church and was immediately set upon by Hoc, who was sweeping the main lobby''s tile floor. "Alvec! Did you guys pull it off? Are you going to be competing?" he asked, practically vibrating in place as he spoke. As much as Alvec was happy to chat and happy to see Hoc, his spirit was infectious after all: He was not the person he wanted to speak to about the events that had transpired during the trip into the Valley of Steam. This needed to be handled discretely, and Hoc was anything but discrete.


    "Hoc! Yeah, it was a success; we''ll be competing. The others went to handle paying the entry fee and signing us up. I came straight here, though. I was hoping to speak to Sarbie; I wanted to ask a favor of her."


    "That''s awesome! I know people participating in the Festival of Blades!" he shouted loudly. "What''s the team name going to be?"


    "I''m not really sure; I left that up to them. Again, have you seen Sarbie?"


    "OH, sorry, I just got excited. Anything you need, I can do for you, Alvec." He said with a confident smile and a tilt of his head skyward.


    Crap, this wasn''t going to be easy. How the hell do you spin something like this? What purposes could he have for needing to speak ONLY to Sarbie? Romance was the first thought that wiggled up to the surface. He fought off a laugh; it was nothing but projection. The two barely knew each other. Not to mention, the way Hoc acted around her, it was pretty evident that he at least had a thing for her, too. So, that lie wouldn''t really gain any traction. Or would it? It didn''t need to be about Alvec.


    "Sorry, Hoc, it has to be Sarbie. Naya had some "girl-talk" questions she was too embarrassed to come and ask about, so I got sent instead."


    Hoc smiled awkwardly and nodded. "I could try to go find another female priest. Sarbie''s more comfortable with a book than that sort of topic."


    Maybe claiming an interest in her would have been wiser. She certainly was Alvec''s type. He, too, was more comfortable with a book in hand, but he''d chosen his lie, and he was going to stick to it. "Sorry, Hoc, Naya was very particular about who she wanted me to talk to. She said Sarbie by name, and if I betrayed that trust, it just wouldn''t be right."


    "Alright. I''ll go get her," he said begrudgingly before he slunk off to find her. She returned without him a few minutes later, waving a hello from across the room. She stopped arm''s length away and spoke.


    "Hoc said you wanted to talk to me?" She asked.


    Alvec stepped forward, placing a hand on her back and whispering. "I do; it''s a bit sensitive of a topic, though. Could we go somewhere more private?"


    The gentle touch and closeness almost shocked her into saying no. But something about the expression on his face pulled her in the other direction. Anxiety and concern. He was shaken. An adventurer was shaken. "Am I the right person to be talking to? I can get a cleric of higher standing," She said in response.


    "I''d prefer it be someone I know and trust." She nodded and led the way to a side room. It was thankfully unoccupied. Before he entered, he picked Rem up off his head and set him down in the hallway. The fox coiled up just beyond the door, staring down the hallway. The room was small and plainly decorated. While the church of Kushang was lavish by the standards of the other gods, not every room was extravagant. This one merely held a desk, some chairs, and some cabinets full of scrolls.


    She took a deep breath after the door shut before speaking. "What''s going on Alvec? You''re freaking me out a bit."


    He raised a finger to his lips and shushed her lightly as he took a moment to work some magic here. She couldn''t tell exactly what he''d done, but the space felt more solid, more secure. As if he¡¯d somehow cut off the outside world, and nothing but this small room existed. "Alright, we should be safe to talk now," he said, taking a long sigh himself.


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    "I really can get a higher-up cleric," she stated again nervously.


    "I meant what I said; I wanted someone I could trust."


    By Kushang, she hated how he said that. "Alright, what''s going on?" Sarbie asked as she took a seat behind the wooden desk. Her chest feeling tight as she subconsciously held her breath. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling she¡¯d want to be sitting for this story.


    Alvec moved over to the desk and leaned against it, placing one hand on the top of the table before beginning to speak."We went to the Valley of Steam, and we had an encounter that has left me more than a little worried. See, we ran into a devil. Mind you, it''s not the first one we''ve encountered, but this one said something pretty ominous, and it got me worried. Have you ever heard the phrase, or any variation thereof, to raise the iron castle?"


    The words, all of them, smacked her hard. She knew they''d fought some devils but to encounter another one out in the wild. Just how many of them were there? Should she tell her parents to stay inside till things blow over? The phrase meant nothing to her, but she could see why Alvec was concerned. It sounded bad. "No, I''ve never heard that phrase, and I don''t like it either."


    "Damn, I''m sure someone here has," Alvec said.


    "What makes you think that?" she asked.


    "The devil I killed seemed pretty fixated on Kushang. He called her the golden traitor."


    "Alright, well, I don''t know anything, so you''ll have to talk to someone else about it."


    "I''ve got to start prepping for the Festival of Blades. I could really use someone else to go about investigating this. Could I possibly have you go asking about it?"


    "No, really, you should take care of this," she said, trying to deny his request.


    "Sarbie, I can''t. We''ve got the festival starting any day now... and I hate to say this, but if I, a tiefling, were to ask about something linked to a devil... it might not look all that good. I can''t afford to be sidelined by the church or the Gold Banner army when my team needs me."


    She took a deep breath and considered what he had to say. Tieflings were greeted with suspicion. Especially any that dabbled with anything infernal. If the phrase was, in fact, as ominous as it sounded... then he was right. Asking about it now might get him sidelined out of the festival. "And we can''t just wait, can we?" she asked, knowing the answer already.


    "Do you really think it''s safe to wait? We don''t know what it means or how long investigating this might take. If we don''t use all the time at our hands now, and some infernal plot occurs that kills people, their blood will be on our hands," he said, looking her in the eyes.


    The intensity behind those emerald eyes made her breath hitch. He was right; curse him for being right. She let out a small groan. "You really couldn''t have asked Hoc?" she said, also fully knowing the answer. If they wanted to be quiet about it, then she was the one to do this. "I''ll start looking in the library tomorrow. Maybe I can find some reference to that phrase or the golden traitor. There''s got to be something useful we can find. Maybe we won''t need to ask anyone else?"


    "It''s a possibility. I don''t have access to the church''s library to find out. I could go discretely look at the Academy between fights. Maybe one of the history books will have something on it."


    "Are there any other details I should know?" she asked.


    "The devil was wielding a two-bladed sword. I''ve got it secured in the tower already. It looks very ornate but isn''t magical. I''m not sure if that has any significance, either. Perhaps it''s a status symbol? If so, that could also be troubling, as it would indicate that this devil was respected."


    "No devils are going to come after me, are they?" she asked.


    "I can''t promise they won''t, but I doubt they will. There''s too much risk in attacking a church of Kushang. Me on the other hand, I could see them launching an attack on the tower if they wanted to. We''re good, but we could still be caught off guard," he mused.


    "Good, I don''t want to die."


    "Just throw a better punch than last time, and you''ll be fine," Alvec joked. He was beginning to look a bit less tired. It was relieving to see his demeanor returning to normal.


    "Would you have told Hoc if I said no?" she asked absent-mindedly.


    "Despite the colossal pain the ass it would have caused me... yes," Alvec said with a tired smile that was thin on his face.


    "Good, it''s refreshing to see the good in the world." The two said their goodbyes, and Alvec exited the church feeling much lighter than he had entered it.


    Sarbie, on the other hand, was tired, though content enough. This wasn''t the sort of thing she wanted to do, but she couldn''t ignore it any more than he could. She smirked; at least she''d get to spend some time in the library.

 44: What Best?

    The road to Archer''s Market was becoming very familiar to Bait. He had taken it on his own now on multiple occasions. It was a nice little walk just him, Bahzugs, and a fistful of strange cheese ingredients. It was especially late when the pair arrived at Ben''s cheesery. No matter, Bait just find open window like last time. This time, Bahzugs even help. Bait called the goblin dog over by a window too high off the ground for Bait to check. Bahzugs leaned against the wall, and Bait climbed on him, nearly losing his footing over the goblin dog''s oily skin. He jimmied the window and, indeed, found it open. He ordered Bahzugs to lift him higher, and the Goblin dog did his best to stand up against the wall and push Bait into the unlocked window.


    It was a surprisingly narrow window for Bait''s large goblin head, but eventually, Bait squeezed through, tumbling into a store room with various ingredients in it. Bait fought his every impulse to sample them. He would need to know their tastes to invent the best cheeses for them, but not today. Today, find Ben learn how to set up own cheese forge. It took Bait several minutes to find him.


    He sat in a particularly plush chair that make Bait think of a throne, only missing goblin dogs and rat-sticks to remind king he no god. A wooden table stood beside him, and a glass of wine and a tray of meats, cheeses, and crackers sat beside it. "Bait! How lovely to see you again. What brings you here in the tasting hour?"


    "Bait find strange goop. Also, change name of team to Cheese Acolytes. All to honor you, Ben."


    The halfling swirled the glass of wine and took a swig. "I presume you are here to learn what to do with the goop next?" Ben asked, smiling wide at the young goblin.


    "Bait want know! Teach Bait?"


    Ben nodded yes to him and began describing the complex process to Bait.


    The goblin couldn''t write well. Writing not Goblin way, so Bait use mostly pictures to make little diagrams of what to do, only using words when absolutely necessary, like earlier today writing out cheese acolytes. Very important, goblins forgive Bait for writing anything related to Cheese or Rats. With all of this knowledge imparted to him, Bait departed shortly and headed back to Sha-Laial to gather all of the components he would need to create his cheese forge, the first step in the founding of his cheese empire. Bait dream big.


    His return to the tower was uneventful. He wanted to go shopping now, but no shop open in middle of night. Usually, no problem for Bait, but Bait live here sometimes now. Maybe best not to take from neighbors. Guards don''t like that, especially wherever you live. They always look at you funny once you get caught a single time. Best to pay, dough Bait do what Illaria do, Bar-Grin. Get best price. Trade away as little gold coins as possible. Save for cheese. Maybe even sleight of hand, a few of them back into coin purse. Only against easily distracted people. If they notice, give coins as if mistake. People think goblins dumb; people believe goblin make mistake, even when it intentional.


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    The following day, Bait left early, gathering the last items he needed to assemble his forge. He had little trouble getting the needed supplies and setting up his forge in the yard. Having tested three times that he had followed Ben''s instructions, he placed in all of the ingredients to forge his first cheese. He knew he''d need to wait a while, but it was worth the wait.


    "Is this open for business?" a voice asked from the entryway.


    "See Inellia, she handle things," Bait said, ignoring the man.


    "We would like to request a weapon be made for us, a magical spear, the most superior weapon."


    Bait squinted at the man; he was wearing a generic brown trenchcoat and pants. Even dumb face and hair look boring.


    "Bait, say you talk to Inellia; she taking your order."


    "Are you saying that you can not make a spear? The greatest weapon?"


    "Bait make guns; boom-booms are best weapons. Alvec do enchanting. Make dumb spear magic for you if you pay him big gold."


    "So you can''t make a spear? I will tell everyone that you cannot make spears, the greatest weapons."


    "Bah, you no listen. Get out. Boom-Booms best weapon!"


    The man walked away snickering. A few houses down from the complex, the human man in a trench coat stumbled into a tiefling with curly black hair and ram''s horns, as well as a tall woman with long red hair.


    "Do you know that they can not even make a spear? The best weapon?"


    "We most certainly can," Alvec replied. "What sort of enchantments were you looking for? I can make it more accurate and damaging. We can add elemental damage; perhaps you''d like it to strike faster. Maybe you''d like it to strike for the heart more accurately? Once you select the style of enchantment you''re looking for, we can start talking about price and timing. Enchanting, as I am sure you know, is a long and expensive process. The more complicated your demands, the more time and higher the cost."


    "The spear is already the best weapon; any enchantment would be good,¡± The man replied, seeming a bit flustered.


    "You''ll need to pick one, sir. These items are artisanal and made to order. I need to know exactly what style of enchantments you want on it. The price ranges from a meager two thousand gold to upwards of one hundred thousand gold, and the wait time scales along with the cost. A day or two for a simple enchantments, many days for a larger item." Mavec had relayed to the group the dumb argument that Bait had gotten into with another goblin clan about weapons. While unsure if this was related, he couldn''t help but feel it must have been. They wanted a spear and were being a bit cagey about it.


    "There are just so many good options," They said, stepping back from Alvec and his line of questioning. Illaria meanwhile circled behind them. She''d heard enough to convince her. She gave the middle of the man''s back a good hard slap. Very suddenly, the man''s body seemed to collapse onto itself, and three goblins emerged from the trench coat..


    "Yeah, that makes sense. You guys are the Boar Eaters, right? I wouldn''t bother talking shit about our shop, not if you don''t want to be kicked out of the city for slander. You won''t even get to compete if that happens," Alvec said.


    "And don''t be thinking we''ll take it lying down. You can either be sued or run out of town," Illaria said, patting her sword. The three goblins scurried out of the trenchcoat and jogged away, jeering as they ran. Alvec flashed her a smile and thumbs up as he proceeded towards their home. Illaria returned the smile and quickly overtook her companion taking the lead with a bit of zeal in her steps.

 45: Introductions

    As expected, the city contacted the party with their official invitation to the tournament not too long after the incident with the goblins. Mid-afternoon, they''d gather to meet the other teams and introduce themselves. It was an excellent opportunity, and Alvec could easily pour more fuel on the fire. How to announce himself was a big question. No one here knew who his family was. He''d not used his family''s name yet and had hoped to make do without it. So far, they were doing fine, but the temptation was there. Name-dropping them at the festival''s announcement would generate a lot of buzz among the arcane spell casters. It very well could create some business for them as well. He''d been grappling with the question for a while.


    "Hey, Mavec, can we chat?" Alvec said as he fell behind the rest of the party. Mavec nodded and followed suit.


    "What''s going on?" He asked.


    "Does the name Reynore mean anything to you?" Alvec asked.


    Mavec paused momentarily and repeated the name in his head a few times. Weren''t they a really prestigious family of wizards? One of them was the head of conjuration at the Capitals Academy. They weren''t royalty but were often employed as advisors in the banners and beyond. "Yeah, fancy wizard family. Pretty damn powerful ones, I hear." They weren''t so powerful as to be known outside of arcane circles, but that explained why Mavec was being asked the question."Why do you bring it up?"


    "I''m..." He paused momentarily, unsure what the best way to say it even was. How do you just casually say your grandfather created a bastard branch from one of the most prestigious families in the arcane world as far as the Empire was concerned. "Snaptail was just a nickname I started using. My family name is Reynore. The Reynore''s... I''m from a bastard branch, but even so, I could evoke their namesake at the festival. I''m not sure I should, though."


    "What''s the con to it?" Mavec asked.


    "Anel would hate it. I''m sure I''d suffer some sort of bullshit backlash from her. She''s the woman who should have been my grandmother. Head of Conjuration at the Royal Academy. Additionally, I feel like I''d lose a little bit of satisfaction. Does that make sense? I''d rather make it alone than coast along on their namesake," he frowned.


    "It sounds complicated. Look, I''m not going to tell you what to do, but hey, I''ll bear the brunt of whatever blowback you face with you. We''re a team and a damn good one at that," Mavec replied. "So just do what feels right."


    What felt right, huh? He felt like he deserved the same advantage that the others of his name had been given. He felt denied those opportunities, yet he also thought it would be too easy. He''d come this far by his intellect and drive. He could go further, too. There was no reason to start leaning on a family who had done nothing for him but toss out complications into his life. It was bad enough that he''d had to write Iridel and message him. That was a matter of security for the Empire, though, on the first account and fear on the second.


    The group arrived to find the stands already quite full. It felt as if the bulk of the city was there to see who this year''s contestants would be. They were ushered into a large tent where various groups were hanging out and discussing amongst themselves. With sixteen teams of five, there were nearly 200 people under this tent once you factored in staff, animal companions, and familiars. The teams seemed to be mainly keeping to themselves, only mingling at the edges.


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    The banners were the easiest of the groups to spot. Pacta alone cut an impressive visage in the room. She wore no armor, just a white gi, a robe often worn by martial artists, and a red armband representing her work with the Red Banner Army.


    Naya rushed over to her straight away. "Pacta! I can''t wait for round two!"


    "As excitable as ever, Naya. How have you been since Cellocht''s party?" Pacta asked, giving a short bow to her.


    "We''ve been good. Cellocht gave Alvec a compound that used to be owned by a martial chapter. We''ve had some adventures and have fought devils four times!"


    "That''s alarming," Pacata responded.


    "Yeah, but honestly, it hasn''t been that bad. Our group has been pretty good. Not to mention, our neighbors are so nice. Edis was a scout in the Green Banner Army and now runs a boarding house. We have a painter living next door, a wizard, and many more. Then there are other strange but cool people like the lawyers and Ben, and how could I forget Muscle Angel? That''s what Bait calls the Aasimar barkeep down the road from us."


    The two continued their chat enthusiastically as Illaria and Alvec approached the representatives from the Blue Banner army. The two members in front of Illaria waved.


    "Commodore told us we''d be running into you. He didn''t say anything about having to fight you, though. Not looking forward to this, even if it gives the blue banner two chances to gain some glory," The one on the right said. He was a rough and tumble-looking man who was thin and athletic. His hair was cut short and brown. His face was covered in a thick stubble.


    "I''m hoping we don''t directly clash unless it''s in the finals," Illaria said, extending a hand to him. "Dannon and Jud, this is Alvec. He''s a wizard, too."


    "Shield wizard," Alvec added, patting his mithril buckler.


    "That doesn''t sound viable. You should stick to range and tricks."


    "Just you watch; I''ll show you how viable it is," Alvec said.


    "I''d put my money on Alvec," Illaria said playfully, pulling out a gold coin. "You boys want to bet against my intuition?"


    "No thanks; I''ve seen you fight enough to know that if you''re willing to lay out gold, he''s not to be trifled with."


    "He killed a devil just the other day," Illaria said, smirking.


    "Hey, it wasn''t just me. You stabbed him a few times, too, and if I remember, Bait landed a shot, as well," Alvec replied.


    "Where is that little goblin anyway? I brought him a small gift. Sea-salted cheese. They were selling it in Ac-Aziza."


    "Oh, he''s around here somewhere," she said nervously, casting a glance toward the other goblin tribe. "I suppose I shouldn''t be leaving him alone for too long. He''s apt to be getting himself into some trouble with the other goblins if we aren''t there to, uh, supervise," Illaria said, glancing around the room. There were an obnoxious number of Goblins in the room, enough that her usual tactics of looking for his green head or sniffing him out, Dahn spare her, weren''t exactly good options.


    "Want me to message him? Pretty sure I can pick his mind out just by thinking cheese in various directions," Alvec said, raising a finger to his temples.


    "No, we needn''t find him yet. There are enough other goblins here that he''ll not cause any worse of a scene. Besides, isn''t that Mavec speaking to those other goblins now?" Illaria said, pointing him out.

 46: Legacy

    Mavec stood before the Boar Eaters. "Ok, look. Here''s the deal, see that guy over there?" He said, pointing to Warren. ¡°I don''t want you to hurt him... wait, no, I do want you to, but I don''t want you to get disqualified, though that would be fucking hilarious. So anyway, don''t hurt him because I don''t want to deal with you dealing with the fallout... but I''ll pay you gold to do shit to mess up his night. Shit in his food, have your rat dogs piss on his shoes, and I will pay you a gold for EVERY minor annoyance you commit against that man."


    "Pay gold first!" The leader of the boar eaters demanded.


    "What do you have in mind?" Mavec said, placing five gold coins on the table and sliding them his way.


    "Boogie have goblins tussle near human. They secretly dump goblin-dog dander on him. Goblin-dog dander VERY itchy. He no know peace until he go wash in river or lake."


    "Hell, yes," Mavec said, slapping two more gold coins onto the table. "Consider that a tip," Boogie called over several of his goblins and gave them instructions. Three of his goblins exited the tent for a moment and returned. They got into a scuffle, purposefully moving in Warren''s direction. They bumped into him, and Mavec saw the powder spill down the back of his shirt. He raised a glass to the goblins. "Hell, yes."


    Bait didn''t recognize any other groups. A few looked very fancy like their pockets might contain excellent and exciting things, but no, Bait in Sha-Laial. Bait need to live here for now. No searching pockets. Others looked more rough and tumble, closer to how the cheese acolytes looked. Adventurers. One in particular stood out. He was in the most vibrant colors with an enormous hat with brilliant plumage adorning it. "Nice hat. Who you?" Bait asked. The man looked down at him; he had sharp, angular features and was thin and toned. He towered over Bait but wouldn''t have stood taller than Illaria.


    "San Verado, of the Sons of Marora, a pleasure to meet you," He said, doing a quick bow. "Who might you be?"


    "I''m Bait of the cheese acolytes. Do you know Blackpowder goblins? I look for them,"


    San Verado paused for a long moment before answering as if mulling over his answer.


    "No, I''ve only had the pleasure of meeting the Boar Eaters and their leader, Boogie."


    "K, bye," Bait grumbled and walked away and went to find Boogie. "Boogie, dis important, more important den spear or boom-boom. In travels you ever see Blackpowder goblins? Bait search for clan."


    "Boogie answer first, den mock you for inferior weapon. Boar Eaters have not seen Blackpowder in many, many, many moons. Goblinmoot think dey dead. If you Blackpowder, Boogie hope they not. No goblin should be alone. Even inferior boom-boom fan."


    "Bait appreciate dis, though boom-boom is better than stabby-stab," he said before he turned and scampered away to find Illaria and his fellow Blue Banner associates. "Hi," He said as he walked up beside Alvec.


    "Here, Bait, we brought you something. Sea-salt cheese from Ac-Aziza," one of the men said, passing him over a small hunk of cheese wrapped carefully in brown paper and tied together with some twine. Bait quickly accepted it and unwrapped it, shoving the whole thing into his horrible little mouth. The hunk of cheese barely fit in his mouth. He munched on it loudly for a few minutes.


    "I believe that means he likes it and says thank you. Isn''t that right, Bait," Illaria said as she leaned over and looked at Bait. He took the cue and shook his head up and down in agreement. He still couldn''t understand why Illaria was so insistent on the niceties. Wasn''t him eating it confirmation enough that he enjoyed it? Why Bait gotta say it? Why he gotta tell them thank you?


    Everyone continued to mill about as they waited to be called. Slowly, the teams started filtering out individually, being led toward the stadium. The sun was high overhead, just beginning its downward descent. The groups started to gather together as more groups were called up. Mavec watched Warren and the academy''s artificers get called up. He was scratching at his back pretty frantically, just as Boogie said he would. It felt good to see. The room slowly emptied.


    "Illaria, last chance to switch teams," her friends informed her as the Blue Banner was called in.


    "Sorry, I''m good where I am," she replied. Annoyingly, it seemed like her own team would be called nearly last. Scratch that; it would be final. The Tieflings from the bell forge with bright red skin went before them, leaving the group alone.


    "So let''s all try to make a good impression. I can augment some displays with spells." Alvec said as he pulled a lump of coal out of his pocket. "Illaria, you''d look lovely with a rain of diamonds glinting behind you.


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    "Not a bad idea," she said.


    "I''m going to talk smack and shoot off some lightning. Straight into the sky for safety reasons," Mavec insisted.


    "Alright, your teams up," one of the men said as he walked over to them. Naya took the lead, Echo walking beside her. Alvec took up a position in the back of the group. This was it, the final moment to decide. To lean on his grandfather''s legacy or focus on forging his own.


    The stadium was packed. People from all walks of life sat in the wooden stadium. Dock workers and members of the noble families intermingled as vendors hocked their wares. There were hushed whispers and loud shouts as bets began to roll in. A man stood on the grass with a finger pointed at his neck, arcane magic amplifying his voice. "And now, for the Cheese Acolytes."


    Naya nearly flubbed her step as she spun round to face the group, mortified.


    "That''s not the name I wrote! Bait! What did you do?!"


    "Ace''s High was dumb, Cheese Acolytes better," he said.


    "Oh, spirits, can we still change it?" Naya asked.


    "We''ve already been announced; I think it might be a bit late for that. I say we just lean into it. If anyone asks, it was to humor Bait," Illaria said. "You still be wanting to go first, Naya?" she asked, a hand resting gently on her sword.


    Naya shook her head and spun back around.


    "Echo, let''s do this," she said as she drew a blade and pointed forward. "Charge." Echo ran ahead; at the same time, Naya herself sprinted after him. She spoke the word that activated his collar. Naya jumped up and balanced on his back as he began to enlarge. "I''m Naya, and this is Echo, and we''re going to win!" she shouted.


    Echo barked loudly in excitement.


    The two of them made a lap around the stadium, and Naya leaned over with one hand, reaching out to the people on the first floor she was now level with. She slapped their outstretched hands and eventually followed the announcer''s directions to exit. She leaped off Echo just before he started shrinking back to regular size.


    "A warm welcome for Naya and her wolf, Echo!" the announcer said, his voice magically ringing through the whole crowd.


    As she exited, Bait walked into the center of the field, drew his musket, fired it off into the sky twice, and said. "Hi, I''m Bait. Cheese acolytes best acolytes,¡± before walking off.


    Mavec and Piquora strode in with purpose up to the announcer.


    "And there you have it, folks, a second goblin competitor! One with a penchant for gunpowder and cheese! A round of applause for Bait!"


    Mavec practically bull-rushed the announcer. "Warren! You''re a thief, a cheapskate, and a coward! Before this tournament ends, I, Mavec, will show everyone your true colors!" he shouted before both he and Piquora launched bolts of azure lightning thundering through the sky.


    The announcer, a man in his 50s, fluffed his coat and spoke again. "Well, that certainly was electrifying. Doesn''t everyone just love a grudge match? Give it up for Mavec!"


    Illaria stepped forward, Alvec right behind her. Her swordplay may have been excellent, but it lacked a certain flashiness Alvec could add to it. He quickly made a spark of arcane fire and pressed it against his cloak. He immediately faded out of sight as Illaria began her sword dance. He only had a few seconds of her distracting them to get into place and ready his display. He quickly armored himself and activated his defensive aura.


    "Illaria of the Blue Banner Armies Coffin Flotilla," the announcer stated as she brandished her blade in quick, clean strikes against an imaginary foe. As she started, Alvec crouched low down, still unseen, and as she moved towards the end of her blade work, Alvec aimed to the sky and squeezed the coal before casting the spell. A brilliant display resembling diamonds spraying into the sky shimmered behind her. The bright red of her hair seemed to reflect off the shards, casting a shimmering red in with the brilliant, clear sparkle. With that, she did a fancy spin and moved towards the exit.


    "Give it up for our second fighter from the Blue Banner army, Illaria! A strong showing for them this year," the announcer shouted.


    Alvec wasn''t as sure what to do for himself. His magic wasn''t as flashy as Mavec''s, but he had a plan. Rem stood beside him, a scroll lying on the ground before him. Rem tapped his paws onto the scroll as if he were hunting it. Suddenly, a Skeleton rose from the scroll and lunged at Alvec. He rolled with the onslaught, bringing his shield up to intercept. He pivoted, forcing the skeleton past him, sliding off his buckler. Without missing a beat, Alvec whipped the dagger from its sheath with his tail and passed it into his waiting and ready hand. He jammed the blade into the base of the skeleton''s skull and let the spell stored within go. The electricity blasted through the creature, and it crumbled to dust as Alvec resheathed the dagger. ¡°Alvec Snaptail and Rem, owner of ACE equipage. If you need magical equipment, clockwork, alchemy, and, dare I say, guns, we have what you need." With that, he headed for the exit.


    "A fox that can do magic, a wizard who can tussle, what a strange pair! Give it up for Alvec and Rem!" As he went to rejoin the group, the cheers from a small section caught his attention. Edis and Nora were there with other members of their boarding house, cheering for them.


    "For our final announcement, I know the church has been buzzing about this rumor for weeks. I am honored to inform you that this year''s festival will be overseen by TaeCol! Thats right! The TaeCol! Legendary Paladin of the church of Kushang. A fearsome protector of the weak and champion of the just. Please give him a warm reception." The announcer gestured towards a small box built into the stands with fewer people. One of them was a graying man wearing full plate armor. He waved to a thunderous applause. As Alvec rejoined his group, he noticed something in his pocket. A letter marked with the Reynore''s family crest.

 47: An Alarming Number of Devils

    She''d left early in the morning before the sun had thoroughly kissed the eastern sky. There was no telling how long she''d have to spend pouring through books to find any reference to what Alvec had spoken about. She could research in peace if she got in before Hoc woke up. He wouldn''t think to look in the library. He''d sooner think of walking to her house than step into there. The library was empty when she entered; she slowly activated the magical lighting. It was the same setup as the Academy. Crystals which shed colored light. She couldn''t even imagine how much it had cost the church to install, but she was so thankful for it. She walked around and plucked books about Devils and history from their shelves. Each seemed like it could provide a possible insight into any of the things Alvec had told her.


    She poured through the books. The first few were much more like a fiend-folio, describing different infernal actors and the types of deeds they were most well known for. She couldn''t help but wonder what sort of devil Alvec was descended from. He certainly didn''t seem like any of the bestial ones, except those horns, that is. It was possible but seemed unlikely that he was descended from something ferocious. Nor did he resemble most of the devils known for scheming. She''d have to ask him sometime if it wasn''t too personal of a matter that was. She couldn''t see him refusing to slate her curiosity; she was doing him a huge favor by asking about this if she failed to find anything in the books.


    Going over the history books wasn''t proved less helpful than she had hoped. There were no references to any iron castle. She didn''t give up; she''d spend the whole day looking if she had to. Finding an answer here would be much better than asking around. Hours passed until the words on the page felt like they were blurring together. She let out a large sigh and packed away the books. It was clear that whatever he''d stumbled upon wouldn''t be found in these tomes. Maybe she should walk to the Academy and see if she could get access to their library; perhaps it was on the other side of the arcane divine divide.


    No, it was better just to start asking around. Alvec said to be discrete... so she''d need to ask as few people as possible. The head cleric was the most obvious choice, but she couldn''t just go straight to him. His time was precious, and she''d barely even spoken to him on more than a few occasions. His second in charge, however, was someone she could just approach. Elodie was a very sociable woman in her fifties who often opened the church doors for those who could afford no other healing. Sarbie found her tending the herbs in the garden. She had a kindly wrinkled face full of laugh lines and crows feat. Her hair was a chestnut brown and pulled into a messy bun on her head. She wore the standard attire of the church with only minor thin chains of precious metals to denote her position with the church of Kushang.


    "Um, excuse me, ma''am, might I talk to you about something? In private, if possible?" she said, glancing around the Garden. Alvec had stressed discretion, so she would do her best to keep it out of earshot of as many as she could. A few other people were tending to the garden. The woman looked up at her and nodded in agreement.


    "Sure, Sarbie, we can go to my office." With that, she stood up and led the way. They both entered a fairly lavish room with a plush rug over the bare wood floors. There was a small desk and several chairs. She sat at the desk and motioned for Sarbie to sit in the chair. "What is it I can help you with? I noticed you weren''t at our usual morning sermon, and you''ve not been minding your chores."


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    "Ah, sorry,¡± said Sarbie. ¡°I hoped my absence wouldn''t be all that noticed. The group of adventurers living down the street, the tiefling boy Alvec, approached me and asked me to look into something for him."


    "You look frazzled; I take it you''ve not yet found an answer?" She asked.


    "No, I searched the library since before the sun came up. I didn''t want to bother anyone else with this. I thought I could find the answer on my own," she said, clasping her hands together over her lap.


    "So what was the question?"


    "He said he encountered a devil in the Valley of Steam. Before he killed it, the devil called Kushang the golden traitor and said that no one would stop the raising of the iron castle this time. Alvec and I, in turn, thought this was a fairly alarming statement, and we sought to find out what raising the iron castle meant."


    "I can''t say I''ve heard of Kushang being called the golden traitor before, nor of any iron castle. And if I haven''t heard of it, we only have the head priest to ask."


    "I was hoping you weren''t going to say that. I could just tell Alvec that we didn''t find anything," Sarbie suggested half-heartedly.


    "You know well that we can''t do that. It is our duty to protect civilization. Even when it''s inconvenient, and devils are problematic, to say the least. Their schemes have never once turned out well for mortal men."


    "I know, I know. I''m just a bit outside of my comfort zone," Sarbie said, bunching up her skirt in her hands.


    "Fighting is outside of mine as well. I''m a healer, first and foremost. Even I''d need to pick up a crossbow to protect our city. I''ll talk to the head cleric tonight. Is there anything else you can tell me about this devil or the group that found them?"


    "The devil had a fancy double-bladed sword. Alvec said he had encountered devils a few other times around Sha-Laial. In the swamps, one in front of his house, and another group in the forge district."


    "That is an alarming number of Devils. Are we sure that he''s not in some way connected to them? He may be attempting to entangle you in some thread that leads to your servitude or corruption." It wasn''t precisely an accusation. The tone was too neutral to be, and yet she had still suggested it as something within the realm of possible. Sarbie hadn''t spent any time thinking about it. The image of Alvec resting on a windowsill after having been dragged around all day by herself replayed in her mind. No, that sort of scheming was inconsistent with the way he carried himself.


    "No, I don''t think that''s a possibility," Sarbie said, shaking her head. "I appreciate the concern and the suggestion, but I''m certain that he is not up to anything dangerous of his own doing."


    "Alright, then, I shall ask the head cleric on your behalf. If he doesn''t know, luck may just be on our side. Surely, you''ve heard TaeCol is in town. If  the head priest doesn''t know anything, perhaps we can contact him."


    "Oh no, we shouldn''t trouble him with this; it''s probably nothing," Sarbie said, waving her hand. "I''m sure he''s got much bigger things to do than worry about this small situation."


    "I''m not sure he would see it that way."


    "I''m sorry, I''m not trying to question you, ma''am. This is just getting so much larger than I intended."


    "Worry not about it, Sarbie; I know you meant no harm by it. Go home and relax; I''ll take the lead for a while. Should we find what we''re looking for, we''ll tell your friend you did it."


    "Thank you." With that, the two parted, and Sarbie headed home. It had been a frustrating day, and she could only pray that the head cleric had a simple answer and that no one else had to get dragged into this.

 48: Passing Notes

    He clutched the note in his hand tightly. Had it been teleported to him? That would imply Iridel was close by. He wouldn¡¯t risk sending it over such a long distance. Not with how easy such magic was to trace. He could have been in the crowd. Or... or had one of the Blue Banner members slipped it to him while Illaria and himself chatted about the tournament? He hadn¡¯t felt a spell go off, so he couldn¡¯t help but lean towards option two. It had to be the gruff-looking man. He looked like someone who knew a few tricks, like how to plant a letter on a target or pick their wallet clean of coins.


    The group headed towards the tower, and Alvec stuck close to them. Iridel hadn¡¯t reached out since the night the Gold Banner had arrested Illaria and Bait. Why would he choose now? And with the timing of what they found in the Valley of Steam, it certainly had Alvec on edge as they walked to the compound. He went to his room without a word and pulled the letter out. It was sealed with the Reynore family crest, alright. A raven¡¯s head in the center of a red wax seal, four circles in the edges, each depicting arcane writing that visualized the four primary elements.


    He heated the wax with the lightest bit of magic as soon as he got behind the comfort of his door. He knew already that his wards were sufficient to stop most onlookers. He unfolded it and read Iridel¡¯s reply to his letter.


    ¡°If anyone but my grandson is reading this, know this. The men carrying this letter do not know a thing about its contents. They only know that it is to be delivered to my grandson in Sha-Laial. It was fortuitous that the Festival of Blades was going on there and that they would make the trip directly there. They were told that it was a sensitive family matter and nothing more.


    With that out of the way: Alvec, I¡¯ve received your sketches and descriptions of these strange creatures you¡¯ve encountered. There have been whispers here about this sort of thing among the Blue and Red Banner army, but there has yet to be an organized response. Please forward me your findings when you can analyze the sample you took.


    Additionally, I would like to comment that there does seem to be something amiss with the Gold Banner. So much so that I¡¯m willing to take the risk of directly communicating with you. You contacted me weeks ago now, and as of my writing this, no one has stepped in to speak with me. This is very much a breach of their usual protocol. It leaves me only speculating what possibly could be keeping so much of their attention that me, being contacted in the middle of the night by my grandson, under suspicion of summoning a devil himself, didn¡¯t even warrant a slap on the wrist.


    I think we should speak more on this matter in person. I can secretly have an imp waiting for you on the outskirts of Ac-Aziza. It will take you to a place I have already secured, where we can discuss some of these issues in person. Head here as soon as it is possible. When you¡¯ve read this, dispose of it thoroughly. We do not need any Gold Banner operatives reading this if it made it safely to you.¡±


    Alvec held the letter down in front of Rem. ¡°Read this, little buddy. I need to make sure someone else tries to remember. If we forget it, we can try to remind and refocus the other.¡± Rem nodded in agreement before focusing on the paper. He tapped his paw and yelped when he was done. Alvec poured a vial of alchemist fire on the letter. It would take strong magic to reconstitute the entire paper if it was little more than ash. It wasn¡¯t impossible, mind you, but it was far more challenging with less to work with.


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    They couldn¡¯t leave right away. The festival was going on, and as far as they knew, none of these problems would go anywhere soon.


    Their business concluded the pair rejoined the group downstairs; Mavec was sitting at the table with a pamphlet open. ¡°Bait, you¡¯re gonna want to hear this. Our first match is against the Boar Eaters. Let''s eliminate those spear-wielding assholes. Everyone got a plan?¡±


    ¡°Shoot dem in the face,¡± Bait replied.


    ¡°Honestly, what he said, but with swords,¡± Naya replied.


    ¡°It''s pretty straightforward, Mavec; not sure we really need any tactics,¡± Illaria replied as she sat at the table with a loaf of bread and a butter container.


    ¡°I¡¯m with you, Mavec; we should plan ahead. I¡¯ve got an idea. There''s an illusion spell that creates duplicates of yourself. I was thinking of tweaking it to make exploding duplicates. They wouldn¡¯t do much damage, but I¡¯m sure it could be helpful.


    ¡°That''s the kind of energy I need, people. Be more like Alvec; we need a plan, and it needs enough pizzaz to get us all the way to the fight with Warren Alston,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°So beyond that, I¡¯ve got something else to discuss with you guys. I sent a letter to my grandfather before we arrived at Sha-Laial. About the abominations, we¡¯ve run into a few times now. He indicated he¡¯d heard rumors of strange creatures as well. He¡¯d like us to go talk with him in person. Mostly because he agrees that there is something wrong with the Gold Banner Army, ¡° Alvec said.


    ¡°Well, of course, there is. They''re dumb as bricks, I guess,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°I assume you be meaning there''s something MORE than just their dealings with us making them seem... compromised?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°That''s what it sounds like. Once this festival is over, I¡¯d like us to meet with him and see what information he can share,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Help me punch that smug smile off Warren¡¯s face, and I¡¯ll go to the end of the world with you,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Sounds like a deal,¡± Alvec said as he pulled out his spell book and took his place at the table. Altering a spell was a lot simpler than creating it from scratch. The base spell was a second circle spell. He''d need to increase it to the third circle without losing any of its defensive properties and adding some offense. Even that wouldn¡¯t be strictly enough. He''d have to sacrifice raw damage to have it reactive to the environment. Containing each lash of fire to the power of a first-circle spell would work. Circles of spells weren¡¯t simply additive. Nor were they cumulative. The power of spells varied pretty dramatically. Adding a second and a first-circle spell together didn¡¯t inherently give you a third-circle spell. Third-circle spells were more powerful, but only in specific ways. Fireball was the go-to spell. Slow enough that enemies could get out of the way, but its 20-foot radius meant it could hit a fair number of targets. Each target could take as much as the most empowered first circle spell, even if they dodged successfully. Better yet, the caster didn¡¯t have to aim it; it just was.


    Alvec was borrowing that aspect of it. It took a few hours, but he was reasonably sure he had it down. Linking the damage to the fake image being dispelled meant it would leap out at whatever triggered it. Making it react to projectiles proved to be too much of a challenge, so only direct strikes would work. He labeled it ¡°booming clones¡± and added one last bit of flavor. When the clones were destroyed, they gave off a loud sound, not unlike a black powder gun being fired. He had to support Bait¡¯s claim that guns were better after all.


    Tomorrow, he¡¯d test it in battle. Not exactly the ideal circumstances, but it was another opportunity to show himself off. A tiefling wasn¡¯t always the most desirable option in business or love. He needed to make up for this with persistence. Talent would only take him so far, after all.

 49: Boom-Boom vs Stab-Stab

    The night passed uneventfully, and the following day came swiftly. The crew gathered up on the first floor, where Sorali had already prepared a meal for them. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not complaining, Sorali, but we didn¡¯t hire you as a cook. If you keep doing this, we might just have to increase your pay,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Easily worth another few gold!¡± Naya said as she took another bite out of the hashbrowns.


    ¡°It''s the first day of the tournament; I¡¯m going to take the day off to watch if you don¡¯t mind?¡± she said as she finished washing the dishes. ¡°I¡¯d like to be cheering for my new employers.¡±


    ¡°More like seeing how skilled we are, that is,¡± Illaria said, shooting her a wide smile.


    ¡°The town already knows that you¡¯ve killed a handful of devils. No one''s questioning if you can fight,¡± Sorali said.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Illaria replied before she stood up and stretched her arms over her head. ¡°We best be getting a move on. We want to make a good first impression. Assuming we¡¯re all in good fighting shape, we will want to stay and watch the other fights. Get a sense of the other teams. There might be some we have to adapt new strategies to.¡±


    ¡°I can see us struggling against mostly ranged teams,¡± Mavec said, musing more out loud than to anyone specific. ¡°All we¡¯ve got to counter them with is Bait. Who is very deadly, but we''re at a large disadvantage in a scenario where he gets focus fired down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got obscuring mist; we face a team with guns or bows; we drop that, and most of us can get in close before it fades,¡± Alvec noted.


    ¡°It would fuck with our back line a bit, meaning Bait, but it would certainly help the rest of us,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Does the pamphlet tell us when we could be facing the academy team?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Assuming we both make it through round one, we won¡¯t be waiting too long. Just till tomorrow.¡± Mavec smiled wide.


    ¡°Well, sounds as if you¡¯ll be having your revenge very soon indeed. We just have to get through the Boar Eaters; how tough could a band of goblins be?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Bait Goblin, Bait deadly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Bait, you¡¯re very deadly. You also be wielding the superior weapon,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Dat true. They use dumb stab-stab.¡±


    After a few more minutes of discussing strategies, the group headed for the festival grounds. On their way, they found Ij¡¯s painting stand but didn¡¯t have time to stop and say hi. The group was, thankfully, the opening fight today. After facing the Boar Eaters, they¡¯d get an excellent chance to check out the rest of the competition. The stadium was already quite full. The team reported to the tent, where they checked in. A city official, a half-elf with long blonde hair, ushered them into the waiting pen. Alvec quickly ran through his roster of spells. Arcane armor was a must; his protective aura lasted long enough that if he activated it just before entering the arena, it should last the whole time. His strategy was simple. Accelerate his team and provide distractions. Glancing around, he saw that Mavec and Naya had done the same. Her swords glowed faintly green hue in the dimly lit staging area.


    The announcer''s voice rang out through the stadium. ¡°Our first fight of the Festival of Blades is between the Boar Eater tribe of goblins and the Cheese Acolytes, a new adventuring band who have recently taken up residence in Sha-Laial. Without further ado, let the fight commence!¡±


    The gate swung open, and the two teams took to the field, soft grass beneath their feet. The opposing team was all mounted on large goblin dogs. They were much larger than Bahzugs. It made sense; if Echo was allowed, why, too, wouldn¡¯t the opposing team be allowed to have their own mounts?


    Bait started the fight by kneeling and firing a few rounds. Each one connected and usually would have punched small holes through the goblins. Instead, there was a flash of blue light where the bullets connected, and they fell useless to the ground. The goblin they had struck still recoiled in pain and looked particularly unsteady. Alvec wished he had the time to watch this fight, not just participate. The magic at play here was fascinating.


    Illaria, Naya, and Echo all moved in towards the goblins. Naya, who moved slower than the wolf and the Aasimar, couldn¡¯t reach the enemies. Echo, however, did and snapped his jaws toward the first one he encountered. He found nothing but air as the goblin dog leaped backward. Illaria was luckier; her blade caught the rider''s leg. A flash or red light occurred where her blade would have connected, and the goblin screamed in pain. As much as the physical damage seemed to be prevented, the impacts were still very clearly felt. Alvec moved forward, positioning himself in such a way as to catch all of his allies. He cast his haste spell, targeting everyone but Mavec and Piquora.


    The goblins Echo and Illaria were fighting shifted out of weapon reach, and each threw a spear at them. Both glanced off from them, falling to the ground. Echo howled, and Illaria gritted her teeth as she felt the same pain as if she had actually been stabbed. So this was why these fights didn¡¯t last forever. Boogie charged at Bait, tossing a spear at him. It connected with his neck and bounced off. The other two focused their spears at Echo. Both found purchase on him, landing what might have been fatal wounds on his neck had this been an actual combat. Mavec and Piquora dashed into position, lining up two of the goblins and sending a bolt of lightning across the field. The magic passed through the two targets as it usually would, but neither bore the signs of the usual charring and scorching that typically marked the victims of a lightning bolt. It was almost like it was ghostly as it passed through them. The bolt splintered against an invisible wall when it reached the stands, a flare of light where the two spells crashed into each other.


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    Naya charged forward, swinging with one blade at the enemy. She connected, making a good slice into the goblin dog. Within moments, however, the dog and rider dashed out of reach and once more hurled spears. It caught her in the leg, momentarily driving her to one knee. ¡°Ugh, Wizards, either of you got anything to make them stand still! If they keep moving like this, I can¡¯t get off a clean chain of strikes!¡±


    ¡°Hang tight, Naya; it be looking like they only have so many throwing spears each. Soon, they¡¯ll have to switch to melee combat, and when they do, we have the advantage.¡± Illaria herself moved up again to take another strike at the nearest goblin and its mount. The speed boost from haste made her feel exceptionally light as if she could have flittered anywhere over the battlefield in a blink of an eye. She swept onto the same one Naya was attacking and landed a solid thrust through the goblin''s abdomen.


    The fight was evenly matched. Each side landed blows easily, but neither had yet to fell a target. Bait took aim at Boogie, leader of the Boar Eaters, and pulled the trigger. A small pop alarmed him as the bullet failed to clear the chamber. He quickly removed the jam and cursed with as many goblin curses as he knew. There wasn¡¯t time to fix it properly, not while the fight raged. He¡¯d have to take a risk and try to shoot them again.


    ¡°Sorry, Naya, I¡¯ve got another clear shot! I''m taking it,¡± Mavec shouted as he again had Piquora lance another line of lightning down onto two of the goblins. The first one tumbled to the ground, and the rider and dog sprawled unconscious on the grass.


    Out of throwing spears, one of the goblin riders charged Echo and lanced him in the face. The wolf struggled to remain standing but eventually collapsed onto the ground. Alvec hated the thought, but helping Naya wasn¡¯t the best use of his time. He¡¯d need to cast his spell now or never. Several duplicates of Alvec appeared around him. The magic was even more unpredictable than usual. Still, he was happy that he had conjured up the maximum number of duplicates. He moved forward, helping threaten one of the goblins. They moved again and did so quickly enough that none could score a hit.


    The goblin made a small circle and charged with their spear at Alvec. The spear pierced clean through the neck of one of the duplicates. A loud bang emanated from the clone as a burst of fire climbed over the spear and collided with its wielder. It knocked him clear from his mount and unconscious. Naya and Illaria must have done more damage to it than they had thought. It was so hard to tell without the usual visual cues. Two of them down, odds were beginning to look a bit better.


    Boogie rushed in at Bait again, spearing him as he rode by. Bait, in turn, aimed at the back of Boogie''s head and pulled the trigger. An alarming sound roiled through the chamber, and his musket blew up in his face. Bait dropped the gun and gripped the side of his face he used to aim with.


    ¡°See, Spear superior weapon, spear no break!¡± Boogie shouted to the crowd, rallying them a bit.


    Without his gun, Bait was essentially out of the fight. Bait losing his weapon was the worst thing to happen to the team. Even if they wanted to, it was difficult for Alvec or Mavec to do the kind of damage Bait could. Providing support was much more effective, but it only mattered so long as someone could capitalize on the opportunities they made.


    Alvec found himself laughing as he saw another dumb opportunity. It was a gamble, alright, a really dumb one, but they needed to score some damage quickly so that Naya and Illaria could perhaps turn the tide now that the goblins had switched to mostly melee combat.


    Spellcasting was tricky; it involved complex motions, it left you surprisingly vulnerable, and a good hit could easily cause you to lose concentration on your spell and have it fizzle. That was undoubtedly part of why Jud from the blue banner had suggested that shield wizards weren¡¯t viable. If luck was on his side, he could exploit that. He broke off from the others, rushing between two of the goblins. He began moving his hand, weaving the spell. Two spears thrust at him, and two loud cracks went off as two more of his clones exploded into fire and lunged at the goblin warriors. Both were fast enough to recoil from the bulk of the flame, but he could see the arcane wards light up, reflecting that he¡¯d at least made contact with them. He finished his spell, and a red-hot arc of flame bounced almost like lightning into the first goblin before bounding off at the second. Neither hit had been as clean as he had wanted them to be, but he could tell he¡¯d had an impact, about three times the impact he would have had if he¡¯d been cautious.


    Mavec had one last use of lightning bolt left. The only problem was that Alvec was in the middle of a perfect shot.


    ¡°Alvec, you okay if I shoot you?¡± Mavec shouted over the din of the battle.


    ¡°Do it!¡± Alvec shouted back as he mentally braced himself to move.


    Mavec gritted his teeth and let the bolt fly. Alvec wouldn¡¯t have told him to unless he was sure he could take it. The bolt slammed through the line of them. All three partially cleared the bolt, but it still looked like a net positive. Mavec joined Alvec in laughing as the Tiefling stood there wholly unharmed. Arcane glyphs floated around him. He¡¯d have to remember that next time; he wouldn¡¯t bother asking so long as he hadn¡¯t already taken an elemental hit.


    The goblins broke off and charged at Illaria and Naya. Illaria swept her blade in, knocking the spear tip away from herself, and at that moment, she slashed once, spun on her heels, and brought the sword down over the goblin''s back. He fell limp from the saddle and crashed to the ground. The one that charged Naya landed a blow on her. She staggered momentarily before falling to both knees, driving her swords into the ground to brace herself. Neither she nor the goblin who had struck her looked like they had any fight left in them.


    Thankfully for her, the magic she cast didn¡¯t call for large sweeping hand signals. ¡°Oh spirits of the sky, hear my call. Strike true.¡± She whispered. The air around her seemed to shimmer, and moments later, a bolt of yellow lightning slammed down on the goblin. They crumpled onto the ground. Naya joined them moments later.


    Bait growled at Boogie and charged at him. He leaped at Boogie and bit at him like any true goblin deprived of his favorite weapon would. His teeth connected, but he only found the furs of some creature and not Boogie''s flesh. The two tussled briefly before Illaria dashed up and landed a solid strike on Boogie. The goblin leader fought back the best he could, kicking Bait off from him and trying to finish him with his spear. Bait rolled just to the side, the spear tip missing him by a few centimeters. Mavec stayed back and conserved his spells while Alvec rushed forward and jolted the leader of the Boar Eaters again.


    Illaria slashed at them, ending the fight with one last clean stroke, and with that, the Boar Eater clan''s ambitions in the Festival of Blades were dashed. The crowd roared their support. ¡°And there we have it, folks, the Cheese acolytes are victorious over the Boar Eaters. Gives a round of applause for this intense match. Applause thundered through the stadium, and Edis and Sorali could be heard cheering for the group. Clerics took to the field provided by the church of Kushang and began bringing the unconscious Goblins and fellow members of the cheese Acolytes back to the waking world. Once Naya and Echo were back up, the group filtered to the stadium and found seats with the rest of Scythefell Street. The residents who could spend the whole day here were already seated with Edis and Nora. The entire group received a warm welcome from their neighbors as they joined in. The fights for the remainder of the day were interesting for sure.

 50: Color Commentary

    The Academy team won their match handily. Their team used a single large construct, a wizard to control it, and several smaller clockwork creatures to defend the wizard. It certainly looked dangerous, but it didn¡¯t take the battle-hardened team long to realize the issues that this particular team composition faced. Relying on the giant clockwork to do the bulk of the damage and relying on the small clockwork for defensive posturing meant that the team was locked into one strategy. Not to mention that everything on the field but the controller was vulnerable to lightning damage, which meant they were easy to exploit. Add other spells that used untyped damage and bypassed resistances; Alvec was at least convinced the fight wouldn¡¯t be nearly as tough as it might have been otherwise.


    The Blue and Red Banner armies also won their first rounds. A few noble groups and a few adventuring groups also cleared the first round. The Sons of Marora, in particular, stood out. The apparent leader, San Verado, played the crowd like a fiddle with his garish sense of fashion paired with a quick blade; he was undoubtedly someone to pay attention to.


    ¡°You think the Red Banner got lucky?¡± Illaria asked aloud near the end of the day''s combats.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been fairly docile since the last major wars. I was wondering if perhaps they might be getting a bit doughy around the edges,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°They seemed to handle themselves well,¡± Naya said. ¡°I think they¡¯re likely a threat.¡±


    ¡°Their tactics, if nothing else, seem sound. Guns, Pikes, a skirmisher, and a cleric. They''re pretty well positioned for anything,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°I hope we fight them. I want a rematch with Pacta,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Only time will tell,¡± Alvec replied.


    The group split up a bit after the final fight wrapped up. Alvec and Rem wandered along, searching for Sarbie. He knew that Hoc and her were around here somewhere. He found the pair standing in front of Ij¡¯s shop. He waved over to them as he approached the shop. Ij had hung up a slew of portraits he had painted prominently displayed on the exterior of the wooden stand. Inside, hung along the back wall, were his more artistic pieces. Abstract paintings on the nature of fear and the facet of water. Ij himself was dressed tactfully. Well-fitted clothing, with what Alvec suspected were intentional paint stains.


    Hoc and Sarbie were in their usual church uniforms. It made sense for them to be in their usual attire since they were working on behalf of the church at the moment. Hoc looked a bit too excited, this festival atmosphere and the fights were entirely his cup of tea. Sarbie, on the other hand, looked a little drained.


    ¡°Alvec! I heard you won! Congrats to the Cheese Acolytes! That means you''re up against the academy team next. You and Mavec worried about it?¡± Hoc asked, rushing forward and extending a hand to him to shake. Alvec returned the handshake with gusto.


    ¡°Yup, we¡¯re in it to round two at least. As far as the academy fight, I''m not all that worried. Mavec is the better artificer, and we both can pump out a lot of damage, which will be super effective against their clockwork constructs,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°I overheard the academy members talking,¡± Ij said as he momentarily walked away from his booth. ¡°You and Mavec made an impression. They were saying you made a custom spell just for that fight. Is that true?¡±


    Alvec placed his right hand behind his head and neck and smiled. ¡°I might have pulled a late-nighter crafting that. It was its first trial run. Could have completely failed for all I knew.¡±


    ¡°You certainly are a much more reckless fellow than I¡¯d have taken you for Master Snaptail,¡± Ij responded from his booth. ¡°If I paint you, you must be draped in reds and golds.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more comfortable in blue,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°You crafted a new spell in one night?¡± Sarbie asked. She knew a little about spellcraft; it was required to progress in the church as a cleric, but the notion of creating an entire spell in a single night absolutely boggled her mind.


    ¡°You going to make a new spell vs. them as well?¡± Hoc asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I need to. We¡¯ve already got shocking grasp and lightning bolt. I can¡¯t see us needing any further electricity spells. I doubt I can think up anything much better than we already have.¡±


    ¡°I heard they have a huge construct; how are you planning to deal with that?¡± Hoc asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really at liberty to say, but I imagine it will be much the same as any other threat. Throw damage, empower our allies, and weaken our enemies,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Hoc, he can¡¯t just give away all of their secrets,¡± Sarbie chided.


    ¡°So does this mean you have the night free?¡± Hoc asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m officially on my own. I was hoping to find you two, actually,¡± Alvec admitted.


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    ¡°Oh, Hoc, why don¡¯t you make a quick circle around the area for security purposes? I need just a quick word with Alvec alone,¡± Sarbie said, giving him a tired smile.


    ¡°Sure thing; I suppose we¡¯ve been distracted long enough,¡± he said before making a diligent circle.


    ¡°The church of Kushang assists the town in policing these events. Losing out on revenue to pickpockets would cause the event not to flourish as strongly next year, which hurts the economy.¡±


    ¡°Must be rough. Though it looks like Hoc enjoys it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind walking around; honestly, we just call the guards if we see something,¡± she admitted. ¡°The way they hang the street lights is beautiful, but I kinda wish we had more crystal lights like in the libraries.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s a shame it''s so expensive. Would be a good use of tax revenue, though.¡± Alvec said. ¡°So you wanted to talk with me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, let''s walk a bit,¡± she said, taking the lead. Alvec followed and took his place beside her. ¡°So I asked around about what we talked about and checked the library. I didn¡¯t find anything, sorry. The people I talked to promised to look into it further. That''s the best we¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you for trying. I appreciate it. What time do you get off from work tonight?¡±


    ¡°Not for a while yet, I¡¯m afraid. They like the church to be visible for most of the night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy you dinner as thanks for looking into that for me. If you don¡¯t mind,¡± he added quickly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to, really,¡± Sarbie said, waving him off. ¡°I was just trying to help. Besides, I owe you for helping me fix all those broken things in the church. I didn¡¯t mean to overwork you so much.¡±


    ¡°Sarbie, I insist,¡± He replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to buy Hoc dinner too,¡± Alvec pursed his lips together.


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°Good, he¡¯s going to want to chat with you more anyway. You¡¯ll have to suffer through it with me,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, come on, I find his enthusiasm quite charming.¡±


    ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t annoy you? He¡¯s never been on a proper adventure; he¡¯s barely even left Sha-Laial. Not that I¡¯m one to talk, but I can¡¯t imagine that''s anything but annoying to someone who has lived that life.¡±


    ¡°I think I just appreciate that someone is excited to know what I¡¯m doing. I haven¡¯t had a lot of that in my life since I left home.¡±


    ¡°Where is home anyway?¡±


    ¡°It was Ot-Najan. I went to the academy there. It''s a lot smaller than Sha-Laials.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned your mom worked with the church; what does she do?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, fundraising and that sort of thing. Ot-Najan is known for having a few gambling establishments. She was well-known in that circuit before she married and started a family. Suffice it to say she knows how to play the establishment against each other to help raise money for the church.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like an interesting woman.¡±


    ¡°She certainly is. Hey, there''s Hoc. Over here, friend.¡± Alvec said, waving to him. Hoc came jogging up to the pair.


    ¡°Nothing to report, another quiet night here at the Festival of Blades. So is it true you actually baited the goblins into attacking you?¡± Alvec smiled wide.


    ¡°Yes, I took a very calculated risk.¡±


    ¡°And then MAVEC SHOT YOU?! Is that true, too?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, but it was with a lightning bolt and not a gun, just to clarify,¡± Alvec stated.


    ¡°Wait, that changes it; how?¡± Sarbie asked.


    ¡°Trade secret,¡± He said, winking at her. She rolled her eyes a bit.


    ¡°You really won¡¯t tell us?¡± Hoc asked, leaning over the two of them.


    ¡°One. I¡¯m fast; I managed to dodge the bulk of it. Two. Hell¡¯s power runs through my veins against my will, but I might as well use its resistance. Three. I¡¯m an abjurer; I can soak a surprising amount of energy damage before I take a scratch. To Mavec¡¯s credit, he asked if he could shoot me. I knew the risks.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense; being a tiefling sure is neat,¡± Hoc said. Alvec¡¯s tail flicked in annoyance.


    ¡°Being a tiefling comes with plenty of drawbacks. Not everyone is very comfortable around us. Many still think we¡¯re somehow pawns of our infernal relatives.¡±


    ¡°Really, but Ageneon got rid of all those old laws. Doesn¡¯t that make it better?¡± Hoc asked.


    ¡°In theory,¡± Sarbie said, clutching one arm in the other. Hoc raised an eyebrow to her. Alvec was correct in saying there were drawbacks. Everyone she¡¯d mentioned his infernal heritage to had suggested that he was somehow manipulating her in some way into perhaps doing his bidding. What was it like in other towns if high-ranking church members could so casually suggest such things? ¡°Were they like that in Rust Hill?¡±


    ¡°Before or after the elemental attack?¡± Alvec responded.


    The implication smacked any notion of a quick response from her.


    ¡°Look, it used to be a little rough before I picked up Mavec and Naya. Traveling with two humans made life easier. Exceptionally easier once we picked up Illaria. She takes the breath out of the air before anyone can speculate about me.¡±


    ¡°She is really hot,¡± Hoc admitted. Alvec chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that, though, I¡¯ve yet to see her return anyone''s advances. She¡¯s a lot like that Wakizashi she wields; she moves with a singular purpose, and all things outside of it might as well not exist,¡± Alvec said.


    The trio eventually made their way back to Ij¡¯s stand. Alvec parted ways with them, promising to return after their shifts to buy them dinner. He paused at Ij¡¯s stand. ¡°Red? Really?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I feel like it fits your daringness displayed on the battlefield. Not a blood red, mind you, nor the red of a blazing fire, but that of a gentle campfire or a bed of hot coals on a dark night. Smoldering against the black sky.¡±


    ¡°Let''s skip the portrait talk for today. Ij, what else do you have?¡±


    ¡°Take a look, Master Snaptail. I¡¯ll give you a quote if you like a piece.¡± He flipped through the paintings, noticing a distinct theme of coral and water emerging in his newer paintings.


    ¡°Should I presume that these were drawn after visiting our house?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Yes, I think I did a good job capturing the majesty of the coral and the sublime peace of the tranquil waters of the world below,¡± Ij replied.


    ¡°I¡¯d agree. I¡¯ll take it. Send the painting to our house after the festival.¡± Alvec said, producing his coin purse and sliding over the gold Ij quoted him. He could easily imagine it hanging in the kitchen.

 51: Flirting with Danger

    Naya found herself along the river sampling foods from various stalls. Sharing the food with Echo meant she could sample from multiple food stalls. Looking at the wolf, her first friend outside of Lom-Itoti, he looked a bit thin and, dare she say, a mite taller than he had been before. Perhaps he was still growing. Much larger, and he¡¯d be the same size as a dire wolf. ¡°Echo, you aren¡¯t a dire wolf, are you?¡± He tilted his head at her in confusion. ¡°Never mind.¡± It just as easily could have resulted from her own magic growing. Echo, while his own person in many ways, was tied to Naya by the spirits, nature, and magic? Naya couldn¡¯t explain it, but as she grew more powerful, she could feel him growing along with her. Quite literally, she was beginning to think.


    Eventually, she found her way to the lawyers Abal, Feng, and Krog. They stood with clipboards, paper, and ink quills at the ready. Behind them, operated by a halfling, was a giant slingshot aimed over towards the river. She blinked a few times in surprise. She¡¯d heard of this from Hoc but didn¡¯t believe it existed. She thought it was likely a fever dream of his.


    ¡°What must I do to get shot into the river?¡± Naya asked as she rushed up to them. Krog replied.


    ¡°Mostly sign this waiver saying neither you nor your next of kin will seek damages if you die.¡±


    ¡°Can it shoot Echo too?¡±


    ¡°No, Echo can¡¯t give consent, unfortunately. While a familiar may be able to, animal companions are generally restricted from giving consent in all but a limited number of cases.¡±


    ¡°Fine, Echo, go wait for me over in the river. You can make sure I don¡¯t drown if something goes wrong. He¡¯s more than smart enough to do that.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure he is Naya; no one is doubting his intellect. Just in the eyes of the law, companions aren¡¯t able to consent.¡± Echo obediently trotted to the river and waited by its edge. Naya anxiously ran up to the halfling in charge of the ¡°ride¡± and paid her fare to use it. She sat back in the harness, and after a few ¡°calibrations,¡± the attendant stretched back the sling and pulled the lever, launching her into the air. She came down hard into the river. Moments after her small frame plunged into the cold river, a second splash followed as Echo dove in after her. She broke the surface and grabbed Echo, who quickly guided her back out of the river.


    ¡°What do you think? Should we go again, Echo?¡± The wolf looked at her, confused, but waited at the river''s edge as Naya ran back soaking wet and paid to go again and again.


    After a few more launches from the slingshot, she settled for grabbing a drink. They still had a lot of time till the next fight, and she never had allowed herself to drink at this sort of event before. Echo stayed beside her as the warm buzz from the honeyed wine she purchased floated up to her head. She had a life here; even if she never found a way to save Lom-Itoti, she¡¯d already survived. She had good friends and a good companion. She eventually found her way back to Alvec and Ij.


    ¡°Alvec. There¡¯s. A slingshot. Pow into the river! It''s fun.¡±


    ¡°You okay, Naya?¡±


    ¡°Better than okay. I¡¯m buzzed?¡± She evaluated her condition briefly; it might have been a heavy buzz, but she didn¡¯t think she was drunk yet. ¡°Buzzed,¡± She confirmed, grinning wide and gesturing to the drink in her hand.


    ¡°Alright, well, try not to overdo it; after all, we¡¯ve got another fight tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Dad,¡± she said teasingly. ¡°Ij, I need. I need you to paint me something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening, oh spirit-speaker.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she set her drink on the countertop and threw both arms around Echo¡¯s mane. ¡°I want you to paint Echo, but not a portrait. No, I want you to paint the essence of Echo. Don¡¯t show the world what he looks like; show the world who he is. You know.¡±


    ¡°Naya, I fully understand what you are asking, and it would be my honor to paint his essence. The ferocity of the beast that beats within his breast, paired with the love and adoration he feels for you and your friends. Capturing that delicate balance would be an exquisite challenge. I look forward to it, after the festival. I still need to make enough money to pay my rent for the year. Being an artist in the city isn¡¯t easy if you don¡¯t have some hoity-toity noble giving you patronage.¡±


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    ¡°Ok, I can wait,¡± Naya said as she settled in for a few minutes. Maybe her and Alvec being here would help draw more attention to Ij and his paintings. He was interesting, and she hoped he could make enough money during this festival.


    Illaria


    ¡°A round on the house from the Cheese Acolytes!¡± Illaria shouted, her voice ringing clear over the din of celebration in the large bar room. A cheer went through the room like an electric current.


    ¡°To Illaria! To the Cheese Acolytes!¡±


    ¡°To the most beautiful and deadly woman in the bar, perhaps in all of Sha-Laial,¡± a man said as he slid up next to her at the bar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be letting Naya catch you saying that second part; you¡¯ll taste twice the iron I can put out. Girl''s a force of nature,¡± Illaria said, brushing aside the comments; she was unfortunately used to men flirting with her. The only question about the man beside her was what variety of creep the man was. He was nearly as tall as she was, with deep black hair mostly tucked under a rather large golden yellow hat, with what looked like fantastical peacock plumage billowing off from one side. His shirt was a flaming red with bright polished brass buttons, and even his trousers were deep satin purple. A rapier hung to his side, its handle an exquisite polished silver adorned with various precious stones.


    A rich creep.


    ¡°Aye, but she¡¯s not as skilled as you are. Deflecting a blade and parrying takes far more skill than whirling two blades around. You strike like a viper with purpose and poise. Her, not so much. Barkeep, a drink for our friend.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Illaria said firmly.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± He said as he spun his back towards her. ¡°A round to everyone from the Sons of Marora. May it never be said we¡¯re stingy with coin or our affections,¡± he said, slapping down a fair bit of coin onto the table.


    ¡°I thought I recognized you from this morning,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Yes, we didn¡¯t have the pleasure of speaking during the pre-ceremony gathering. I believe you were busy speaking with your associates from the Blue Banner Army. You¡¯re Coffin Flotilla, right?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Aye, served more than a few tours with them,¡± Illaria said, accepting another drink from the bartender.


    ¡°Dangerous waters, I should know. My band gets paid to escort ships through those seas. Thankfully, Crowley has yet to take any of ours. He¡¯s a right bastard if the tales are unexaggerated and to be believed.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a pirate, a kidnapper, and an awful man. He¡¯s the reason I joined up with the Blue Banner Army. On one of these tours, I¡¯ll yet drive a blade through him. But not before I pry some information from those damned lips.¡±


    ¡°The Dread Pirate take something from you?¡± he asked as he leaned over the bar, pulling ever so slightly closer to Illaria.


    ¡°My parents. I escaped; they weren¡¯t so lucky. If the rumors about him are true, he most likely sold them into servitude in some other port in the world. Not everywhere is as blessed as the Empire in that regard.¡±


    ¡°They say he¡¯s not the wasteful type; you could very well be right.¡± San Verado said. ¡°What will you do if you get that information?¡±


    ¡°Track them down. The world''s a large place, but to have a starting point, even a year old one, gives me a prayer to find them. Either to repurchase them out of whatever contract they are in or kill their masters and take them home myself. Haven¡¯t really gotten that far in the planning.¡±


    ¡°Aye, first you¡¯d have to find the clever bastard.¡±


    ¡°That''s what the Blue Banner''s for. We¡¯ll surely cross paths one day, and I¡¯ll be there,¡± Illaria said firmly.


    ¡°But, tonight is not that night, Illaria of the Blue Banners. What say you that we liven this place up just a bit in the way only two old hands of the sea can?¡± he said, extending a hand to her. ¡°It''s only fitting we get a warmup before we face each other in the tournament,¡± San Verado said, giving a deep bow.


    ¡°Not if we¡¯re the only ones dancing,¡± she replied curtly.


    ¡°Come on, people, you¡¯ve heard the lady. Up, UP! Be merry,¡± he shouted as he waved his arms up in the air.


    ¡°Only if we get to dance with her, too,¡± someone shouted from the back.


    ¡°Only one way to know if it will happen,¡± Illaria said as she stood up and began to sing the first song that popped into her head. It was an old song about the spirit Shoalsatta and a pirate who tricked her into helping him steal a storm''s strength so that he could calm the seas to save his ship. She sang a few similar tales as she and the other patrons joined her in song and dance. It was a stranger night than Illaria had planned, but it was a good night. Eventually, Bait arrived at the bar and entered a dance with Illaria. Not that he danced with her, but he stood still before her.


    ¡°Hi, Bait no find Ben¡¯s shop here at festival. Help him look?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Alright, I can help you look. I can¡¯t imagine him not having a small shop here, at the least, being so close to Sha-Laial after all.¡±


    The pair made to leave. San Verado grabbed her forearm loosely and leaned in. ¡°I look forward to seeing you again, and should luck favor the both of us, may at least one of those occasions be on the battlefield.¡± He released her arm and bowed deeply to the pair.

 52: Moot

    It was getting dark, and the lantern lights strung across the street provided a mellow flickering light. It was comforting. They searched for a while, unsuccessfully.


    ¡°You¡¯d think he¡¯d have one here somewhere? What are we missing?¡± Illaria exclaimed.


    ¡°Bait no know. Maybe dey have delay? No set up shop on first day?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I suppose that could be true.¡± Illaria spotted a few familiar faces. Alvec and Naya stood in front of a stall with paintings and portraits. Sarbie and Hoc were walking away from them.


    ¡°Have either of you seen a shop set up by Ben?¡± Illaria asked as she neared them.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Ben, the cheesemaker from Archers Market?¡± Ij asked.


    ¡°Yes, Dat Ben,¡± Bait replied.


    ¡°You won¡¯t find a booth for him here. He and a local restaurant handle the entire concession stand for the festival. It closes up shop early but is the most prestigious location,¡± Ij explained.


    ¡°Bait no get cheese tonight? Bah, dis dumb,¡± he said before lightly stomping around. A few moments passed as the group shared the overview of their evenings with each other before Edis and Nora slowly walked past them.


    ¡°Fancy seeing you folks here,¡± Edis said. The couple were holding hands and walking the festval grounds slowly together. ¡°Figured you¡¯d be at your house, what with all the goblins you¡¯ve got partying over there.¡±


    ¡°...with all the WHAT?¡± asked Naya.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Alvec said as the group exchanged looks. ¡°Ij, tell Sarbie and Hoc I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible,¡± He said before breaking into a sprint towards the house. Illaria, even buzzed as she was, quickly overtook him. Bait caught up, and Naya and Echo rode on by. When the team arrived at the compound, they heard the noise first: many goblins, far more than those who had competed in the tournament round this morning, were occupying the grounds. Several groups were dancing around small campfires. Another group of goblins was playing with an ax. They tossed it up in the air and then dodged it as it fell to the earth. There really wasn¡¯t any winning, just surviving or losing.


    Naya looked away. She didn¡¯t want to know if anyone lost. She did see that Sorali was moving through the crowd of goblins, delivering them drinks and food. A look of relief spread over her face as she saw the trio arrive.


    ¡°Ah, masters, glad to see you¡¯ve arrived back! I¡¯ve been serving our guests food and drink to keep them occupied while we awaited your return!¡± She said before pressing a serving tray full of mugs of beer into Naya¡¯s hands stepping close to Alvec, and whispering in his ear. ¡°They haven¡¯t touched any of the alchemy equipment, and I got all the cats into the stables as well. So they haven¡¯t done any harm to anything but our pantry,¡± She said before taking a half step back. Alvec nodded approvingly to her before turning to Bait.


    ¡°Bait,¡± Alvec stated firmly. ¡°These are your people; you deal with them,¡±


    ¡°Right, Bait got dis,¡± He said before puffing his chest up and entering into the encampment. ¡°Boogie! Where you?¡± He shouted.


    Before long, Boogie came front and center to meet him. ¡°Bait, I make peace. Boom-boom may have faltered today, but you stronger tribe. Boogie respect dat,¡± he said before he held out a small offering to Bait a stick with two rats tied to it.


    ¡°Rat stick, Bait; not see one of these in long time. Blackpowder goblins missing, Bait no interact with other goblins much, and humans think rat-stick strange.¡±


    ¡°Correction, we find it gross. The rats are still alive, Dahn above,¡± Illaria said as she placed her hand against her forehead.


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    ¡°Boogie, sorry to hear this. Boar Eaters keep eye out for Black Powder; maybe find dem? Though, dat not what we come here for. Goblin Moot SOON. Boar Eaters see something strange chase DOG-MOTHER into cave. Dogmother no come out of cave. We go look; Dog-mother not in cave? Goblins search long and hard, no find Dog-mother. So Dog-Daughter call for Goblin Moot. We gather all the tribes and try to find Dog-Mother.¡±


    It had been a very long time since Bait had heard the name Dog-Mother. She big spirit for Goblinkind. She give Goblins their goblin dogs. She help make dem great riders on open plains. She give them companions better than regular dogs.


    ¡°We want you at Goblinmoot. Your tribe small but strong; if Goblins fail to find Dog-Mother, maybe you and your tribe do?¡±


    ¡°Bait will be there. We help find Dog-Mother if you can¡¯t by den. When moot?¡±


    ¡°Moot take at least two full moons to assemble all goblin tribes.¡±


    ¡°Ok, we be there,¡± Bait confirmed.


    Alvec let out a sigh. ¡°Sorali, how are you holding up?


    He asked as he saw the young woman peek out from the coroner.


    ¡°Good sir, I¡¯ve, uh, kept them away from the alchemy lab and the cats,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Excellent work, but you already told me that. I thought you were taking the day off,¡± He said.


    ¡° Oh dear, I guess I did. It''s been a strange night, forgive me. I had planned to take the day off, sir. Then I realized that if you guys keep winning, I can¡¯t take the whole week off, so I figured I¡¯d come and do a light touch-up so the work won¡¯t get too backlogged.¡±


    ¡°A sound plan. Now that we have other people here to watch over them, it''s fine for you to head out,¡± Alvec said. ¡°In fact, sorry guys, but I promised to buy someone dinner, so I¡¯m going to be on my way as well,¡± Alvec said. The wizard excused himself and headed for the gate; he used his magic to accelerate himself. It wasn¡¯t a massive rush of speed, but it would get him back faster.


    He returned to find Ij packing up shop and Hoc and Sarbie loitering around. ¡°See, I told you he¡¯d be back,¡± Hoc roared.


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯d better hurry by the looks of it. Having walked the grounds so much, you must have your hearts set on something,¡± Alvec said as he caught up with them, out of breath.


    ¡°The kebab stand two blocks over,¡± Hoc said.


    ¡°Run ahead and order something for me too!¡± Alvec said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right along with the coin.¡± Hoc didn¡¯t hesitate to break into a sprint.


    ¡°Alright, and what about you, Sarbie?¡± asked Alvec. ¡°You¡¯re the one I owe, after all.¡±


    ¡°Really, it''s ok. I don¡¯t need anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking no for an answer. One good turn deserves another,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°There''s a stand that sells some fried dough near here. I haven¡¯t had any of that this year,¡± she said reluctantly.


    ¡°Alright, let''s go,¡± he said, gesturing for her to take the lead.


    ¡°I¡¯m new here; I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going,¡± Alvec said with a smile. They arrived there to see that the stall owner was packing up.


    ¡°Darn, we can rain-check this,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, you didn¡¯t need to buy me anything anyway.¡±


    ¡°Give me a second,¡± Alvec said before walking to the counter. ¡°Sir, I know you¡¯re starting to break down, but would it be possible to ask you to make up two more batches of fried dough?¡±


    The man let out a hefty sigh. ¡°It would take about a half hour of my time and delay my getting home by an hour and a half. I¡¯d really rather not.¡±


    ¡°What if I offer to help with the cleanup?¡± Alvec asked. ¡°I¡¯ll also pay five extra gold as a tip,¡± he said. The man looked him over briefly and finally noticed Sarbie off in the distance. He nodded.


    ¡°Alright, you get ten minutes after it''s done to eat with your friend,¡± he said, winking. ¡°And then you get back here and help me close up shop. Also, you''re paying in advance,¡± Alvec flushed at the insinuation and quickly slapped the gold and silver onto the counter. He took a handful of other coins and tied them up in a small pouch before handing them to Rem.


    ¡°Ok, buddy, go find Hoc so he doesn¡¯t get into trouble. Give him the coins.¡±


    Rem yipped in agreement, sniffed the wind, and sprinted away.


    The two of them stood there awkwardly, waiting for the food. As soon as it was done, the man took off his flour and oil-smeared apron and served them two plates of fried dough with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar on the top. They ate in relative silence. ¡°That was delicious,¡± Alvec said as he stood up. ¡°Have a good night, Sarbie. I¡¯d offer to walk you home, but I feel Hoc will be along any moment now. I can feel Rem¡¯s excitement. I think he got my kebab. They''re heading this way now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡± she asked as he walked over to the stall and entered into it.


    ¡°Helping him clean up for the night. The deal I made was more than just coin.¡± He said as he gave her a final goodbye wave.


    She sighed; the boy went out of his way to do good as recklessly as Hoc claimed he fought. Maybe she¡¯d have to actually catch the next match. It might not be her everyday scene, but he deserved one more supporter in the stands.

 53: Vengeance, a Dish Best Served Electric

    Mavec slammed two glass jars onto the table; a copper piece of filament was at the center of each, and surrounding it seemed to be a literal thunderstorm in a jar. ¡°Naya and Illaria. Take one of these,¡± Mavec insisted as he took a seat at the table. ¡°Clockwork is vulnerable to electricity; the high heat during conduction fries and warps components, causing them to break down. So if you find yourself struggling, throw one of these suckers at them and let them fry. Alvec, you adjust your spell list to deal with clockwork?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What am I, an amatuer? Of course. We¡¯ve traded out all our fire spells for the most effective lightning spells I could find. Hell, I copied lightning bolt from your spell book and swapped out my blast of diamond shards,¡± Alvec said, smiling.


    ¡°Good, that''s the sort of proactive action I appreciate. We¡¯re going to fucking smoke them,¡± Mavec said, grinning ear to ear maniacally. ¡°I¡¯ll have my revenge and expose Warren and the spineless coward and thief he is!¡±


    ¡°Is Mavec going to be okay?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°I hope so; this better not be the start of a mental breakdown,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Bait, get it, gotta shoot bad men. Bait would shoot cheese thief, it like dat.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to get it, but I¡¯ll participate,¡± Naya said as she reached above her head and stretched out before taking one of the glass jars with a storm in it. Illaria took the other one and pocketed it. The group finished their meal and headed towards the stadium. Bait found the concession stand and stormed up to find Biswell manning the booth alongside a tiefling man.


    ¡°Welcome, young Goblin. May we interest you in our combination plate? We call it Cheese Nachos. We¡¯ve combined corn chips with beef and a generous helping of gooey cheddar cheese. Just three silver a plate.¡±


    ¡°Bait TRY! GIVE,¡± he said, reaching his hands up.


    ¡°Bait, we¡¯ve been over this before, coin first, food second,¡± Biswell said with casual disinterest.


    Bait fished into his pockets and produced the required coin, quickly trading it for a plate full of food drenched in a very gooey cheddar cheese sauce. He dug right in without even walking away. It was as good as he had hoped it would be. The cheese flavor wasn¡¯t overpowering but was strong and complimented the beef well.


    ¡°Bait want more!¡± he said as he fished for more silver from his pockets.


    ¡°Bait, we¡¯ll buy more after the tournament,¡± Illaria stated. ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, Mavec will murder us,¡± she said as she motioned for Bait to follow.


    ¡°Biswell, save some for me when I win,¡± Bait said before he scampered into the waiting area. Again, the team was scheduled for an early fight. The announcer¡¯s voice rang out above the din of the crowd. ¡°Today¡¯s first match will be between Sha-Laial¡¯s Academy team, here representing the art of Artificy. Versus the Cheese Acolytes, new adventurers in the city of Sha-Laial. Their team boasts two academy graduates. One of which is an artificer himself. Let''s see what mechanical might the two teams bring today for us to witness.¡±


    Mavec led the way onto the field. ¡°Warren, get ready to lose!¡± he shouted. ¡°Soon, they¡¯ll all see you as I know you.¡± The rest of the team, even Bait, stood back and let Mavec do the talking.


    Warren alone stood on the opposite team, wearing strange gloves and a device over his eyes. A Large mech with various dangerous-looking weaponry towered over the battlefield. Additionally, multiple smaller clockworks were on the field, each equipped with a long, elegant spear.


    ¡°So what''s the play, Mavec?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going after Warren and anything else in my way. You guys take out the rest of them,¡± he said as he waited for the announcer to declare the battle started.


    ¡°Bait, you and I should focus on the big one. That leaves the clockwork soldiers to Naya, Echo, and Illaria,¡± Alvec said.


    No sooner than Alvec spoke did the announcer shout, ¡°Fight!¡± Bait dropped to one knee and fired a shot, which struck the largest construct and bounced off. It was tough to tell with its entirely metal body if it was particularly damaged by the barrage of bullets. Illaria rushed forward, pulling out the storm in a jar and tossing it at the feet of the giant construct. The jar shattered with a thunderous crack, which sprayed glass shards in a radius around its point of impact. Electricity arced through the machine, having a more noticeable effect as the construct seemed to seize up a bit as the current passed through it.


    Naya and Echo moved in tandem, rushing towards Warren. The pair paid mind to their positions, leaving a clear shot for Mavec. They didn¡¯t need to get shot by lightning. They couldn¡¯t handle it nearly as well as Alvec could. They fell just short of being able to reach their targets.


    The Large Mech stepped forward and began its attack. It swept a chainsawed hand at Echo. The protective magic did its work, but even then, it looked like it would have been a brutal wound. Another arm swept over towards Illaria, and a torrent of flames spewed at her. She did her best to jump over the sheet of fire; it clipped her boots, only singing her slightly. Then, from some shoulder-mounted compartments, it fired off its own guns. The first round aimed at Bait fell short. Apparently, its range was considerably less than Bait¡¯s. The second got lucky, striking Alvec. The bullet stopped just shy of hurting him; the energy spun out of it at the last second, and it fell to the ground, plunking into the grass beneath his feet. Yet again, his defensive layer of spells was too much to overcome.


    Mavec took aim and fired a bolt of lightning between Naya and Echo. It pierced through one of the clockwork soldiers before slamming into Warren, who was not fast enough to dodge entirely out of the way. ¡°That''s for stealing my designs!¡±


    Alvec ran forward. If Mavec was going to ignore the most prominent threat in favor of his grudge match, then it would be up to Alvec to wreck this giant constructs day. He fired off his own lightning bolt, which slammed into it and dissipated as it passed through it. Cries went out from the stands. The residents of Scythefell Street were particularly vocal in their support. Alvec couldn¡¯t help but notice that Hoc and Sarbie had both joined the Scythefell street spectators. He¡¯d have to put on a more impressive display. Hoc, he expected, but having Sarbie there was a pleasant surprise. He¡¯d have to put on a good show. He wrapped his tail around the handle of his enchanted dagger. He unsheathed it in a flash as he joined Illaria approaching the mech.


    A clockwork soldier rushed to meet them; it thrust its fancy spear at Illaria, who deftly batted it off to the side and slashed forward her blade parallel to the creature''s spear. She moved with the slash, brushing past it and placing herself opposite Alvec.


    Bait again took aim at the big one and fired two more shots, focused on the knee joint. The bullets didn¡¯t seem to have as much impact as the electricity, but he could clearly hear the groaning of machine parts as it tried to step forward. All he had to do was keep hammering the same spot.


    Naya and Echo positioned themselves on either side of one of the sets of clockwork soldiers attempting to shield Warren Allston with their bodies. Echo grew large at her command and bit down on the metallic warrior. His teeth managed to pierce the outer jacket of metal, but he could not flip the construct to the ground; it was just too sturdy and possessed a lower center of gravity than one would expect.


    Naya followed up Echo¡¯s bite with two sword strikes. One was too shallow, only barely clipping its outer shell of armor. The other slipped beneath a bent plate covering its neck and cut deep into some vital cable. A black ichor gushed from the slash as she ripped it clean from the clockwork soldier. Between the bolt of lightning Mavec had slammed into it, Echo¡¯s bite, and one good hit from Naya, this particular clockwork soldier was already starting to look somewhat worse for wear.


    Alvec did his best to provide some threat, bashing the clockwork soldier beside him off balance just a smidge. Illaria capitalized on the momentary flash of instability and thrust the blade through one of its arm joints. She ripped it back out, dragging it deep against its internal gears. It still hadn¡¯t done as much damage as she had wanted, but it was more than she¡¯d expected. The large construct attacked again with as much gusto as possible. The blade swung this time at Naya, who tried to block the rotating sword by slamming her own two blades into it. Unfortunately, the momentum was too great, and her blades were knocked aside before she was sliced into.


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    Next, it unloaded another torrent of flames, this time at Illaria, Alvec, and the clockwork soldier between them. None of them were fast enough to clear out of the way. Illaria took a blistering hit that she knew would have burned her badly without the power of the magic protecting them. Alvec, on the other hand, absorbed all of it. He had just enough defensive power between the power of his arcane wards and his devilish blood. What alarmed him was that a single hit had used up all his warding. This thing needed to go down now. Finally, it fired off two more shots at Bait. Both of which struck him this time.


    Warren moved all of his soldiers to attack. Mavec observed that Warren wasn¡¯t doing anything but directing them. No spellcasting of his own and no movement to speak of. It clearly took too much effort to control all of this clockworks at the same time. They were likely better off sending in two wizards to provide some spellcasting on top of the construct support. The clockwork soldiers beat down on Naya and Echo, who looked as if a stiff wind might be enough to bring them down.


    ¡°This is for taking advantage of my town,¡± Mavec shouted as another bolt of lightning erupted from his outstretched hand. The clockwork soldiers Echo and Naya had already been attacking, caught fire, and stumbled to the ground. Naya let out a sigh of relief. She was still too close for comfort to the big one, but she had two fewer spear thrusts to deal with now. Warren wasn¡¯t looking the best, either. The second bolt of lightning in a row had done a number on him. One more bolt would be all it took to make him eat dirt.


    Alvec spun his focus onto the large construct. He had initially planned to haste the party, but considering how much damage it was outputting and how vulnerable it was to electricity and resistant to other injuries, it seemed best to keep hammering it instead. He sheathed his hand in electricity and slapped its leg, sending a jolt all through it. It struggled to maintain standing. Even more so when Bait peppered its leg again with more bullets. The joint gave out, and it collapsed to the ground. At this point, it was entirely possible for them to just keep kiting the creature, as it was not as accurate with its ranged attacks as Bait was. Alvec could safely stand beside and heal him even if the mech focused its fire on the goblin. It was a strategy they¡¯d have to keep in mind if the fight didn¡¯t start coming to a close soon.


    Illaria parried two spear thrusts back to back and responded in kind, bringing the clockwork soldier to its knees. Two out of three of them were down. One relatively unharmed clockwork soldier, one beat-up wizard, and one quickly fading giant construct remained of the opposing team. Mavec couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Warren¡¯s lack of offense was playing out exactly how Mavec had hoped it would. It was showing him to be a coward. They might have been in a much different position if he had taken a more significant risk rather than holding back two of his constructs.


    He lined up one final bolt, this time firing from Piquora¡¯s position, and let fly his arcane might. Warren crumpled to the ground, and the clockwork shuddered but continued to operate. No longer being guided, it would be hard to tell precisely how intelligent they were and if their tactics might change. ¡°Suck on that, Warren!¡± Mavec shouted as he pumped his fist into the air.


    The remaining clockwork soldier moved forward and slashed at Naya and Echo. The spear hit Echo but missed Naya by the slightest bit. The large construct turned its full attention to Alvec. It swung its saw blade down, piercing through his defenses and landing what would have been a devastating strike had the protective wards not mitigated it. Alvec screamed in pain. It wouldn¡¯t have killed him, but it had taken him from untouched to critically wounded with a single swing. The torrent of flame came next. He dodged low, taking a smattering more damage. Still, he clamped his mouth hard, grunted, and bore with it as he immediately went invisible, an illusionary vision of himself withering to death in front of the construct. No longer seeing its target, the machine fired its remaining two bullets at Illaria, both connected.


    Naya and Echo went all in on the clockwork soldier before them. Between fang and blade, they quickly tore it to pieces, when the gears clanged to the ground the pair were bloody but unbroken.


    Illaria rushed toward the large construct and slashed at the flame thrower. With expert timing, she sliced clean through one of the valves that produced the flames. She smiled at her handy work. Alved reappeared, slamming electricity into the construct''s chest. Bait took another two shots, this time targeting the chainsaw-like arm. Finally, between their three-pronged assault, the construct sputtered out, collapsing onto the ground. Piquora dashed toward the last standing clockwork soldier and barrelled into it; electricity pulsed through its body before it fell limp to the ground. A round of cheers went through the crowd as the Cheese Acolytes remained on their feet. Mavec rushed over to the announcer. ¡°Hey, hey, I want it on the record that the reason Jai-Enora doesn¡¯t have clean water is that asshole cheaping out on parts and skipping town with the extra money! I took the fall, but Warren Allston should have!¡±


    Murmurs ran through the crowd as his words sunk in. It was beyond a simple grudge match, and with that closing statement, Alvec was sure that the academy would be looking into this. Perhaps before long, Mavec could return to Jai-Enora and restore his good name, having exposed Warren¡¯s behavior to the world. The team walked out of the stadium.


    ¡°Thank you, guys, that went perfectly,¡± Mavec said, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Speak for yourself. Echo and I took a beating!¡± Naya exclaimed.


    ¡°And thanks for that. Did you see the look on his face when I slammed him with that final bolt? I¡¯m going to cherish that memory,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Aye, we appreciated the supporting fire, but could you also get Piquora in there next time instead? We could have used another target for them to swing at,¡± Illaria noted.


    ¡°Bait shoot targets, we fine,¡± Bait confirmed.


    ¡°So, who are we up against next?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t know for a few hours yet, but my money is on the Red Banner Army,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°What makes you think those useless border guards will win against other mercenary teams?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably not nearly as useless as you''re making them out to be. Think about it: the men and women at the helm of ALL of the Banners are extremely old and bloodied hands. They fought both in the Anarchy and in Ageneon¡¯s War. Do you really think something as simple as peace would let them relax their training regimen? If anything, I¡¯d be betting they¡¯re a force to be reckoned with,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Do you think doing enough practice drills makes up for the lack of live combat?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°I think a bored guard with a rifle who practices shooting a few hours each day for lack of anything better to be doing is going to be more accurate than someone required to practice many different skills. One may be better overall, but the other may win the fight,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°I get what you''re saying; we beat Pacta at Cellocht¡¯s party, though. Maybe it won¡¯t be so bad.¡± Naya suggested.


    ¡°Different rules of engagement,¡± Alvec responded. ¡°Did Pacta ever say she was a swordsman?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, no,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°So we have to be assuming that she was fighting with a weapon that was not her best,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Which means that she¡¯ll compete better. Good, I look forward to the challenge,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Red Banner also have guns,¡± Bait interrupted as he waved his gun in the air.


    ¡°Their setup has been Pacta, who I haven¡¯t seen use a weapon, two gunmen, two pikemen, and some sort of caster, perhaps a cleric?¡± Alvec rattled off.


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ll need a plan to take care of the gunman as quickly as possible,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°I can provide cover with obscuring mist,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°OH! I¡¯ll summon some wolves!¡± Naya added enthusiastically.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do what?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Summon. Wolves. I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡± Mavec asked.


    Naya shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know, a few months at least? It just doesn¡¯t come up often. Think of it: through a huge fog cloud... and then BAM, a pack of wolves comes barreling out of it! Should buy us a little bit of time, if nothing else.¡± Naya said, giving two thumbs up to her own plan.


    ¡°How Bait see?¡± he asked. ¡°No shoot if no see.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to run around the cloud to get line of sight,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Alright, let''s be getting on out of here; we can talk strategy more at the house,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°What are we all planning to do today anyway?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Bait must spread word of cheese! All must know of the glorious cheese.¡±


    ¡°Did he just imply he will wander around telling people about cheese?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Does that be surprising you at this point, Mavec?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Yes, and now I¡¯m a little disappointed in myself,¡± Mavec replied.


    The announcer walked into the small antechamber they were discussing strategy in. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for things to do, you should consider coming back here after dark. We¡¯ll be putting on a dance with live music in the stadium itself and the tents around it. Competitors are encouraged to come, but it''s not strictly required.¡±


    ¡°What''s the dress code?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Look, we¡¯re inviting anyone who wants to come. There will be dock workers, cooks, you name it. The dress code is as fancy or as minimalist as you want it to be. You want to come here covered in blood-soaked clothes by my guest. You want to pretend you¡¯re the only star of the show; you can do that too.¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s what I¡¯m doing,¡± Naya said firmly.


    ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to make a showing,¡± Alvec agreed.


    ¡°A nice little celebration would be fun,¡± Illaria agreed.


    ¡°Bait can tell people of cheese facts!¡±


    Mavec rolled his eyes hard. ¡°If you¡¯re all going, I suppose I have to as well, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure does; you can¡¯t shoot your rival in the face with lightning and then not celebrate,¡± Naya said as she threw an arm around him, briefly dragging the aloof boy closer to the others.


    The group left the arena, vowing to come back later that night to partake in the festivities.

 54: Out Shopping

    Naya wandered around the shops of Sha-Laial frantically. A dance, a festival-styled dance in which nobility, upper-class folk, and commoners could all be in the same room. There was no way she could attend in her usual attire. She¡¯d given almost all her gold to Alvec for his enchanting skills. He¡¯d clarified that he was charging simply for the materials, and she¡¯d already confirmed that to be the case. Just browsing the Academies magic items department sent a chill up her spine with how expensive the enchantments he had already made for her were. She only had about ten platinum pieces left to her name. Equivalent to 100 gold pieces. Of course, she had a bit more than that: a few gold, a pile of silver, and a small mountain of copper pieces, but those were for food. There wasn¡¯t enough coin in reserve to dip into. At the rate it was going, if they didn¡¯t win the tournament, she¡¯d need to look for some work herself to fund her lifestyle. Until the next job came along. She pursed her lips as she stood outside a small shop that looked fancier than she had any right to be in. The thought of going in alone made her uncomfortable. She cursed and wished she¡¯d brought Illaria with her. Illaria had declined. She planned to just wash her clothes and wear them. Stupid Illaria, making even a modest adventuring outfit look fit for a queen. It was a little frustrating to be standing next to someone who just radiated warmth, joy, and personified beauty.


    She couldn¡¯t have asked either of the boys to come along. She wouldn¡¯t be fitted for a dress with either of them here. Not like Mavec would even notice; he was such a gearhead. It almost pissed her off that Mavec wouldn¡¯t notice, but he was a little like Bait in some strange way. Echo nudged her hand with his head and pushed her forward. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Echo promptly sat down outside the window doing his best to peer in.


    ¡°Hello, how may we help you today?¡± An older woman said as she glanced down from over a counter.


    "I''m looking to buy a dress."


    ¡°Ah, and what''s the occasion?¡± She asked.


    ¡°There''s a festival tonight.¡±


    ¡°I might have to recommend you to a different store, dear. I do have a few party dresses, but most of my wares are designed with a higher-end venues in mind. I''m afraid it will run you too much for too little use.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for something cheap,¡± Naya insisted.


    ¡°Alright, what''s your budget then?¡±


    ¡°Five platinum that should cover a dress, even a fancy one.¡± She said.


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    ¡°Mind if I see the payment?¡±


    Naya frowned at her and the insinuation. She was carrying weapons worth enough to buy out half the store or more. Maybe a demonstration would do. ¡°Perhaps I should just take my business elsewhere.¡± She said, pulling out one of her blades and whispering an activation word. The sword slowly shone a ghostly blue light that seemed to float off from it in waves of mist. ¡°My coin is good,¡± she insisted before returning her sword to its sheath.


    ¡°OH, I would never-¡±


    Naya cut her off with a stern look. ¡°Right, the event was for the dance being held tonight at the festival, right? It''s a bit late in the season, but I still have some sun dresses. They would be well within your budget, and while not exceptionally fancy, they are very well made, and I can have it tailored to you in just a little bit. Would you be interested in seeing those?¡± The woman asked, coming around the counter now.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be just a moment. I hadn¡¯t gotten around to packing them away, but I moved them to the backroom. It will be another few months before more fall and winter dresses and jackets will be in fashion. We always try to sell for what''s coming, not for what is or was.¡± Naya waited anxiously as the woman walked into the backroom. Several minutes later, she rolled a rack of dresses out onto the sales floor. Glancing at them, the design varied a lot for being sundresses. Several of them showed more skin than Naya was comfortable with. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t sure how comfortable she was with any dresses. When was the last time she had worn one? Probably one of the harvest festivals. Her dress then had been frumpy and homespun. Its fabric had been beige, and it left everything to the imagination.


    She wanted something more sleek but more modest than some of the designs she saw in front of her. Completely bare shoulders and midriff might have been attractive, but it felt too exposed with only thin little fabric straps to keep the clothing up. She eventually found one in a harvest orange color that met her expectations. It had a rather sharp cut neck, but it was very tasteful. The hem of the dress looked like it would easily go midway down her thighs or maybe even just above the knees. Beyond that, it had sleeves, so it didn¡¯t look like it would move around or fall off her shoulders easily. It had a strange green floral pattern knitted onto the dress, too. She liked it; it made her think of home a bit.


    ¡°Go ahead and try it on.¡± The woman said, pointing to the changing room.


    ¡°Will it fit?¡± She asked, looking it over.


    ¡°Not well, but it''s my job to fix that afterward. You simply must try it on to see if you enjoy it.¡± Naya took the dresses into the fitting room and did as instructed. The fit was far from perfect, but she did love the color on her. The V-neck was a bit intimidating, but she liked it better than she thought she would.


    ¡°So how does this work if I decide I want it?¡±


    ¡°Well, first you pay for it, then I take your measurements and hem it for you.¡± The two women exchanged coins and skills. Naya left with the dress in a box not long after. She wasn¡¯t sure if skill or magic let the woman''s hands fly over the fabric so fast, but the hemming was done far quicker than Naya could have imagined.

 55: Ill-manners and External gyroscopes

    The day had passed quickly. Unlike Naya, Illaria felt no pressure to dress up. She was a warrior, a combatant; she didn¡¯t need to be anything more than that. Her songs and more were for her own benefit, not for anyone else. She didn¡¯t feel the need to impress strangers. Bait had agreed to come along, but only if he got to tell people cheese facts. Illaria had given up on trying to persuade him otherwise. He¡¯d just go ahead and do it anyway, after all.


    Alvec had only cleaned up a little bit, combing his unruly hair and cleaning his clothing. He¡¯d left his bandolier of alchemical items at home and had displayed his bronze academy badge like a medal on his coat. Mavec and Bait had done nothing different with their appearance. It fit for them, honestly.


    The sound of music in the air was interesting. They had multiple bands for such a large space, and none played the same songs or instruments. Thankfully, they were far enough apart in the different areas that it wasn¡¯t so much a clash as a strange blend only really noticeable at the periphery of each dance floor. The tents where the contestants first got to chat with each other were probably the nicest of the areas. Wooden tiles had been placed over the grass, and a proper dance stage erected underneath it. The sun''s light was setting, and torches cast a warm glow over the event. Paper lanterns strung above the walkways added a nice intimate feel to the night. Mavec found the drinks and food table and parked himself nearby, grabbing a glass of punch.


    Alvec flitted through the crowd, chatting here and there with people. Though looking noticeably uncomfortable. Parties like this were not his element. A quieter night with an open book, and some soft discussion sounded far better to him.


    Bait wandered off almost immediately, following people around and loudly explaining how much milk was required to make a proper cheese. ¡°It take over one whole gallon of milk to make just one pound of cheese!¡± he shouted at one robbed figure who meandered through the event.


    Of course, Bait would latch onto one of the sketchier people at the event.


    Illaria sighed. It''s just how Bait was. She shrugged it off and grabbed an ale for herself; she drained it quickly, feeling the subtle warm rush in her head as she decided which music she enjoyed most.


    Eventually, she settled for the one in the stadium itself. It was a bit livelier with more brass instruments than the more delicate string music of the tent. She joined in the dancing, flitting through the crowd, switching partners for dances frequently, rarely staying with one partner for more than a dance or two.


    Eventually, San Verado appeared, still wearing the same garish outfit. ¡°Another Excellent display of swordsmanship today, Illaria. Did they teach you that at the Blue Banner, or did you already know how to wield a sword before joining them?¡± he asked as he danced near her.


    ¡°My pa taught me how to swing a blade; the Blue Banner merely offered me a lot more practice with moving targets, is all.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what exactly did your parents do? I assume it involves the sea since Crowley got them, but there are a lot of different professions that could apply to. Were they fisher folk, merchants, or something else?¡± he asked.


    ¡° Merchants, you should be seeing me balance an accounting book; it''s nearly as good as my swordplay.¡±


    ¡°I somehow think that might be a touch less exciting than the swordplay.¡± Another dancer, a particularly rotund man with a drunkard''s flush, bumped into San Verado somewhat hard, jostling him and nearly knocking his hat from his head. San Verado clamped his hand onto the hat and scowled at the man.


    ¡°Mind your steps, you daft fool, or I¡¯ll gut you myself.¡±


    ¡°You be minding your tongue, San Verado,¡± Illaria said, scowling back at him. ¡°He¡¯s drunk, he meant no harm.¡±


    San Verado took a moment to recompose himself, straightening his shirt and his hat. ¡°As it may be, I still detest those who can¡¯t keep control of themselves. I¡¯ve drunk my weight in beer, and you don¡¯t see me stumbling into people.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you drank more modestly than you be thinking you did,¡± Illaria said as she excused herself from the conversation. She had already found the man obnoxious, but now he was also an asshole. She¡¯d see if she could give him the slip simply by grabbing another drink. The second drink went down as smoothly as the first; the nobles of Sha-Laial had spared little in the way of expenses for this festival. It was meant as a display of wealth and power; it didn¡¯t surprise her one bit that it was so grand.


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    San Verado didn¡¯t follow immediately, but before long, he appeared nearby and grabbed a drink. ¡°So, saying you plunge your sword into Crowley, find and rescue your parents, what comes next for you?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be saying I¡¯ve given it much thought. Perhaps I¡¯ll spend some time here amongst friends. Alvec has made it clear that so long as I wish to, I have a room in the tower.¡±


    ¡°That Tiefling boy, the shield wizard. He sure is an unusual one. He¡¯s hiding something to boot.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Illaria said, her voice bristling.


    ¡°Snaptail, it''s not a last name. It''s more of a title, and he uses it pointedly. He thrusts it forward so that no one asks the question. Alvec who?¡±


    ¡°People can have complicated histories with their family; it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s hiding anything.¡±


    ¡°Has he told any of you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that he has, but it doesn¡¯t matter. His business is his own. I¡¯ve no right to be sticking my nose into it,¡± Illaria insisted.


    ¡°Bah, why do you trust him so much?¡± he asked pointedly. Illaria smiled, glad she was frustrating to this man who wouldn¡¯t leave her well enough alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the idiot risk his neck for others too many times to think he might have any ill intent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too good for that lot of misfits; you should join me instead. I can show you a much more grand world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be passing on that. Not exactly a fan of men who threaten to gut people for the grand offense of walking into someone,¡± Illaria drained her cup once more and walked away. This time, pointedly glaring at him. He took the hint and didn¡¯t follow her. She found Naya awkwardly standing on the sides. As dolled up as she had gotten, with her new dress, which fit her all too well, and a simple rosewood bracelet on her left wrist, she still looked nervous and out of place. Illaria grabbed her hands and dragged her onto the dance floor.


    Mavec.


    This was dumb; the music was loud, people were too close, and he didn¡¯t fit in. He hadn¡¯t even really spotted anyone he knew here either. Perhaps if Praha were here, he could at least have some decent conversation, and maybe, if she wanted to, he¡¯d partake in a dance or two. He was content to just listen to the music and chill out near the party''s edge.


    ¡°Excuse me, your Mavec of the Cheese Acolytes, right?¡± A younger boy, maybe in his early teens, said as he approached. Mavec groaned. The boy had short-cut blonde hair and wore a green knitted sweater and khaki pants.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the names stuck, so yes, yes I am. What can I do you for?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I was hoping to talk shop a little bit. I¡¯m just starting at the academy. I ran into something interesting in an older edition of one of the intro books. Thought you might be a safer person to ask,¡± he said.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got my attention; what did you see in this book that has you coming to ask a stranger rather than a professor?¡±


    ¡°It, uh, it talks about external gyroscopes. What do you know about them?¡±


    ¡°Ok, kid, you''re pulling my leg; that was Alusai¡¯s whole gimmick. No one knows why his devices have them.¡±


    ¡°That''s why I¡¯m asking you. My professors won¡¯t talk at all about Alusai, even though a bunch of modern Artificy is descended from his designs!¡±


    ¡°What did these notes say?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°It was less notes and more of a drawing, a humanoid construct with a gyroscope for a head. Tsuhoma downs was written in the margins next to it,¡± the boy whispered as he leaned closer.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s all I know. Gyroscopes are usually used for maintaining internal balance with a construct. Alusai¡¯s works use them in unconventional ways. No one knows what the purpose of an external gyroscope is. Perhaps he thought they just looked cool? Maybe, just maybe, they offer some sort of stabilization we¡¯re unaware of. Perhaps, and this is a wild guess, they aren¡¯t external. Perhaps they work in tandem to stabilize something bigger than the individual constructs we see them in. Maybe they disrupt magic? It''s impossible to tell without seeing his notes or having better samples to work from,¡± Mavec concluded.


    ¡°Oh wow, those are some neat ideas.¡± The boy said.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s a shame no one knows where he disappeared to. Whoever found his formulas and designs would be insanely rich if they could repurpose them.¡± Mavec replied. ¡°Though honestly, I¡¯m more interested in how much the craft would evolve if we had his knowledge and craft added back to the general curriculum.¡±


    ¡°Who knows what crazy cool things would get made.¡± The boy agreed.


    The two of them remained chatting a bit about the future of Artificy as the night passed. Before tomorrow''s fight, Mavec vowed to run to the academy and find that book. Any hint of what might have happened to Alusai and his strange but wondrous creations was invaluable. He couldn¡¯t pass up learning more.

 56: How We Learn

    Alvec, Bait, and Naya


    Bait followed the black-robed figure as he walked around the dance floor, muttering to himself and greeting every plant he ran into while gazing straight past people. Bait, no mind, Bait, just keep shouting cheese facts to him. He had already informed him how much milk it takes and how long a cheese should cure. Told him the different varieties of cheese, listed every type he could, and listed uncommon ingredients that made new types of cheese, like how peppers, when combined with cheese, created a spicy pepper jack. Tell stranger how Bait plan to make earthy and nutty cheese. Use mushrooms, maybe the kind that makes you see strange colors or shadow people. Bait not decided yet.


    Still, man show no interest in Bait, and worse... no interest in cheese. As the goblin followed him, he noticed that Alvec had begun to follow him. Alvec good acolyte, remembers cheese facts, and can recite them. Before too long, Bait also notice Naya join in, dress look like pumpkin to Bait. Make Pumpkin cheese later.


    Alvec frowned; whoever this man was, he didn¡¯t like the general vibe of the man. Worse, getting Bait to stop following him was challenging. You¡¯d think he¡¯d have bored of this already, yet somehow, he was still following this man and shouting new and strange ¡°facts¡± about cheese; admittedly, some of it had been rather informative. It was becoming louder and more deranged, though, by the minute. Someone had to try something. Using magic to make a voice wasn¡¯t super complicated. So he did that, trying to place it right behind the man and be as unique as possible.


    ¡°Why thank you, young Goblin, I¡¯ve learned oh so much about cheese,¡± Alvec said, forcing his voice much deeper as it played out from the man''s location.


    ¡°Bait do a good job, Bait tell you even more!¡±


    ¡°Tozhen, damn it!¡± Alvec said, relenting. ¡°You got any ideas, Naya?¡± Alvec asked, turning toward her. Of all the cheese acolytes, she¡¯d gone the furthest to tidy up for this little dance event. It was a powerful look on her. He tried to make sure his gaze didn¡¯t linger. It was a strange lens to view her through, certainly not a bad one, but a strange one nonetheless.


    ¡°Does tossing a potato sack over his head count? We can abduct him from here, and hopefully, he won''t find and follow the same fellow?¡±


    ¡°Catch and release. I like it, but I feel like we might get some strange looks.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ve only gotten to dance with Illaria so far, so I¡¯d like not to get kicked out just yet,¡± Naya confirmed.


    ¡°Fuck it, we leave Bait to his own devices. He¡¯ll tire of it eventually,¡± Alvec extended his hand to her. ¡°We¡¯re here to celebrate, right? So I think we¡¯re supposed to share at least one dance.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure, but uh, what type of dance are we doing? Illaria didn¡¯t need to touch me?¡± Alvec grinned ear to ear.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a feeling Illaria and I are of two very different dancing traditions. Best keep up, Naya.¡± Alvec said as he began to move, slowly at first guiding her. It was far more a ballroom dance than whatever freeform moves Illaria preferred. It wasn¡¯t hard at all to imagine Alvec in a royal court. An instructor to a prince or an adviser to a king. Someday, he¡¯d get the recognition he deserved. She was sure of it. Before she could get too lost in thought, he kicked up the tempo to the point that Naya struggled to keep pace for a moment as she adjusted to the more intense movements. ¡°Did you think I would make it easy on you?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°I was hoping so; this is my first time at an event like this,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Exactly, why I can''t. We¡¯ve gotta make your moves shine as much as that outfit,¡± He said. They continued for a few more moments before; eventually, Alvec spun her a few times, twisted her away, and bowed out. He gently put a hand on none other than Hoc and pushed him forward. ¡°You''re up next Hoc, have fun! Just do what I showed you,¡± Alvec said, laughing at the minor chaos he¡¯d sewn. Hoc wasn¡¯t in church clothing, just a clean white button-up shirt and a pair of Khakis. Standing just a few feet away was Sarbie. Her hair was down and hanging messy around her face. She had also abandoned her church clothing for a simple white blouse and a long blue skirt that went just above her ankles.


    Alvec extended his hand towards her. ¡°I promise to go slower.¡±


    ¡°Much slower?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Much slower,¡± he confirmed, still holding his hand out to her. ¡°So what do you say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be reading about a dance than be in one. This is embarrassing. I don¡¯t know why I agreed to come.¡±


    ¡°Probably because a certain friend of ours doesn¡¯t know how to take no for an answer, and I think I¡¯m on his side on this one,¡± Alvec said with a wide smile.


    ¡°Alright, how do we even do this?¡± She asked.


    ¡°First, I grab your hand like so, and we raise our arms like this.¡± He said as he took her hand in his, slowly and gently bending her arm into the proper position. ¡°Then I put a hand upon your back. Since we¡¯re going for a light, jovial tone, not a romantic one, I place my other hand on your back about midway up.¡±


    ¡°If it were romantic, where would your hand go?¡± She asked. Alvec flushed red for a moment, and his grip stiffened.


    ¡°Well, you know, it would likely be resting on the small of your back, bordering on your, uh, rear. I¡¯d probably pull you closer to myself, whereas we¡¯re making more of a square with our torsos right now.¡± He took a breath, loosening his grip a bit. He drummed his fingers on her back a few times. ¡°That''s the rhythm we¡¯re going to use,¡± he said


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    ¡°Alright, where does my hand go?¡±


    ¡°Onto my arm, near where the bicep meets the shoulder.¡± She moved her hand there. ¡°Ok, now what?¡±


    ¡°Well, this is a waltz, and it''s about the most basic thing we can do. We essentially move in a square, and it''s done in two motions. I move forward, and you step back.¡± He said as he very slowly moved himself forward. We¡¯re stepping diagonally and then bring our other foot up in a sweep to match. Then we do the same thing, but back the other way. Ready?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve come this far, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°That''s the spirit. We¡¯ll have you dancing like a princess in a fairy tale any moment now.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯d need a prince for that.¡±


    ¡°Ow, breaking my heart,¡± Alvec said as he launched into a slow and steady waltz. Alvec was true to his word, keeping the pace slow and predictable. ¡°You catch on quick,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you give Naya as much of a lesson, so I can¡¯t catch on that quick,¡± Sarbie said.


    ¡°People learn different ways; Naya has been a much more practical learner as long as I¡¯ve known her,¡± Sarbie nodded. It made sense.


    ¡°What type of learner am I then?¡±


    ¡°The sort that wants as much information before she starts as possible. You¡¯d read a book about herbs before planting a windowsill garden box.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I confess, I also want to be an expert before I even start.¡± He said. ¡°But I also know that sometimes you just have to dive right in.¡±


    ¡°OW, HOC, watch your feet. You step on them again, and I¡¯m going to have Echo step on you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Naya, Sorry. I¡¯m new to this.¡±


    ¡°Me too, but I haven¡¯t stomped on your feet yet,¡± she said, a bit exasperated. ¡°Alvec, can we trade back!¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Alvec sung back to her.


    ¡°Sounds like you''re rather in demand, Alvec.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯ve got some skills.¡±


    Both sets of dancers were interrupted as none other than Pacta arrived. ¡°Tomorrow!¡± she bellowed. ¡°The red banner and the cheese Acolytes clash! It will certainly be quite the rematch, Naya.¡±


    ¡°I beat you last time; let''s see if we can go two for two in a row,¡± Naya replied.


    ¡°Yeah, but last time, I had to fight with a blade and not my fists,¡± Pacta said.


    ¡°Tomorrow, then we settle this,¡± Alvec said. The group chatted, drank, ate, and danced more before calling it a night.


    Mavec


    Before the sun was in the sky, Mavec was on his way to the academy. It had been too late at night when he¡¯d learned of the book in the school''s library. Now, though, there would be people awake and able to search for the old annotated book. He power walked towards the library, almost physically running into Praha.


    He only paused for a moment to say sorry before sliding around her.


    ¡°What''s the rush? Why are you here anyway? Aren¡¯t you fighting in the Festival of Blades soon?¡± she asked, joining him in his march.


    ¡°Yeah, I am, hence why I can¡¯t stop and chat. I heard a rumor and I absolutely need to know if it''s true.¡±


    ¡°What kind of rumor involves our library?¡± she asked.


    ¡°One about a famous artificer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got my attention,¡± she said. ¡°What are we looking for?¡±


    ¡°An old version of Intro to Artificy. It''s apparently got some interesting annotations. Didn¡¯t see you at the dance last night,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Should I have been there?¡±


    ¡°Only if you wanted to be,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°If you want me at an event, invite me next time,¡± Praha replied. The two of them made it to the library, and it took a few minutes to assemble all of the older copies of Intro to Artificy. They had about eleven books to leaf through, and Mavec was glad to have the help. He flipped through each page carefully for fear of going too fast. This information was too valuable to gloss over. They went through about four of them total before she finally and excitedly moved around the table and slid the book in front of Mavec. ¡°Here!¡±


    Below a page break, there was an illustration of a construct. Its legs were like blades or skis. Its body looked humanoid primarily, though it was tough to tell since it was clothed loosely in white fabric. Where a head should be, however, was a gyroscope. It was modest in size but very bizarre to look at. Next to it was a location name. Tsuhomma Downs.


    ¡°You know where that is?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Off the top of my head... yes!¡± Praha blinked. ¡°Yes, I do. It''s a swampy pastoral region on the way to Ac-Aziza.¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s interesting. I¡¯ll have to ask Alvec if we can head that way. We might just find some time lost secrets if we do.¡±


    ¡°Any reason he¡¯d say no to going?¡±


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯ll say something like, ¡®as soon as we win this tournament.¡¯ And then we¡¯d be off that way in a week.¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s good, at least,¡± Praha said. ¡°Now get out of here before you¡¯re late. You¡¯ve got a big fight to go win,¡± she said. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Promise not to tell anyone about this?¡± He asked.


    ¡°On my honor as a researcher.¡±


    He rushed back to the house to find the rest of the group already ready to leave. ¡°Good, I¡¯m just in time,¡± he said to them.


    ¡°Whereabouts were you anyway?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Bait suggest you been kidnapped for my cheese knowledge. Dey would ask for large ransom. Bait, no pay, you die. Cheese knowledge sacred.¡±


    ¡°You spent most of your night telling people free cheese facts. I think they would have acquired all the cheese knowledge they could already,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Sorry guys, I got a good lead on something I had to follow up on. Alusai is notorious, and I do mean that in its literal usage, and not the improper usage. He was on the WRONG side of the war and went into hiding before Ageneon claimed victory. However, he was brilliant; his work uses many unique components, and the biggest among them is external gyroscopes. Turns out someone saw some constructs moving around in the Tsuhomma downs that look like they may have been built by him or someone with knowledge of his craft. So as soon as we can, I¡¯d like to go over there and see if we can¡¯t track it or them down.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Good, good. So uh, let''s lose this round, so we can just get going to the Tsuhomma Downs.¡± Mavec suggested.


    ¡°Ahem, I won¡¯t be reckoning that¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯re kind of broke now that we spent all our gold on the entry fee. So we best be trying to win, so we can have enough money to live off from, till we can find what you¡¯re looking for,¡± Illaria stated.

 57: The Semifinals Begin!

    Alvec Snaptail


    The group arrived at the stadium with little time to prepare. Alvec ran through his list of defenses. He¡¯d switched up his plans considerably from his standard spell list. A fire spell that attempted to disarm foes, picked as a hopeful counter to the gunmen. An obscuring mist to buy them a little time to close distance without being under fire, and the regular version of the clone duplicate spell. Besides that, the same magic to reduce projectile damage and his usual arcane armor were easy picks for what to cast on himself. He was just about to begin activating his spells when Hoc ran over.


    ¡°Alvec! Hey, real quick, can we talk? Have you seen Sarbie? She was scheduled to be making rounds with me again, but I haven¡¯t seen her all morning.¡±


    Alvec frowned and fought not to let concern overtake rationale.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen her, and she didn¡¯t mention anything to me when we departed last night,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°They probably just switched her duties,¡± Hoc said, trying to reassure himself.


    ¡°Have you checked in with her parents? Maybe she was sick today,¡± Alvec suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, they said she left for the church today.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, we¡¯re about to fight. Any second now. I promise to track her down as soon as this is over,¡± he could send Rem now, but losing even a tiny piece of his kit could be detrimental. It made more sense to send him as soon as they were done here. Though honestly, logic be damned, he was a little concerned about her. If this was somehow related to what he¡¯d asked her to look into... well, he wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself if she got seriously injured or worse due to following up on it. ¡°I will find her as quickly as I can.¡± He said, reassuring himself this time.


    As they heard the announcer call them in, he activated his defensive wards. Standing opposite them was the Red Banner Army. They looked every bit the part of a military outfit. Two pikemen, a cleric, two men equipped with muskets, and Pacta, who seemed as ready as she could be. ¡°Here we have the Red Banner Army¡¯s representatives and the Acolytes of Cheese. Each team has triumphed against the odds to make it this far to what amounts to the semi-finals of this tournament. Whichever team wins today will move on to fight the winner of today''s second fight. Best of luck to each team. And go!¡±


    Bait dropped to one knee and fired off two shots at Pacta before anyone else could move. She snatched the bullets out of the air and dropped them to the ground, smiling as she did so. Alvec stepped forward and brought down a thick fog that blocked the entire Red Banner from sight.


    Naya dashed into the fog cloud. ¡°Spirits of nature, of the hunt, of blood and fang, I call on you.¡± Four wolves burst out of the fog and rushed the Red Banner. They split into pairs; the first of each team missed their bites, snapping at the empty air as the pikemen in front dodged. The second wolf in each pair circled around and attacked from behind, both sinking their fangs into their targets. Both shook the legs of the soldiers violently, but failed to bring the hardened men to the ground. A moment later, the fog, which had been Naya¡¯s only protection, vanished unexpectedly as the opposing cleric raised a golden coin to the sky and called out to Kushang. Pacta rushed in and punched at Naya. Her swing went wide as Naya twisted away from her.


    Illaria darted in and swung at Pacta. Her blade found its mark, scoring a light wound on her dominant arm.


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    ¡°Shit, take out that Cleric; we can¡¯t have him dispelling all our spells,¡± Mavec shouted. He raised his hand and blasted a bolt of lightning at the man in their backline. Before it struck the man, it dissipated as if passing through an invisible curtain. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    The spearmen and gunman remained where they were momentarily as the four of them dispatched the summoned wolves with brutal efficiency. Echo charged forward, biting at the Cleric. He nearly made contact, but the man slipped a shield between his teeth and held him off.


    Bait, seeing how crowded Pacta was, switched targets, shooting at the pikemen on the backline striking them both times. He could tell he¡¯d done some good damage, but they weren¡¯t nearly ready to go down yet. Naya dashed forward, taking a hard punch to the spine from Pacta as she went. A flash of energy coursed from Pacta¡¯s fist through Naya, but she grittered her teeth and shrugged it off. Naya closed the distance on the cleric, swinging hard. Her blade slinked past the shield and cut deep into his shoulder.


    Alvec wasted no time following up Naya. Choosing to focus his spell on one of the gunmen. Fire leaped from his hands and onto the gun itself. The man holding it gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Mavec sent another bolt down the line, striking the pikeman and the gunman as he moved to the right, keeping Piquora in front of him.


    The cleric bashed Naya; worse, both gunmen unloaded their guns on her. She crumpled to the ground as the pikeman struck Echo. The wolf howled and snapped his jaws onto the cleric in front of him. The man screamed before falling limp to the ground. It was less than an auspicious start. That was the sort of thing Alvec had been afraid of, what would happen if they focused their fire effectively.


    Mavec retook aim, blasting more lightning down the line; again, it shimmered as if passing through a veil before striking the gunman and the pikeman. Bait took two shots at Pacta. This time, his bullets found their mark. ¡°Bait got Pacta, Illaria, go take out the other gunman.¡±


    Illaria nodded in agreement and rushed forward. Pacta struck at her as she moved by, but Illaria spun, slicing Pacta¡¯s hand away from her. She reached the backline and landed a crisp blow across the pikeman''s chest.


    Alvec quickly positioned himself just outside of Pacta¡¯s reach and did his best to triangulate between everyone. He only had one casting of this spell, so it needed to hit as many people as possible. He again accelerated everyone still standing. Echo soon found himself on the receiving end of a spear again and was shot. He looked unsteady on his feet after that. Illaria found a spear aimed at herself as well. She deftly batted the point away and returned with a thrust of her own. The crowd cheered loudly, chants of blue and red ringing out through the stands. In Illaria and this Pikeman, the rivalry between the two armies was personified.


    Pacta dashed off and swung hard at Bait. Her fist connected with his face, rocketing his head backward. To her surprise, he bounced back quickly from it. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ve taken down men thrice your size with that. Is your skull rubber?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Bait have normal Goblin skull; Goblins have best skulls!¡± he replied while reloading his musket. Echo meanwhile made two bites at the pikeman, managing to land one solid bite on them before he was bashed down by the same man. The gunman refocused their fire, this time now on Illaria. The guns went off, and she was left barely able to stand. The pikeman swung, and she once more parried the blow, injured as she was, and returned one of her own successfully.


    Bait slid backward and fired off two shots, both of which struck Pacta. Alvec moved beside Bait, keeping him well within his protective aura before gathering up an arc of fire and throwing it at her. She dodged most of it, but it still clipped her and singed her shirt. Pacta swung hard at Bait again, her fist sparkling with strange energy. Alvec wrapped his Tail around Bait¡¯s shoulders and pulled him to the side as he moved forward and attempted to intercept with his shield. Pacta was fast and readjusted her strike. The height difference was too much for her to land one on his skull, so her hand thrust at his throat instead. He deflected the blow with his buckler just enough for her to strike him hard in the chest. The energy moved over him and, thankfully, seemed to do nothing.


    If he had to guess, she¡¯d tried to stun him, with some strange magic. Either way, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose Bait¡¯s damage, not with Naya, and Echo, down. Not to mention Illaria looking so unwell. Before Illaria could strike again, a single shot brought her down. The pikeman she¡¯d been fighting moved up to assist Pacta with taking down Bait.


    It was now three on five.

 58: The Unyielding

    Bait, now thoroughly hasted, fired off three shots this time, two of which struck Pacta, sending her spiraling to the ground. The third, he pumped into the quickly approaching pikeman.


    Mavec and Piquora did their best to deal with the pikeman charging them. A final bolt of lightning went through him and the gunman far behind them. The wizard and his robot rabbit kept retreating backward, trying to buy some time. Meanwhile, Rem hopped off Alvec¡¯s head and attempted to activate the healing wand on Bait. Unfortunately, the magic just wouldn¡¯t flow from him. Mavec¡¯s retreat wasn¡¯t fast enough. The pikeman put a spear in his gut as the gunman focused on Bait. Under fire from boom-boom was unacceptable for Bait. He looked to Alvec. ¡°Bait shoot gunman?¡± He asked.


    ¡°For the love of Tozhen, not until that pikeman goes down!¡± Alvec said. Bait hated Alvec¡¯s answer, but Bait thankful Alvec took sparkle-fist for him, so Bait do as he asked. He pumped two more shots into the Pikeman, causing him to crumple to the ground, and one shot into the musketeer in the back left corner of the stadium. With that, Bait was greeted by a hail of gunfire and went down.


    It was just the wizards and their familiars left standing against three highly trained members of the Red Banner army. It wasn¡¯t over yet, though. They just needed to take one more enemy down. If they could just take out the last pikeman, then maybe... just maybe, Alvec could handle the rest. As the plan started to crystalize, Mavec was run through and knocked unconscious to the ground. Correction, it was now just Alvec, Rem, and Piquora against the three of them. The crowd went quiet. This match was effectively over. Three on one, when the gunman had been so brutally effective. There was no way he could pull off a comeback.


    Alvec offered a quick prayer to Tozhen before moving forward and advancing on the pikeman. He pulled out a small lump of charcoal and let his magic transform it; he clenched it in his hand and expelled it as a furious storm of splintered diamond shards at him. Hopefully, Mavec had done enough damage. He didn¡¯t have to wait long for an answer; the man immediately crumpled backward under the weight of Alvec¡¯s spellcraft, and the crowd erupted into a riot of cheering. Alvec seized on it; with the Pikeman out of the way, there was a pathway forward; he wasn¡¯t throwing in the towel.


    Piquora wandered over to her unconscious master and began digging through his belongings until she produced a wand with an almost charred exterior. She made a few excited beeps but could do nothing more than celebrate finding it. Rem stayed close to his friend, failing again to make the want produce its healing light. The two remaining gunmen opened fire on Alvec. Now that there was much less to distract him, he could see why some rounds were much more devastating. They were wielding triple-barrel muskets. He¡¯d thought Bait¡¯s double barrel to be strange enough, but these ones were used in such a way as to fire off two shots, reload one, fire a shot next round, and reload the other. Rinse and repeat. It also explained why they hadn¡¯t bothered to move. Reloading that many chambers took up too much energy. He thanked his stars that he¡¯d been so roundly ignored throughout the fight. It meant he had a good, honest shot of making this work. They unloaded on him; the one on the left struck a clone, and the one on the right struck him, but his spell ate the kinetic force sending it harmlessly to the ground.


    He ran forward and plunged fire into the musketeer''s chest. The blast knocked him out. Two down. The pounding of his blood in his ears was almost too much for him. This was insane. Clearly, his party had weakened them, but if he hadn¡¯t been so prepared, he wouldn¡¯t have even survived this much. Hell, his defenses were wearing down fast. He had a few clones left and enough projectile shield to soak a bit more, but there was no telling how long it would take to take down the last gunman, and if he switched weapons... then it would just be his arcane armor and his clones to try to stop the blows. He wasn¡¯t sure which scenario suited him better, so he¡¯d just have to keep attacking.


    Another hail of gunfire, two more clones gone. Gunfire was now the much safer option for Alvec. As he had a single clone left. He switched the dagger from his tail to his hand and took a deep breath before rushing straight at the last gunman. He bashed the gun to the side with his buckler; it went off, sending a bullet harmlessly into the stands, and he plunged the dagger down at the man''s neck. Willing the shocking spell inside to flair to life. Maybe it was the adrenaline or the tender location of the strike, but the electricity exploded with an extra oomph that knocked the man clean out with a single stab and a flashy display of electricity. Piquora and Rem rushed up behind Alvec, who stood momentarily paralyzed. He couldn¡¯t hear the crowd shouting over the hammering of his heart.


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    He¡¯d done it.


    By Tozhen, he¡¯d actually done it.


    He quickly walked over to Mavec, rummaging through his pockets until he found his companion''s spellbook and took it. After seeing Mavec¡¯s damage so easily countered by being too predictable, it was time to give him a couple of spells that might prevent that before heading off to take his seat in the stands. He¡¯d barely been hit, and there would be plenty of time to stop in and receive some healing soon. Unlike the rest of the teams, he didn¡¯t need to wait around.


    After taking his seat with Edis and Nora, Alvec gave Rem his instructions, and the fox skittered off. He knew Sarbie''s scent and would be able to track her well enough. Slowly, his allies came to, and there was confusion on both sides as members from each team asked who won. Alvec only half paid attention as he flipped open Mavec¡¯s spell book and transcribed spells from his own into it. It thankfully only cost him time and ink to transcribe these spells. Were it a scroll, with live magic embedded into the page, it would have cost him coin to make the magic linger within the page indefinitely. This however, was more like copying instructions for how to bake a cake, or well in this case, turn a lump of coal into evicerating shards of diamond.


    ¡°Did he haste them?¡± The cleric shouted as he came to. ¡°I had another dispel magic ready to deal with that! UGH.¡±


    ¡°What the hell happened after I went down?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°The last thing I remember was seeing Alvec standing against two gunmen and a pikeman. Hey, where¡¯s my spellbook anyway?¡± Mavec asked, glancing around. ¡°FUCK, ALVEC, DID YOU TAKE MY SPELL BOOK?¡± He shouted up into the stands.


    Alvec again called upon an illusion spell to magnify his voice. ¡°I have your spell book, don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m adding some spells to it, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°NEAT!¡± He shouted back as he made his way to the stands. The rest of the team slowly reached their spots in the bleachers. When Mavec arrived Alvec thrust the spell book into his open hands. He hadn¡¯t had a lot of time to add spells to it, but giving Mavec anything other than electric spells was a huge boon. Everyone settled into their seats which Edis and Nora had saved for them.


    The fight was intense for sure, but it lacked the level of surprise that the Red Banner Army fight had. The Sons of Marora overpowered the Blue Banner army by making use of duplicates and tricking the Blue Banner into moving close enough to each other to focus fire on them with the help of an alchemist. Alvec smirked; he was an excellent counter-match for the alchemist; the fire bombs wouldn¡¯t be all that dangerous for him. Nor would any element that they happened to switch to. He¡¯d have this on lock for sure.


    ¡°Damn it, we¡¯ll be fighting San Verado,¡± said Illaria. ¡°The man''s been trying to flirt with me all week, and now we¡¯ll have to cross swords. Five gold says he makes a joke about wanting to sheath something else in me before he stabs me.¡±


    ¡°Gross,¡± Mavec responded.


    ¡°Want me to grease him like a goblin?¡± Alvec suggested.


    ¡°Even grosser,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Bait like grease! Grease save Bait from strange tongue and also big crabs. Never bathe again; you can¡¯t make me.¡±


    ¡°I wish he¡¯d just grease his goblin,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know,¡± Naya said, shaking her head. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    ¡°Bait get it; Goblin mean penis.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Bait; we really needed someone to spell it out for us.¡±


    ¡°OH, Bait, do that. P.I.N.E.S.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just not going to correct him. He can make fucking black powder, but Sarosa forbid he can spell a five-letter word.¡± Mavec said.


    Rem had been gone a while now, and Alvec could feel confusion. He had the scent, but it was being hidden. The location, while not able to be conveyed through their link, was at least a familiar one. Which meant she was at the church. He let out a sigh of relief. She was safe enough, and Alvec would have answers soon.

 59: Missing

    Before the party could make their way home one of the event staff informed them they would have a day to rest, as the finals would be held in two days. Instead, tomorrow there would be an interview with both finalist teams and an accompanying dinner. With Sarbie¡¯s whereabouts confirmed to be at the church, Alvec opted to go rest. Going to the church would be a tomorrow project.


    Morning came quickly and Alevec and Rem departed for the church after a quick breakfast. As he entered the building, he found Hoc describing the battle to several other church members who hadn''t been able to attend.


    "You have no idea how happy I am that I got to see that fight! It''s the crowning fight in the entire festival. I don''t know if the finals can possibly top it. One wrong move and the Red Banner Army would have been victorious."


    "I see you''re singing our praises," Alvec said, waving hello. Rem trotted beside him.


    "ALVEC, Alvec, the Unyielding everyone!" Hoc shouted as he pointed him out with a big grin.


    "The what now?" Alvec said, raising an eyebrow to him.


    "Alvec the Unyielding, that''s what they''re calling you. When it was just you left, the Red Banner asked you to surrender, but you didn''t. You stood alone against them and, against all odds, prevailed! Alvec the Unyielding!"


    "I don''t remember them giving me a choice, but I''ll admit, the blood was pounding so loudly in my ears I might not have caught that part."


    "We''ll see you guys at the finalist''s dinner tonight, right?" Hoc asked.


    "Yeah, we''ll be there; we''ve got to talk ourselves up a bit more," Alvec said, smiling.


    "Bullshit, you do," Hoc said back. "There isn''t a person in the city not talking about that hell of a comeback? Your entire team was down. There were three Red Banners stabbing at you, shooting at you, and lord knows what else, and you shrugged it all off and managed to beat each of them. How could they be talking about anything else?"


    "Fair enough, seen Sarbie yet?"


    "No, but it''s okay; the head cleric confirmed she got reassigned to some boring cleaning job in the library. She must be thrilled by it."


    "Sorry for not coming to find you sooner. I sent Rem to investigate, and he came to a similar conclusion that she was somewhere at the Church. So I wasn''t too worried about that. The timing sucks; having one more person cheering for us would have been nice."


    "Ah, thought you might have gotten too caught up in celebrating to remember us little people," Hoc said.


    "As if I could; it''s not going to go to my head. I promise."


    "Good, we''ll see you later tonight."


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    "Wait, what''s the event like? We''ve never done this before." Alvec reminded him.


    "Oh, well, usually there is food, and someone asks questions about your team and fighting style. I''m sure they will ask you a bunch of questions after such a cool fight!"


    "Wish I could say anything I did was intentional, or I guess I should say planned out. Too much of it was by the seat of my pants," he admitted.


    "None of us could tell; you looked pretty composed."


    "I didn''t have much else of a choice; I was the last one standing. If I didn''t do it, no one would." The two chatted for a few more minutes before Alvec made to head out. "Actually, Hoc, could you show me to the head cleric?" Alvec asked.


    "Sure thing. Follow me." Hoc said as he casually led Alvec back into one of the offices deep within the church.


    "Thanks, Hoc; I can take it from here." He knocked on the door and received no answer. He took a long moment and stretched his memory. He''d been escorted through large sections of this building already. It was possible that he could get Sarbie into the range of his magic and deliver a message. She was here somewhere, based on the layout of the building, he was confident he was near the library. That''s where he''d bet she was. If he could get into this room and press against the eastmost wall, perhaps it would be close enough. Hoc may have accepted blindly that she was, in fact, safe. When no answer came right away, Alvec knocked again. With still no response, he sighed and contemplated his options. He laughed as a profoundly dumb idea came into his mind. He had a spell that occupied space with force and could be "fluffed." He''d never thought to use it to try to align the cylinders in a lock before but fuck it, now seemed like a good time to attempt to use his force pillow to do some good in the world.


    He listened intently as he conjured the cube of force encapsulating the door and lock. Tweaking its firmness was difficult, but he could hear the pins shift. He smiled as he gently pressed against each until they aligned to the correct height. He pulled the door handle and let himself in. The room was, in fact, empty. A quick glance around the room showed no signs of struggle. There was nothing to suggest it was anything other than vacant. He walked to the easternmost wall and stood pressed against it. Here went nothing. He reached out with his mind, searching for hers. He encountered a lot more resistance than expected. This place was undoubtedly well-warded, but he was an abjurer; if anyone could tweak their spells to slip on by, it would be him.


    The easiest way to ward off any communication-styled spell would be to lock out arcane spells altogether. Then, to alignment lock on top of it, law, chaos, good, and evil. All of them were possible ways to block him out. He pulled his healing wand out and focused on casting magic from it. The wand''s tip glows white as he focused on trying to disguise his spell as a divine one. Trying to modify a spell on the fly while bridging the arcane and divine divide... it wasn''t something he''d even consider, but he took a deep breath and reminded himself he was a damn good enchanter, a damn good spell theorist, and a damn good wizard. If anyone short of the masters of the Academy could do what he was attempting, it was him.


    So he did his best to mimic the frequency of the spell, burning through a few charges in the wand as he actively distorted his spell to hopefully escape whatever block was holding him back. Their minds connected suddenly and with the ease of opening a door. "Sarbie, are you safe? No one has seen you in days."


    "How did you? Never mind that I''m fine. I can''t say more right now. There will be answers soon. Now cut this connection and get out of here before anyone notices."


    "Like flee invisibly? Or just casually walk out?"


    "Casually walk out, please." She said. He cut the connection, content enough with her answer. He headed for the door quickly and saw himself out. He was glad he hadn''t broken the door in any capacity, as it would have made leaving a bit more awkward. He headed back for the exit quickly and quietly, clutching a vile of alchemist fire in his hands. It would only take cracking the glass to drop a comfortable veil of invisibility. Thankfully, it wasn''t required. He exited the church hurriedly.

 60: Trash Talk

    The rest of the day went moderately uneventfully as the group waited for the final event before the last fight to be held. Mid-afternoon, they gathered up in the tents outside the stadium. Several tables had been set up under the tent; the head table held exactly eleven seats, one for each member of both teams and additionally the announcer. The two teams took their seats at the table.


    Bait snuck away from the table shortly after being seated and wandered out back, where he found cheese larger than his head. He dug in, devouring everything in sight. His stomach was already full, but cheese was good. Too good. He couldn''t just leave this wheel there. No, he needed to eat it all. Every last bite, every morsel, there would be no crumbs, nothing at all. The cheese would live only in his stomach and in his memory. He dug into it with wild enthusiasm.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the contestants sat in their seats. The announcer spoke up above the din of the crowd. "Welcome, everyone. It''s time for us to say hello to our teams. To my right, we have the Sons of Marora, an adventuring band from our coastline. They make their money plying the gulf''s waters and protecting merchant ships from pirates. Just yesterday, they defeated none other than the Blue Banner Army in combat, earning them a shot at the finals.¡±


    Cheers went out as the announcer continued to go over their team, introducing San Verado, an alchemist, a bard, a sorcerer, and a mountain of a Dwarf. "And to my left, we have most of the Cheese Acolytes; they seem to be missing their goblin."


    "You were offering Cheese at this little soiree; I''m quite sure he''s been helping himself to it already," Illaria informed them.


    "Oh, Bait, that scamp." The announcer said. "On to my left, minus Bait, are the cheese Acolytes, a new band of adventurers in the city of Sha-Laial. So new that they aren''t even particularly well known for anything other than their fights thus far in the festival. We know that Illaria and Bait are independent contractors with the Blue Banner army."


    "INDEPENDENT COMPACTORS!" Bait shouted as he walked on the stage before doubling over and throwing up.


    The Alchemist on the Sons of Marora laughed and wheezed through his face mask before speaking. "So the Goblin has a poor fortitude, noted."


    "Checking in with the Academy, we also learned that Alvec, the UNYEILDING, is a graduate of the Academy of Ot-Najan, and Mavec is also a graduate of Jai-Enora The real wild card, the complete unknown on their team, the tempest of steel, and the spirit-speaker are Naya and her wolf Echo. What should the world know about you, Naya? What would you like to tell the crowd?"


    "Uh, not a lot really. Echo''s a real good boy?"


    "You heard it here first; the wolf is a good boy." The announcer said, moving down the line.


    "Illaria, now that you and your friend Bait are the last members from the Blue Banner Army standing, do you think you stand a better chance against the Sons of Marora than the team the Blue Banner Army sent to represent them?" Illaria brushed the hair out of her face.


    "I spoke with my commanding officer before I knew that the Festival of Blades was going to be going on. He asked me to stay in Sha-Laial. He hoped I''d be available for his team, Bait and I both. So we''ll yet to be showing you what the Blue Banner army can do."


    "A very well put response. Mavec, is there anything you''d like to tell the crowd?"


    "Yeah," he said, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag off from it. "Fuck Warren Alston, he''s a thief and a coward, and I''d slam lightning in his face again if it were legal."


    "Would you like to explain to the crowd the nature of your feud with him?"


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Just the short version. I designed a water purifier for Jai*name*, and he helped finance it. Fucker cheaped out on the parts, and more than half of them failed. Jai *name* Still has toxic water from the mining operations there, all because the cheapskate bought inferior parts and skipped out with the money, leaving me to suffer the backlash. A thief and a coward."


    "Well, I''m glad you and your teammates decimated his team of constructs. Justice served, am I right? Bait, are you in any condition to answer any questions?"


    "No, need to put more cheese in Bait''s stomach," he said before wandering back towards the "kitchen" tent.


    "You heard the goblin here. Cheese is more important than anything." He said, pausing for a moment. "And now, for the final member of team Cheese Acolytes Alvec, Alvec the Unyielding, the people want to know, was that according to plan yesterday? What happened? What were you thinking? And HOW did you pull off an upset like that, three vs one?"


    Alvec paused for a moment before answering. "This might sound silly, but I couldn''t have done it without my team. They wore down everyone with their attacks. All I had to do was outlast their damage while doing the final bit myself."


    "So that wasn''t the plan?" The announcer asked.


    "The plan was simple: cast the best spell for the situation. Fog cloud was meant to buy us a safer approach. It''s hard to hit what you can''t see. Flaming Disarm was meant to remove one of the gunmen from play. Acceleration gave us better movement and damage output; the rest were damage spells. Had more of the team been up, I''d have continued trying to support them. For a moment, I thought I would have to borrow Bait''s gun or Mavec''s wand to continue the fight. I might have been just about out of attack spells, and stabbing down the last gunman outside of that well-placed strike would take too long."


    "There you have it, folks; we''ll move onto the Sons of Marora next." The members of the sons of marora were introduced in order, but Alvec struggled to care much about them. As flashy as San-Verado was, the company he kept was very plain. Perhaps he did that on purpose.


    "Psh, I''m just excited to show these snobby wizards that their magic isn''t the strongest on the block," the woman across the table said. "Look at them both, so prim and proper and well-read. So what if one of them doesn''t mind getting his hands a bit dirty? He''s still too elitist for my tastes, and a mere spear took the other one down."


    "I actually don''t buy into the discrimination against Sorcerers. It may not require study, but it does require practice, and isn''t that really the same thing applied differently?" Alvec asked.


    "Hey, you been stabbed by the Red Banner army? I assure you they''re not easy to dodge." Mavec said


    "It was a mere spear, and you suck for getting taken down by it. All you can do is throw lightning around anyway. Nothing clever, nothing powerful, you''re just a one-trick pony." she said, spitting onto the ground beside her. She looked a good ten or so years older than Mavec and Alvec, with hair dyed a deep green, and she wore a loose-fitting beige shirt and dark brown pants.


    "Oh, I''ll show you tomorrow," Mavec said as she stood up and made his exit. "I''ll be back later; I''ve got to commission something right, this, second." He said to Alvec before storming off.


    "And I am none other than San Verado, the leader of the Sons of Marora, and it will be my pleasure to cross blades with the Cheese Acolytes even though they seem unable to keep their companions under control. Both Alvec and Illaria have proven to be extremely disciplined in their fighting styles, calculated, and clever. Were it not against the rules, I''d barter for them to leave the rest of their team behind and join me. We could always use more grit on the high seas, and such a dashing swordsman certainly wouldn''t hurt either."


    "I can''t speak for Alvec, but until the seas have been cleared of the scum that is Cutthroat Crowley, I''ll be remaining with the Blue Banner army; thank you."


    "As for myself, I have several commitments to attend to already, so I''ll have to decline as well," said Alvec


    "A damn shame, I look forward to cutting you both down tomorrow." San Verado said, standing up and doing a flashy move with his sword.


    "Should I play nice?" Alvec asked Illaria.


    "No, not even for a second; what do you have in mind?"


    "Nothing that wouldn''t get us in a lot of trouble." he said, sighing deeply.


    "Hold off then; we''ll beat him fair and square tomorrow," Illaria said.


    "By blade, spell, and shield," Alvec replied.


    The three of them spent a little more time at the dinner answering questions from the crowd. Naya threatened to sic Echo on the first man who asked a sexual question of Illaria, and no one dared ask anything crude after that. Alvec couldn''t be sure if it made Naya stand out more or if it felt normal coming from an adventurer.

 61 A Most Honored Guest

    The party departed the dinner with Bait riding on Echo''s back, laying face down in his fur, sick from the sheer amount of cheese he had ingested. While Naya often thought that she could likely ride Echo into battle, Bait really could. With his small frame Echo might as well have been a horse. One more than capable of getting the ill goblin home.


    Mavec met up with them on their way back to the tower, grinning like a fool."It cost me more gold than I wanted, rush job that it is, but it will be ready tomorrow. I call it A mere spear, in gold with excellent filigree. I''m going to stab that woman with it. As many times as time permits."


    Before they could reach the gate to their little compound, Sorali rushed out to meet them. "Bosses? I thought I''d warn you that we have company, and it''s not the goblins this time. Fancier company."


    "Should we be preparing to fight?" Alvec asked.


    "Oh heavens no! Its... I can''t even believe it myself,¡± she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. ¡°It''s TaeCol with your cleric friend. They''re currently paying respects and want to talk with you."


    "Sorali, close the gate behind us, and then come join the conversation," Alvec instructed as he took the lead. The rest of the group followed close behind. The greatest paladin of the Anarchy and Ageneon¡¯s War wasn''t just here to pay his respects to the ghosts of the dead, not with Sarbie in tow. He hurried up the slight incline to find TaeCol bowed in prayer; Sarbie stood just off to the side her head also bowed in silent prayer. The pair stood before the tower¡¯s entrance. Alvec deftly grabbed his buckler from his left arm and transitioned it to his right before kneeling between them. If this went sideways, he''d be in the way. Which felt only right all things considered. He hoped his physical positioning of himself wasn''t coming off too aggressive, but he didn''t know this man. Only his reputation as a powerful paladin. He could very easily harbor the kind of thoughts that poisoned many people against Tieflings. Not that he could blame people for fearing devils. They were abjectly evil.


    After a moment, the man stood, and Alvec matched his motions, keeping himself three-quarters turned towards him. "TaeCol, how can I help you today?" Alvec asked.


    The tall, muscular man wearing a glistening set of armor partially obscured by a cloak of the finest shimmering gold stood with a broadsword strapped to his back. In comparison, Alvec looked small, but there was a ferocity Illaria could see boiling just below the surface. Even if horribly outmatched, Alvec would fight. Knowing him as she did, her hand rested uneasily on the hilt of her wakizashi. She''d be assisting if it came to that.


    "Sarbie here tells me you recently visited the Valley of Steam. I''d like you to tell me what happened while you were there."


    Alvec remained tense but answered. "Would you like the full story, or do you want me to skip to the part with the devil, sir?" Alvec asked.


    "The full story, if you would." TaeCol said.


    "Shall I have our maid fetch us some tea? We needn''t stand for this conversation. I''d also be a poor host if I didn''t offer at least that much," Alvec said.


    "No, I''d prefer to stay standing. We''ll be departing from here as soon as I have heard what I need to." TaeCol informed him.


    "What do you mean by ¡®we''?" Alvec asked.


    "Sarbie and everyone she asked about that phrase will be coming with me to the Valley of Steam to help confirm your story."


    Alvec looked behind him to see her looking away from him. He knew she''d never left Sha-Laial.


    He took a deep breath in before he launched into a detailed explanation of how they all came to be standing here at this moment. TaeCol listened intently, and nodded along as Alvec recanted the recent exploits of the Cheese Acolytes.


    ¡°Any further questions?¡± Alvec asked.


    "Why did you choose to ask Sarbie to investigate that phrase?" TaeCol asked, looking intently at Alvec.


    ¡°Now that we be speaking of that phrase, would you be telling us its meaning?¡± Illaria asked as she took a half step closer. TaeCol appraised her carefully.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the Blue Banner swordsmen correct?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Aye, Bait and I be Coffin Flotilla¡± Illaria replied as she gestured to the goblin who was working on something further away in the yard.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it is strictly need to know. You can ask your own channels for information if you wish.¡± TaeCol replied before gently pointing a finger back to Alvec. ¡°Your story boy,¡± He insisted.


    "I have other people I could have asked, but I recently reached out to one over another matter with the Gold Banner Army and found his reception particularly... cold... since the Devil had mentioned the church of Kushang, calling her the Golden Traitor, it made sense to come to the church about this matter. With that in mind, I only know two people at the church, Hoc and Sarbie. I decided that Hoc was far too likely to accidentally share the information with half the church or more. Sarbie seemed the more trustworthy and discrete of the two. Speaking of her, I must implore you not to have her go with you. She''s never been out of Sha-Laial; she''s only involved because of me, and I''d rather take any punishment for this than have it fall on her head. So please consider leaving her behind."


    "I can''t do that. This is for her protection. If what you''ve all told me is true, then we have quite a problem. I don''t need to see that sword to know what it is. It''s a status symbol among high-ranking devils. They could target anyone who knows about their presence, and this girl and her family would be in grave danger if devils decided to try to eliminate her."


    "She could stay with us; we''ve got more than a little experience killing Devils. We''ve survived four run-ins so far. I think it''s a relatively safe bet."


    "You''re lucky I''m not conscripting the lot of you as well, honestly." TaeCol said. "The Cheese Acolytes losing the festival would dampen spirits here in Sha-Laial quite a bit, especially on a technicality as a forfeit. Your absence would cause too many questions."


    "So there isn''t any talking you out of this?" Alvec asked.


    "I''m afraid not, young wizard. For her safety, she will need to come with me."


    "Sarbie, how do you feel about this?" Alvec asked.


    "Not great, okay, maybe leaning towards mortified, but he''s TaeCol. If he says, this is for my safety and the safety of my parents... what choice do I have?"


    "So you''re committed to going."


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "I don''t think I have much of a choice."


    "Hold still. This is all my fault, so I best do everything in my power to keep you safe, even when you''re out of my reach." He said as he unclipped his cape and wrapped it around her over her own. "It''s one of the first magic items I crafted; exposing it to fire will turn you invisible. You''ll need this, too." He said, producing a vial of a softly glowing orange substance. "Alchemist fire, it''ll burn till it''s suffocated out. Toss it at the ground to your side, just a dab of it splashing you, and the cloak will activate . It will hurt since you''re not a tiefling... but it will buy you thirty seconds to run, so run as fast as you can if you''re in a situation where running is the only option."


    "Wow, this is overwhelming. Alvec, do you even realize what you''re saying?" she asked.


    "I know, splashing yourself with fire is a bit crazy, but it''s like setting a broken bone, right? You have to snap it into the correct position before you bind it, right? It''s like that."


    "No, not that. I mean, yes, that, but also... it''s enchanted... its worth how much gold?" She whispered to him.


    "I only spent about one thousand three hundred crafting it, so it would retail for about 2600." She reached her hands up to try to slide it off from her.


    "No, no, no, no, this is too much. I can''t possibly accept,"


    He grabbed her hands to stop her from taking it off. "Sarbie, this is my fault; let me take some responsibility, damn it."


    "This is worth more than the biggest diamond ring in the hand of any noble lady in this city; how can I possibly accept something like this? What would my mother say if she heard that? OH god, she''d think I''m running off and getting married. No, no, no. Not happening. Your generosity is appreciated, but I can''t possibly accept this gift."


    "Then just be borrowing it, miss Sarbie. ¡°Illaria joked. ¡°That way, you return it to him after you return, and it''s like you never took it? Aye? Besides, Alvec''s not a bad catch; he earned quite the nickname with the fight with the Red Banner Army, you know, certainly worse men to have people thinking you''re betrothed to."


    "Not helping Illaria," Alvec said as he flushed and turned away.


    "Another reason to say no. I don''t need Hoc hearing those rumors."


    "What, you got a special relationship with him?" Naya asked. "Seems more my type than yours," she said.


    "Guys, I''m trying to protect Sarbie here, teasing her isn¡¯t helping!"


    TaeCol laughed heartily. "Sarbie, accept the boy''s gifts. He won''t give up; he''s Alvec the Unyielding after all."


    "Sir, with all due respect, not funny," Alvec said, sighing; Sarbie mirrored him, also letting out a sigh.


    "Let my hands go, and I''ll lower mine. Maybe I''m being too harsh. If TaeCol suggests it''s a wise idea, I may need to consider that. You said it turns a person invisible when exposed to fire?" Alvec slowly released his hands from hers that were caught up near her neck and shoulders.


    "Yeah, we wizards aren''t exactly known for being the ugh, sturdiest of fighters. So, I crafted it as a clever tool to escape a fight I can''t win. As a tiefling, I have to get very unlucky to get hurt by normal fires, even alchemical ones. So it seemed like a really safe bet. For you, though, you''re going to want to toss it about three feet away. You just want the slightest backsplash to come back up at you. A direct hit with this would be bad." He confirmed. "Alchemist fire burns pretty much until you starve the fire of oxygen. Smothering it by rolling would work. Since it''s in a vial, it splashes when it shatters. Spraying all around the point of impact. The little droplets are only enough to singe a target and not enough to burn indefinitely, so always aim away from yourself just a smidge."


    "Okay, I''ve got it. I can do this," she said, shaking her head no to him.


    "Here, take the whole bandelier," he said, taking it off from himself. "Now, this isn''t worth money; the alchemical items cost me silver to make, and the bandelier is a bandelier; it''s cheap enough to get a replacement."


    "Alvec, is the sword secure?" TaeCol asked.


    "As secure as I can make it. The only way to make it more secure would be to steal the urn next to it. That would keep most anything out of the tower while rendering it completely unusable by us."


    "That seems a bit excessive." TaeCol replied.


    "Perhaps. I''ll refrain from doing that then." Alvec confirmed.


    "No fair. Bait want to scream again. Like seeing ratstick for very first time. Learn fear, become fear, overcome fear."


    Sarbie leaned in so only Alvec could hear her. "Thanks. I''m not going to pretend I''m not afraid; I''m terrified. I''ve never even gone camping outside the walls, and I''m going to go marching through the wilderness with one of the most famous Paladins'' of the age. This isn''t what I signed up for at all. It''s hard to process all the kindness you''ve shown me, but I just wanted to say thanks; I appreciate your concern and your attempts to right the situation as best you can."


    "Least I could do; what should I tell Hoc?"


    "Don''t he''ll come storming after us and get himself in trouble before he can find the valley of steam. I don''t want his blood on my hands. I think the cover story is that I''m heading to Jai-Ranar to alphabetize their library." Alvec chuckled.


    "Now, that would actually suit you rather well."


    "Good lies contain shards of truth," Sarbie replied.


    "Aren''t Clerics of Kushang supposed to be good?"


    "We''re clerics of civilization, and what civilization isn''t built on a dream?"


    "Are you implying that dreams and lies are the same?"


    "Well, it''s not one-for-one, mind you, but some dreams are hopeful lies."


    "Alright, now kids. If we''re done with the explanation of how your equipment works, it be getting to that time where they head out. I just hope you haven''t cost us this next fight." Illaria said.


    "I don''t think I have," Alvec said as he glanced at the sun''s position in the sky. "Sorali, emergency request: take some money and get me a nice-looking cloak. Make sure it''s warm and preferably in a similar shade of blue. I have enough time to enchant myself with a different cloak. It won''t be as tricky, but it will be helpful."


    "Yes, sir. I''ll do that right away, sir." Sorali said as she made to head towards the door.


    "Hold up, there''s another thing I need you to grab. Ask around alchemist shops; you''re looking for a moderately expensive tea that helps sharpen the drinker''s mind. Every fight I''ve seen of the Sons of Marora has used illusions to throw their opponents off balance. They''ll try doing the same thing to us, but we''ll be ready for them."


    "Meditation tea and a cloak, got it."


    "Time is of the essence, so if you don''t find the tea quickly, return with the cloak; I''ll start preparing the reagents I need to make this work," Alvec said as he gave Sarbie and TaeCol one last nod before rushing off to begin prepping his enchanting station. The pair departed the compound and headed towards the valley of steam.


    Alvec hated this; the sooner he won tomorrow''s fight, the sooner he could assist Sarbie. Mavec''s trip to Tsuhomma Downs might need to be slightly delayed. Just till Alvec was content that Sarbie was allowed back home. This was his fault, and he''d make sure it was set right. Sorali returned with the cloak first; she''d struck out at two places looking for the tea. He began his work quickly; this sort of cloak sharpened the user''s reactions, fortified their body, and strengthened their mind. He didn''t have time to make a more elaborate version, even if he had the skill required to do such a thing. It was late in the morning before he finished and threw himself into bed. The finals were just hours away. All he could hope was that his team would win quickly. He was worried about Sarbie. Concerned for her safety adventuring beyond the city, worried about TaeCol. Was this information worth killing for? Probably not, since he could have disposed of them all in one fell swoop. That said, he still hated this.


    Though he might have begun to feel like a bit of a fool, so thoughtlessly gifting her magic items. Not because they wouldn''t be helpful, but he just hadn''t thought for even a second exactly how valuable the things he''d given away were. There indeed were... implications to gifting that sort of valued item to someone. It was made even more awkward by the elephant in the room; he''d never exactly figured out what her relationship with Hoc was. If the two of them were a pair, it could lead to a very awkward conversation. He had trouble imagining them as a romantic pair, though. To him, it felt more like they were good friends despite feeling like oil and water.


    Either way, what was done was done. If Hoc came at him and tried to fight him for her honor, something he could all too easily imagine the boy doing... well, that was just another fact of life. He''d have to get in line behind the Sons of Marora and all the other strange things that had already complicated his life. Devils, the Gold Banner army, and unnatural abominations called intruders. He forced his mind to more pleasant matters as he drifted off to sleep, Rem lying on his chest, gently receiving scratches.

 62: The Finals

    Morning came all too quickly. Illaria was the first one, other than Sorali, in the kitchen. She noticed several cups of coffee had been set out on the table, and more was brewing. ¡°You planning to fill every mug we have?¡± Illaria asked as their maid set out even more mugs on the counter.


    ¡°Alvec asked me to have as much ready as I could. Mavec goes through the stuff quickly, too, so I thought this was a good idea.¡± She took one mug for herself and took a deep sip from i. ¡°It may be a tad excessive, but whatever the boys need to pep them up for the fight. Alvec also had me brew up some tea, but he insisted I let it cool and that you all enjoyed it as close to fight as you could. Supposed to help with focus. It was a pain to find it, so I hope it''s helpful.¡± Sorali said.


    Naya and Bait descended the stairs at nearly the same time. Bait went straight to the table and began to polish his gun. It was perhaps the only thing Bait ever endeavored to keep clean. Something about dirt and grime increasing the chance of a misfire. She didn¡¯t care much for the idea of firearms and mostly ignored how they worked. Naya inspected her blades and nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re all set, you ready Illaria?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to wipe the smug looks off their faces,¡± Illaria confirmed.


    ¡°Damn, straight we are!¡± Mavec said as he entered the door from the first floor carrying a spear with a fine golden filigree tip. A quick glance at it revealed gold lettering along the shaft, which read: A mere spear. ¡°Now, where is the coffee?¡± He asked, looking over at Sorali.


    ¡°Help yourself, Master Mavec, we have plenty of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank Sarosa.¡± He exclaimed reverntly before grabbing three mugs of it and sitting at the table. ¡°I woke up at the ass crack of dawn to get this beauty. I can¡¯t wait to skewer that damn sorcerer.¡±


    ¡°Bait think you love her. Dat how Bedbugs mate.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you on about now, Bait?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Bed, bugs. They reproduce by stabbing,¡± Bait informed him.


    Mavec shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want any more info on it; do not elaborate. I also don¡¯t want to know where or how you found that out. Just not a word more about it.¡±


    ¡°That okay. Bait kinda busy.¡± He said, as he continued absentmindely polishing his musket. ¡°We gotta win, earn money, make man Illaria annoyed with sad.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Bait; I be appreciating your support. It will be nice to see the pompous ass knocked down a peg.¡± She glanced upstairs. ¡°Do you be reasoning we go wake Alvec up? He will want to get some breakfast before the fight and, no doubt, some coffee. I think I heard him come in really late last night.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he say he needed to enchant a cloak?¡± Naya asked.


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    ¡°I think that was his plan after he gave his away to Sarbie. Guy puts too much responsibility on himself,¡± Mavec said, nodding.


    ¡°And we respect him for it,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Let''s let him sleep a little bit longer. If he isn¡¯t down here in a half hour or so, we¡¯ll go wake him up.¡± Naya stated. It wasn¡¯t much more than another twenty or so minutes before Alvec very gingerly took the stairs down to the main floor.


    ¡°Oh, thank Tozhen, coffee,¡± he said before grabbing two mugs for himself. He downed it with abandon and then proceeded to sip on the second one as he waited for the caffeine to kick in. ¡°Illaria, do we have a game plan for today''s fight?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m dueling San Verado; the rest of you focus on taking them down,¡± she insisted. ¡°I think you should try your luck against the Alchemist. The rest of us should focus on taking out their sorcerer. She¡¯s the one casting the illusions. Without them, they¡¯ll be down a good chunk of their strategy.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan. My resistance makes me a good match-up for him,¡± Alvec said, nodding before taking a long drag of the coffee before him. It was far too bitter and acidic for his taste, but it would have to do for today. With the plan generally decided upon, the group headed through the streets together. There was a buzz about the town as they went. It looked like everyone was excited to see the results of the fight. Illaria smirked as Alvec stopped to greet everyone who wanted to talk with him. His surprise win against the Red Banner Army had certainly granted him more than a little bit of celebrity status in the city of Sha-Laial. The boy was unused to this sort of attention, though, and was visibly a bit flustered by it, a thin smile paired with awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot as he talked made it clear to her. Suppose she''d go to his rescue.


    ¡°Come on, Alvec the Unyielding,¡± Illaria said as she looped an arm over his shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t be saying hello to everyone, even if it be the decent thing to do. We¡¯ve got a tournament to go win.¡± She gently rescued him from the social prison that was pleasant small talk. The group arrived at the stadium and entered the section where they would wait to be called in.


    Alvec handed everyone a vial filled with a soft green liquid. ¡°Bottoms up,¡± he said before pulling the cork and drinking the substance. ¡°It''s just tea,¡± he reassured everyone after he placed the vial back in his pack.


    The rest of the group followed his lead and drank their vial. It wasn¡¯t half bad, but Illaria still couldn¡¯t understand the appeal of this hot leaf water. She¡¯d gladly take something stronger any day, but Alvec had been clear that this blend was supposed to sharpen their senses rather than dull them.


    The announcer''s voice came loud through the tents like usual, carried by that strange magic. ¡°And here we have it, the final fight. Our first team, The Sons of Marora, is joining us here in Sha-Laial all the way from our Empire''s craggy coast. Renowned for keeping merchant ships safe from the pirate scourge for a reasonable price. Led by none other than San Verado, a swashbuckler of some renown and with impeccable fashion sense. Give them a round of applause.¡± The crowd thundered and shouted in approval.


    ¡°And then we have the Cheese Acolytes, a new adventuring group within Sha-Laial. A group we¡¯ve known very little about, who have consistently shown us one surprise after another. Just a few days ago, their shield wizard, Alvec the Unyielding, earned his nickname for defeating the Red Banner Army¡¯s team after the rest of his associatews were felled in combat. They¡¯ve quickly become crowd favorites here, so give it up for the Cheese Acolytes, Sha-Laial''s new darling team.¡± The applause and shouting was even louder much to Illaria¡¯s surprise.


    Illaria smiled; it was time to give them another show worthy of this sort of adoration.


    ¡°Huh, they really like us, I guess,¡± Mavec said. ¡°Wish it was a little bit more focused on me, but hell, you can¡¯t win them all, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Let the finale begin!¡± The announcer shouted

 63: The Sons of Marora

    The crowd roared, cheering for their favorites as the two teams drew their weapons and readied their spells


    San Verado held a hand up signaling his team to wait as he walked to the center of the grassy field his sword extended out towards Illaria beconing her to come closer. Illaria grinned, he was going to be her target no matter what. She mirrored him, holding her hand up, urging her allies to wait as she moved to the center of the field. Hushed whispers ran like a current through the crowd. Illaria gave a curt bow to San Verado, who returned the gesture. The pair began to circle one another, their blade teasing at each others defenses. In all of the matches in this tournament, no pair of swordsman had been as adept as the two of them.


    Sharp thrusts of the rapier matched with expert paries from the wakizashi. ¡°Your form is good, but how do you deal with improvisation?¡± He asked as he angled his blade to bounce the sunlight from his mirror polished silver blades at her eyes before flowing into a new thrust. She twisted her blade and slapped it against his in the nick of time. Her footwork faltered slightly as he came down on her relentlessly. The crowds cheers were reaching a crescendo as the world around the pair of swordsmen was suddenly isolated. A deep fog roiled around them and the center of the grass field, winds whipped around them billowing their cloaks and hair, it was as if they stood within the eye of a storm.


    ¡°Cheap tricks,¡± Illaria said as she spat at the ground before launching at him once more.


    ¡°AUGH, BAIT NO SEE ILLARIA¡± he shouted as he leveled his musket down the line searching for any target.


    ¡°Worry about yourself for a moment Bait,¡± Mavec shouted as he grabbed the spear from his back and brandished it towards the sky. ¡°Sorcerers SUCK!¡± He bellowed as he advanced forward.


    A glass canister rocketed at Bait. Alvec intercepted slamming his shield into the object. As the glass shattered a torrent of flames washed over Alvec. He smiled wide as he faced the sickly alchemist with long black hair from the Son¡¯s of Marora. ¡°This ones mine,¡± Alvec whispered to Bait before dashing forward, flames still fluttering over his charcoal hair.


    ¡°K, Bait shoot others.¡± He said before squeezing the trigger aiming at the big man with the ax. Alvec closed distance with the alchemist stopping just shy of him as he squeezed his right fist around a lump of coal, forcing his magic to flex over it. A quick flash of light and a near blistering heat seared against Alvec¡¯s palm as he focused the energy outwards. The lump of goal was transmuted into diamond, and the force of the blast propelled hundreds of tiny shards forward into the alchemist. Several of his glass vials shattered as the slivers of impossibly hard stone slammed against simple glass.


    The man recoiled and pulled more supplies from behind his back; mixing up a concoction before slugging it at Alvec. The vial missed its target, but shattered just a few feet away, a concussive shockwave echoed out from it. It pushed Alvec back slightly, and worse yet, returned the favor to Alvec. For the second time in recent memory his vials of acid and alchemist fire exploded in unison, destroying the bandolier and singing his shirt leaving a hole you could see his bare chest through.Gasps ran through the crowd at the spectacle, which quickly turned to a series of loud cheers as they realized that Alvec himself actually hadn¡¯t been hurt by the several small blasts.


    Meanwhile Naya, Echo, Bait, and Mavec made their way around the fog bank to face off with the rest of the sons of Marora. They quickly encountered the bard, sorcerer, and a tall man wearing furs and wielding a giant axe. Naya and Echo closed the distance on the two woman in what felt like a blink, skirting just out of the mans reach. He swung at both as they rushed past him, the blade whirling harmlessly around them. Fang and blade both found their mark as the pair flanked the Sorcerous who had been talking so much shit just yesterday.


    Within the eye of the storm Illaria and San Verado continued their fight. Illaria couldn¡¯t help but feel that they were more evenly matched than she be liking to admit. The man fought with both ferocity and cunning. Unlike her, he was open to using dirty tricks. He reached into a pouch with his free hand and between an exchange of swords he tossed a fistfull of black powder into her face. She closed her eyes for but a moment and his blade slipped past hers biting into her chest. She returned the favor driving her blade into him as well, but it was too little too late. He drew a pistol, pressed it to her stomach and pulled the trigger once more. A flash of pain and the world went dark as Illaria fell to the ground. San Verado laughed as he stood above her victoriously.


    Mavec cursed his luck. Alvec could take a hit of lightning, but he wasn¡¯t about to hit both Naya and Echo. Even if he did want to blast that damn Sorcerer. He shifted his aim towards the bard letting the blue arc of lightning surge out of his outstretched arm at her. It struck her square, but like in the fight with the Red Banner, it seemed not to do as much damage as he had hoped. His lips twitch in annoyance as he issued Piccora forward. She could at least nip at the womans ankles if nothing else.


    The small metal rabbit crossed the field in blink as she hopped and dashed in. Her metal fangs found their mark sinking lightly into the womans leg and drawing blood. ¡°Take that!¡± Mavec yelled. The sorceress pinned between the Wolf and Naya still tried to cast, in spite of the threat of steal and fang. She pointed her hands towards the storm of fog and wind. Moments later, two San Verado¡¯s emerged from it both brandishing their swords. They made a b-line for Bait. Their swords both connected and Bait couldn¡¯t tell which one was real, it had happened so quickly. He rolled backwards with the attacks and brought his musket to bare against San Verado.


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    The man wearing the furs and wielding the axe towered over Mavec and drove the weapon hard into his side, sending the boy tumbling. He let out a hearty laugh, as if this fight were nothing but childs play to him. A wave of sound which reverberated in his very bones washed over him. It was a melancholy tune which made Mavec feel as if someone had just smothered him in a cold wet blanket.


    Naya let out a frustrated scream, not unlike a howl as the music washed over her. She refused to give into the magic woven into the music. Instead, she let her anger fuel her as she became a tempest of steel, her blades connecting repeatedly with the Sorceress. Echo grabbed hold of the woman and pulled her to the ground where she struggled to right herself. She could tell the Sorceress wasn¡¯t doing all that well. Dark bruises that reminded her of plums blossomed where Echo¡¯s teeth had been, and where her swords had raked across the womans exposed skin. The pitiful effort with which she fought to escape Echo¡¯s grasp was another sign that she was nearly spent.


    Bait have no choice but to run. San Verado¡¯s tricky and positioned themselves in such a way that Bait couldn¡¯t simply step back without taking an attack from one or the other. One of them was fake, but Bait couldn¡¯t tell which. Both seem like same smug asshole. Bait ran as far as his little legs could take him toward Alvec. Alvec smart, he know which real San Verado.


    Alvec wiped his chest clean, flinging the last bits of acid and fire from his skin and onto the grass. He maintained his distance and borrowed a spell from Mavec¡¯s repertoire. He reached his hand out in front of him, not unlike lining up a shot with a bow, the only difference being that the arrow was more blue lightning which arched from his fingertips and slammed into the Alchemist before him. The jolt was enough that the man fell in a heap on the grass. Alvec wasted little time, turning around to find Bait sprinting his way, two San Verado¡¯s quick on his heels. Great, the illusions weren¡¯t so easy to disbelieve as he had hoped they would be, even with the medicinal tea.


    ¡°WHICH ONE DE REAL ONE?¡± Bait shouted as he kept charing towards Alvec.


    ¡°How should I know?¡± Alvec asked back as he raised his buckler to defend himself. San Verado was an expert swordsman if he¡¯d managed to take Illaria down. Alvec could only pray he was fast enough to keep up. The two of them continued their charge towards Bait, overtaking him again they swung at him once more. A flash of annoyance crossed their face as their blades met an unexpected distortion of force which shifted their steal off to the side, missing Bait by centimeters.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the fog the woman who was the son of Marora¡¯s sorcerer began to cast a spell. She was prone on her back and the words sounded more like a prayer than an incantaion. Mavec recognized the words right away, invisibility. ¡°Don¡¯t let her finish that chant!¡± He shouted to Naya. She wasted no time driving both blades into her. With a sharp gasp the woman faded into unconsciousness. Suddenly it was very clear which of the San Verado¡¯s was in fact the real man, as the duplicate froze perfectly still in the last position their sorceress had left it in.


    The tone of the music shifted suddenly to a more rousing beat and the man in the furs left Mavec where he was, instead rushing towards Naya. He swung hard and even with two swords attempting to block the blade she found herself batted backward as well as the ax delivered a crushing blow to her abdomen. She was pretty sure the strike would have disembowled her if not for the wards protecting them from death. Echo rushed the man snapping his fangs at the man and trying to grab the ax and twist it out of the mans hands.


    Mavec ignored the man for now, their bard needed to be taken care of. He moved in close, knowing now that the bard at least was warded from electric damage. Alvec had been right to put a few new spells in his book. He pulled out the requisite lump of coal and clutched it in his hands, arcane energy fusing red hot into it. With a sound like shattering glass the newly formed diamond sprayed out of his hand and into her. The violin was shredded, and she looked far worse for ware. Mavec was confident it wouldn¡¯t be more than one more spell to take her down. The fight between the barbarian and Naya and Echo also wouldn¡¯t be long. While the man was unreasonably powerful, it was a death by a thousand cuts situation. For every one strike he landed on Naya, her and her wolf were scoring three. Eventually, the man went down as Mavec had predicted. Naya and Echo looked like shit, but that couldn¡¯t be helped. They¡¯d get patched up shortly. Mavec let loose one more spray of diamond shards and the bard was down for the count as well. He walked over to the Sorcerer and stabbed the spear into the ground beside her.


    San Verado continued his assault on Bait, but it was no longer the same fight it had been but moments ago. Alvec was aiding the Goblin, trading in to take blows that Bait wasn¡¯t going to be able to dodge, all while he slowly moved away from San Verado peppering him with shots each time he skirted just outside the range of the man¡¯s swords. ¡°DIS FOR ILLARIA¡± He shouted before placing a bullet square to the mans forehead. His eyes rolled back into his skull as he fell to the ground.


    After taking a moment to compose himself Alvec dashed into the fog to find Illaria. She was laid out, as he knew she must be. He puled out the healing wand, noting how empty it was beginning to feel. The magic had been thoroughly spent from it. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they¡¯d need to buy a new one... or secure some help from a real cleric. The wand tip lit up white and she shot up angerly.


    ¡°That bastard cheated.¡± She moaned, scowling in his general direction. ¡°Seeing as you''re waking me up and not a cleric, we won, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We sure did. Now, come on, let''s get you to a proper healer,¡± he said as he positioned himself under her arm. ¡°Naya, can I get a hand?¡± Alvec asked. He barely blinked, and Naya was opposite him, helping Illaria limp over to the actual trained clerics. In just a few moments, the trio were being attended. There weren¡¯t any familiar faces in the crowd of clerics attending them. It took a few minutes for them all of the group to receive the healing they needed.

 64: In Plain Sight

    Once sufficiently healed, the party was ushered into a tent where much of the academy¡¯s upper staff and Sha-Laials noble families waited for them. They received a round of congratulations, with the occasional insinuation of potential employment opportunities with the city. Eventually, after the meet and greet, the party walked away with sacks full of gold. They agreed to grab food before heading back to the tower. Alvec begrudgingly agreed he was still of half the mind to go chasing after Sarbie, but it didn¡¯t make sense to leave town on an empty stomach.


    They had just sat down and placed their orders when several shadows flitted overhead. A heartbeat later, four stone gargoyles crashed to the ground.


    ¡°Master Wizard, we bring bad news. Our hated enemy has invaded our home. Your servant is trapped inside; we request your aid at once,¡± it said in a hoarse voice like rocks and sand in a tumbler.


    Everyone scrambled to their feet.


    Illaria took the lead as her speed over land was far greater than anyone save Echo¡¯s. Echo kept pace with her, with Naya riding on his back. As they dashed towards their home, something strange occurred. Echo grew larger without the aid of his collar. His whole body glowed with this faint green glow of power before he settled into a larger form, the collar being magical adjusted with the sudden growth.


    ¡°Whoa, Echo, what''s going on?¡± she asked. Of course, he gave no comprehensible answer, but he barked enthusiastically. Whatever it was clearly hadn¡¯t hurt him, so she shrugged it off. She just owned a horse-sized wolf now. The tower came into sight, and the girls led the charge into the tower square. The gargoyles were right; several devils stood guard outside the tower.


    ¡°They¡¯re here for the sword, aren¡¯t they?¡± Naya asked as she hopped down, drawing both blades.


    ¡°Aye, I be reasoning the same thing. Let''s get this started; our backup will be here soon,¡± she said, drawing her own blade and advancing on the devils. They looked partially insect-like; she didn¡¯t know their names or anything of the like, but it was clear to her by their movements that they were lackeys, infernal or otherwise. Their carapace was a soft beige, and they had a somewhat segmented body structure. The most apparent tell that they were insectoid were the extra limbs and the sensory antenna. Each of them, in addition to their sharp claws, carried a spear, each a black twisted piece of tortured metal. She leaned hard into her attack, slicing through the closest one''s Abdomen before thrusting the tip of her blade through one of its shoulder joints. All of the fighting recently seemed to have sharpened her speed. Where once only one carefully aimed blow could sneak past her enemy''s armor, now she could land two in the same time span.


    Naya rushed forward, speaking Echo¡¯s command word. The wolf, already the size of a horse, grew even larger. He easily towered over the devils in front of them and rushed forward, snapping his jaws over the first one he encountered. They found their mark, and in moments, Echo had the creature pinned to the ground. Naya smiled and rushed at the same one, plunging her scimitars into the beast. It howled in pain.


    A window on the second floor popped open, and Sorali perched on it and looked down. It was a decent fall, perhaps thirty feet. She gulped. If she were lucky, she¡¯d be fine; if she wasn¡¯t... well, that was a problem for future Sorali. She pulled her red hair back into a ponytail and took the leap. Better to die on her own terms than be killed by devils. Her feet had barely left the windowsill when clawed white hands lunged towards her. A chill went down her spine as a gust of cold air solidified around her in a gentle cocoon; she slid down a tube of slick ice as she was shunted far away from the devils. She skidded to a stop, bruising and skinning her knees a bit, but otherwise unharmed. She caught sight of Master Alvec standing in the entryway, ice blue arcane runes glowing around him as chilled water vapor leaked from his mouth.


    She didn¡¯t know much about magic, but even she could tell that this was something extraordinary. It was greater than the spells he had cast during the festival.


    Bait arrived with an absolutely thunderous announcement. His bullets slammed through the ones on the left flank. They withstood the barrage, but it was clear that it had hurt them badly. Even without Alvec¡¯s magic, Bait felt faster, like he could shoot even more. Mavec was only a few steps behind them and began casting as well. The energy around him was black and eery. A wall of shifting light that resembled screaming mouths fluttered into existence, running through several of the devils. Their eyes clouded over as necrotic energy clung to them, effectively blinding them. Devils as they were, blinded, and under vicious assault, these henchmen weren¡¯t anything more than a speed bump. Especially as Alvec accelerated everyone once more.


    Illaria took the opportunity to try something new. She baited three enemies into attacking her as she dodged out of their reach. As she did, she jumped, twisted, and slid past their spear thrusts, tapping them away with her sword when all else failed. Using her speed, she rebuked each of them, landing long bloody slashes on them as she breezed by them as effortlessly as a ghost, with all the carnage of a tiger. She dashed up the stairs as her allies continued to wage war on the devils. She took the final set of stairs, arriving at the war room to find San Verado holding the double-bladed sword.


    ¡°It took you long enough to get here,¡± he said, smiling.


    ¡°San Verado, what you do you be doing here? Working with Devils, nonetheless? Is that why you¡¯ve been keeping such close tabs on me?¡±


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    ¡°You, no, you were nothing more than a curiosity,¡± he said as he pulled the hat from his head. His lush, vibrant hair changed before her eyes, replaced with a slick, black, oily mess. His clothing, previously bright and vibrant, shifted as well, quickly becoming primarily browns and blacks, his jewelry mostly disappearing except a few Sharktooth bracelets. A nasty gash ran across his throat, a wound from a battle long ago.


    None other than cut-throat Crowley stood before her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, it was so fun to tease you at first. I took no small measure of joy knowing the truth, even as you rejected my advances. No matter your answer, I won, just like today. Just like the tournament. Even in defeat, I snatch victory.¡±


    ¡°You be talking too much for a dead man,¡± Illaria said, brandishing her sword.


    ¡°Now, now, Illaria, if you gut me here, you¡¯ll never know where your parents are. They are such honest folk, after all. Too reliable and useful to just discard. So I kept them close and made sure not a man amongst mine thought he could cheat me and get away with it.¡±


    ¡°How do I be knowing you''re even telling the truth. You could have killed them years ago,¡± she snarled.


    ¡°That''s the thing, Illaria, I win again. No matter the truth, whether they be resting at the bottom of the ocean or in confinement in my home, either way, I win again as you squirm, trying to figure out what to do. It''s a shame that problems like this aren¡¯t so easy to cut with a sword.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t win earlier today, and my friends will be making short work of the devils outside. Soon, they¡¯ll arrive, and that will be that,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t win. They did. Without them, you''re not nearly as powerful as I hoped you¡¯d be. I had hoped your anger would have tempered you into something sharper than this dull steel.¡±


    ¡°We were sharp enough today,¡± Illaria insisted. ¡°What do you even get out of this, Crowley?¡±


    ¡°This sword. Worthless really, just fancy iron forged in hell. But wielding one grants a certain status among devil kind. I entreat with a whole new host of powers. Soon, not even your precious Blue Banner Army will be able to do more than die while we take more than just the seas.¡±


    ¡°Illaria! The urn!¡± Alvec shouted as he rounded the final stair, a dagger in hand. She laughed. Alvec was more than enough backup, and his idea was just so dumb that it might¡¯ve worked. If each of them were feared outside by the ghost of Nath, then indeed the rest of the team could have dealt with Crowley. She drew her wakizashi back and made to throw it.


    ¡°Well, it looks as if I should be taking my leave now. Come on, Illaria, chase me back to the seas if you dare. We¡¯re somewhere off the coast of Ac-Aziza if you can find me.¡±


    With the smell of brimstone and a puff of black smoke, he and the sword disappeared before she could throw the blade. Alvec rushed past her; he dropped the dagger to the floor, letting it clatter on the stone. He pulled a scroll from his bag, slammed it onto the table, and unfurled it as his tail and a free hand grabbed ink and a quill. He was glad for the rush of speed his spells gave him because each heartbeat meant he¡¯d be a little less accurate on this.


    All spells left behind traces for a few moments. Things you could follow if you were fast enough, fragmented energies you could decode if you knew how, and Alvec knew how. The rough distance, the rough direction, as well as a few other bits of information, he read through the quickly decaying completed spell. He promptly circled a large swath of ocean off the coast of Ac-Aziza before turning back to Illaria.


    ¡°Was that who I think it was?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Aye, it was Crowley. He was San Verado the entire time,¡± she said, shuddering in both disgust and anger. She¡¯d been so close to him so many times; she could have reached out and ended him so easily. It would have been frustratingly simple. The man was a pig and an asshole of a magnitude she struggled to comprehend. He had taken so much perverse enjoyment out of trying to seduce her. Granted, it had failed spectacularly, but the notion still unsettled her.


    ¡°Alright, well. I¡¯ve got good and bad news,¡± Alvec said as he showed her the map. ¡°The bad news is I couldn¡¯t get a perfect read on him. I arrived too late to attempt to dispel it, and I arrived too late to get a good look at how it was cast. The good news,¡± he said, pointing at the map. ¡°Is that I did confirm his parting remarks and narrow it down a smidge. He went somewhere within this circle, which is, in fact, in the ocean near Ac-Aziza.¡±


    Illaria clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Thank you, friend. We need to be getting a move on right away; we can¡¯t let him have any more time.¡± Illaria said before walking away.


    Alvec reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently tugging her to a stop.


    ¡°We can¡¯t head out yet,¡± Alvec said. ¡°What do you be meaning by that?!¡± she said as she spun back around on him, barely contained anger searing in her voice.


    ¡°Hear me out. Our healing wand is broken, the group is tired after two consecutive fights, and we will need to get horses and a cart if we want any hope of actually getting to Ac-Aziza in a timely manner. We need to also discuss what enchantments people want on their items. You¡¯ll be getting priority since we¡¯ll be going after Crowley. Additionally, TaeCol must be informed of this development with the devils. Perhaps the church can lend us some support. If the festival has convinced me of one thing, our group can¡¯t keep taking on these dangerous tasks without getting someone to come along with us who can patch us up.¡±


    Alvec was right. He was right an uncomfortable amount of time. She took a deep breath, followed by another, and one more to top it off. ¡°How fast do you estimate we can be getting a move on?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Assuming we split our time... Tomorrow at dawn. Mavec and I need a good sleep, but not before we get a wagon, and Mavec does some tinkering with it. We need to add stabilizers to it to make it easier for me to focus on my enchanting as we travel. Not to mention, we need to catch up to TaeCol and fill him in. If Naya, Echo, and I go to TaeCol while you, Bait, and Mavec secure the rest of what we need... I think Dawn tomorrow sounds very doable.¡± Alvec responded.


    Illaria nodded her head. ¡°OK, you make a lot of good points. We¡¯ll head out tomorrow. What do you need me to do again?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You need to get us a cart and horses. I¡¯ll send Mavec to go get reagents and stuff to help add stabilization to the cart. Naya and I will go talk to TaeCol.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Illaria said, taking the stairs down. Alvec was right behind her. He informed the team of the plan, and they each broke their specific ways. Time was of the essence.

 65: Adventure Calls

    Naya and Alvec rode on Echo¡¯s back. His new size was amazing and powerful magic. It wasn¡¯t a spell so to speak, more like an accrual of divine power which had bubbled up inside him. The wolf could carry both of them easily. It was a little awkward to ride on Echo, holding onto Naya for support. He was as fast as a horse to boot. It took only about an hour and a half to catch up to the group of clerics and paladins marching along the road. It wasn¡¯t a large batch of them. Just about ten people in total. Sarbie walked near the center of the group while TaeCol led the charge.


    Alvec hopped off from Echo and dashed on ahead to speak with TaeCol. The man stood taller than him by about half a head. ¡°TaeCol, we need to talk. Can we walk further ahead of the group?¡± Alvec asked as he dashed on ahead. The man nodded and followed him. Telling him about the Gold Banner, of the devils they just fought, and of his other issues was a risk. ¡°Good news and bad news. Good news, we won the Festival of Blades. The bad news is that the other finalist team had someone infiltrate our house and steal the sword. The Cutthroat Crowley was disguised as the swashbuckler San Verado.¡±


    ¡°That is unfortunate. Anything else to report?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Alvec replied. ¡°As in, yes, I do... but I also have something to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Let me hear your ask first,¡± TaeCol said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a cleric of the church to be assigned to help us. We need a healer if we¡¯re going to cross swords with both devils and Cutthroat Crowley. We intend to do both,¡± Alvec finished.


    TaeCol looked the boy over. ¡°I¡¯m not yet convinced your cause is worth sparing one of our own.¡±


    Alvec felt as if he twisted inside. He hoped this would be easy. He¡¯d have to tip his hand, something he wasn¡¯t particularly fond of. ¡°There is more I have to tell you. Perhaps after you hear this, you¡¯ll be more inclined. While I lack definitive proof, I suspect the Gold Banner Army may be compromised. My full name is Alvec Reynore. My grandfather is Iridel Reynore. During the wars, he made a deal with a devil for power. In return, he sired my father. I don¡¯t pretend to know what my infernal grandmother was playing at. I do know that she was an Eirinyes.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with the Gold Banner Army?¡± TaeCol asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting there, sir, but to see why I¡¯m suspicious, you need the context for the events to line up.¡±


    The paladin nodded begrudgingly.


    Alvec continued on. ¡°Cue our arrival in Sha-Laial. The night we finally took the tower and threw a celebratory bash for the neighborhood, a devil appeared at OUR house and attacked. Then, the Gold Banner swoops in, arrests two of us, and then makes us their cat''s paw to go take out some devils in the city. Whoever was doing the summoning. The circle was well used, and the final coincidence that pushed it a bridge too far was the presence of artwork depicting an Eirinyes in the chamber with the summoning circle. It''s too many coincidences.¡± Alvec stated. ¡°For them all to have been random, I find that difficult to accept.¡±


    TaeCol nodded along. ¡°I see what you''re saying. One or two of those events could have easily been luck, but all three together feel intentional. Especially with whoever did the summoning being in the wind.¡±


    ¡°As if they knew we were coming.¡± Alvec finished.


    TaeCol nodded again. ¡°I can understand the reason for concern. However, sending someone with an adventuring group would be difficult. Explaining why I¡¯d weakened us while we are already very restricted would be challenging. The Gold Banner Army controls the fight against devils, and if they are in bed with them, I can¡¯t afford to spare any of my strongest till we know more. They keep close tabs on how much actual power we have.¡±


    ¡°That''s very concerning,¡± Alvec replied. ¡°So don¡¯t send someone powerful. Just send someone.¡±


    TaeCol stared out in the distance ahead of them for a moment before calling out.¡°Sarbie, to the front of the line.¡± TaeCol bellowed. It took a few moments for her to shuffle forward. She clasped her hands tightly together in front of her body and looked over his shoulder rather than directly at the man. As if looking at him would break the illusion of being put together. ¡°I have some good news and lots of bad news for you. The good is that you will no longer be accompanying us into the valley of steam. The bad news is that I am placing a heavy burden on you. As of now, I hereby exile you from the church. You are no longer an official Cleric in the service of Kushang.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Sarbie gasped, panic setting in. ¡°This can¡¯t be, what will I-?¡±


    TaeCol raised his hand, silencing her. ¡°A formality to get around Agenon¡¯s laws. Your exile from the church does nothing to your connection to the divine. You will go with this band of adventurers and aid them on their quest. When it is complete, you will be welcomed back into the church with open arms.¡±


    ¡°Alvec, no. I can¡¯t come with you. I¡¯d just slow you down.¡± Sarbie pleaded.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I asked for. I just wanted her to go home.¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the boy''s decision, but mine. He has requested help from the church. If his suspicions are correct, and I dare to say that I fear they could be... then I need to send someone with them who has flown under the radar.¡±


    ¡°What about Hoc?¡± Sarbie asked. ¡°He would die to go on a grand adventure.¡±


    ¡°He would, but he¡¯s got a big mouth and doesn¡¯t have the skillset our group needs.¡± Alvec supplied.


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    ¡°And I do?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alvec said sheepishly. ¡°We need someone who can help patch us up. My whole team knows how to deal damage. I think I¡¯m the only one who knows how to prevent it or aid it... we need someone who can help undo it.¡±


    ¡°Sarbie, this isn¡¯t up for discussion,¡± said TaeCol. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that you are the best person for the job. I will tell your parents what I can about your mission, and I will tell lies to all else.¡±


    ¡°I... really don¡¯t have a choice,¡± Sarbie said, slinking her shoulders.


    ¡°You could still say no,¡± Alvec said. ¡°You might actually get expelled for it, but you do have that choice. If you were to take it, I¡¯d still do what I could to support you. Since I accidentally roped you into this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted me to come with you, Alvec?¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Alvec said quickly. ¡°Nothing would delight me more, but I know deep down you don¡¯t want to, so I¡¯m trying to give you another out.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not leaving the church. TaeCol, I accept this mission and hope to return to the church as soon as possible. May I still visit and pray at the churches?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the official story will be that you left on good terms. You will be welcomed as a guest anywhere you go,¡± TaeCol replied.


    ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I couldn¡¯t go back to visit.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Alvec Reynore. I leave her in your care. Remember your promise.¡±


    ¡°So long as I draw breath, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to protect her,¡± Alvec replied without missing a beat, with a conviction that sent a chill up Sarbie''s spine. TaeCol thought this mission would be dangerous, and Alvec meant what he said.


    ¡°With that, then, I bid you goodbye and farewell,¡± TaeCol said before turning to march onwards.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve got one more thing for you. You seem like the safest hands I can put this in. It''s a copy of a spell that Vato used to contain a mysterious creature. Figured it might be of some use to you or someone you know,¡± Alvec said, handing over a copy of the sixth circle spell. TaeCol nodded once more before leaving the pair alone as Naya and Echo caught up to them.


    ¡°Shall we go then?¡± Alvec said motioning back towards Naya and Echo.


    ¡°I guess.¡± Sarbie replied. The pair walked slowly back to the girl and her wolf.


    ¡°Hey Sarbie, how are you holding up here on the roads?¡± Naya asked as she waved hello.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± She said with a weak smile.


    ¡°Alright Alvec we should probably get going. Illaria didn¡¯t even want to wait for dawn like you suggested.¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Yeah, about that.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°By the spirits, if you tell me we¡¯re going to be late...¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°Its not that, so uh, Sarbie will be joining us.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°What?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°TaeCol he just kicked me out of the church. Told me I needed to go with you guys.¡± Sarbie her face a blank slate as she attempted to process the last few minutes.


    ¡°Thats Terrible, here pet Echo for comfort.¡± Naya suggested. Sarbie reached up and began to pet him absent mindedly. After a few seconds she turned to Naya and looked at her with confusion.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Echo smaller last time I saw him?¡± Sarbie asked.


    ¡°Magic happened.¡± Naya confirmed.


    ¡°Oh, ok.¡± Sarbie said, resigning it to be a good enough answer.


    ¡°Alright, guys and gals, let''s get on the giant wolf and get out of here,¡± Naya said as she lowered a hand to Sarbie first.


    She struggled a bit to get up on top of the wolf, and once she did, she wrapped her arms tightly around Naya.


    ¡°Ease up on your grip, Sarbs; you¡¯ll crack one of my ribs if you squeeze that tight. We only have so much time before we head off to Ac-Aziza. Illaria will be pissed if we are late; you still need to get a good night''s sleep, Alvec.¡± she said before leaning over and offering a hand to Alvec.


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ll walk,¡± Alvec said, attempting to decline.


    ¡°Look, Illaria is serious about leaving at dawn. You walk your ass back to Sha-Laial, and you¡¯re barely going to get any sleep,¡± she grinned while glancing behind her. ¡°Would you rather be in front?¡±


    Alvec took her hand and climbed up behind Sarbie, where he gently wrapped an arm around her waist.


    ¡°Alright, hold on tight!¡± Naya shouted as Echo broke into a sprint back towards Sha-Laial.


    Arriving back home, they discovered Mavec was under the wagon, adding some ¡°enhancements¡± to it. Shock absorption would be critical for Alvec to continue his enchanting in peace. Speaking of which, there were just bags stuffed full of reagents he¡¯d need for enchanting.


    Sarbie stood awkwardly in the courtyard, watching everyone work and fidgeting with her robes.


    Alvec frowned. ¡°Do you want to go back and see your parents tonight?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I might lose what little nerve I have if I do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll show you to my room then; you can sleep there.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she said, her face flushing red.


    ¡°Yeah, you take the bed; I¡¯ll return here and sleep in the enchanting room. I¡¯ve made it cozy enough that it won¡¯t be inconvenient,¡± Alvec assured her.


    Illaria laughed at the interaction, a surprise even to herself. ¡°Alright, everyone, get some sleep; we leave at dawn.¡± She insisted once more. ¡°Also, it''s a pleasure to have you with us, Sarbie. If you need anything at all, just let me know. Alvec means well, truly, but he¡¯s a boy; there are some things he won¡¯t be as aware of, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Illaria; I''ll let you know if I think of anything.¡±


    ¡°Sarbie can just share a bed with me, then you can have your bed, Alvec,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d prefer a bit more privacy on her first night than that,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Alright, then, would you like to share a bed? No sense sleeping on the floor, friend.¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m a bit tougher than I look; I can stand a night on the stone. I¡¯ve got some spells for that.¡± With that, Alvec escorted Sarbie up to his room. Showed her where the amenities were and left her on her own.


    Returning to the ground floor, he met Mavec outside and glanced at his fellow wizards work. He¡¯d added a series of springs to it. It made sense; the springs would absorb some energy and make for a smoother ride. Had we had more than a few hours, the pair of them could have cooked up an even more grand solution, but for now, this would do. He examined the reagents that Mavec had bought as well. It was all there. Everything he¡¯d need to equip their small little band of fighters. Convinced that there was little more to be gained by staying up, he headed to the enchanting room. It would be a while before he got to sit in here again, and he so nearly had the room looking perfect. Alvec settled down on the ground, using force pillows, and slept.

 66: Enchanting Games

    Waking up at the crack of dawn wasn¡¯t unusual for Sarbie. The church often asked for her to assist in small projects such as baking bread or just general cleaning. What was strange was waking up in an unfamiliar bed, a boy''s bed, no less. None of this felt real. She¡¯d practically collapsed into the bed in a state of fugue. She had never once thought that she might be doing something this crazy, this dumb, and yet here she was. All of this over a phrase. To raise the Iron Castle. If she survived this adventure, then by Kushang, she prayed she at least got to learn WHY that phrase was so important. TaeCol hadn¡¯t told her. He had been very secretive about the entire thing. She went about her routine and joined everyone downstairs.


    Food was already served. Sorali, their young maid, was already hard at work earning her keep. Eggs, bacon, and bread were already on the table, as well as several bricks of cheese. ¡°Food might be a bit less interesting once you''re well and on the road, so I thought it might be nice to see you all off with a good breakfast,¡± Sorali said.


    Sarbie approached the table cautiously; she wasn¡¯t sure how much of this was really meant for her. She should have to supply her own for sure. ¡°I, uh, didn¡¯t bring any money with me; I can¡¯t pay anyone for this right now,¡± Sarbie said.


    ¡°What in the name of Dahn Daluzi are you talking about, Sarbie? You¡¯re with us; this is yours to partake in as much as anyone else''s,¡± Illaria said.


    Sarbie took a seat and grabbed a plate, digging in. It was an excellent breakfast. ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still waiting on our princesses,¡± Illaria stated.


    Naya barged in from outside. ¡°It''s not exactly their fault that magic takes so much time to recover. It''s just a way of the universe, you know?¡±


    ¡°Bait want dem to get beauty sleep. Make more explosions and throw more lightning that way.¡±


    Alvec followed not far behind Naya. ¡°Believe me, if I knew a way to shortcut the whole full night''s rest requirement, I would,¡± Alvec said before walking up to Sorali and handing her a piece of paper and a coin purse. ¡°Make this happen as soon as you can. There won¡¯t be much cleaning needed here for the foreseeable future. So mostly just feed the cats and make sure to occasionally dust.¡± Alvec said before joining the table and digging into his own plate of food.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to Ac-Aziza. Do you have any thoughts on it?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°A few,¡± Alvec replied before taking a large bite of a piece of bread. He swallowed and then drank a whole glass of water before responding further. ¡°First. I won¡¯t be taking watch for the first several nights. You¡¯ve asked for many enchantments, Illaria, and I¡¯m delighted to provide them, but with that said, we need them before your rematch with Crowley. Meaning, I¡¯m going to pull twelve hours of enchanting each day to make that happen. Finally, the wagon we secured fits five beds, and there are six of us. Somebody will have to double up... and we all know no one wants to sleep with Bait,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Bait would take offense to dat, but Bait no want to sleep with any of you either. Too clean.¡±


    ¡°I can sleep outside with Echo most nights,¡± Naya suggested.


    ¡°Naya, you can share a bed with me whenever you be needing it,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Well, that takes care of that then,¡± Alvec said. Eventually, Mavec joined them downstairs. By the time the sun had lifted above the horizon, the group was ready to depart. It would be the second time in as many days that she¡¯d left the city walls of Sha-Laial. Her home.


    It made her more than a little anxious.


    She piled into the wagon and took a seat at the back. Her crossbow was loaded and ready. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t need to use it for some time yet. She wasn¡¯t particularly great with it. It was the favored weapon of her deity, a simple ranged weapon usable by just about anyone. It was common for clerics to be drilled using one such weapon. Indeed, she¡¯d been to the firing range several times, but it was by far the worst part of her training as a cleric.


    Alvec, Sarbie, and Mavec were the only three who stayed inside the wagon as it wound down the main artery out of Sha-Laial and east toward the sea. Illaria, Bait, and Naya spent little time in the tent as they traveled. Worse, while busy with his work, neither Alvec nor Rem were good conversationalists. The first few days passed in blissful silence. Once in the first few days, she reached for the crossbow. Only to have Naya laughing as Echo scared away an entire pack of wolves by growing even larger and growling. About a week into traveling, Alvec presented Illaria and the group with several magic items. With that, the nights got a little more interesting.


    Alvec was still enchanted during the days, but no longer was he burning the candle at both ends. Instead, she found herself sitting on the opposite end of the bed from him, learning to play many card games. Go fish, Goblin War, and eventually, games like Three Dragon Ante and poker.


    ¡°Where did you learn all of these games? I didn¡¯t take you for a gambling sort?¡± Sarbie asked.


    ¡°I feel like I mentioned this before: my mother used to be something of a card shark in Jai-Najan,¡± Alvec said. ¡°She actually helps fundraise for the church nowadays.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like quite a transition. How did that happen?¡±


    ¡°Dad took a job in town; it was some middle management position, but it put them in contact, and surprise, surprise, they fell in love, got married, had me, and she stepped away from the things she had been involved in.¡±


    ¡°They sound like a bit of an odd couple.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they get that a lot,¡± Alvec admitted. ¡°She said it was his dependability and inability to be threatened. Apparently, many people tried to talk him into falsifying cargo records. Dad wouldn¡¯t do it, wouldn¡¯t take their bribes, and didn¡¯t tolerate any threats. Accurate accounting means that the Gold Banner doesn¡¯t get sent to rectify tax errors.¡±


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    ¡°So why did you get into magic, Alvec? And why have I only ever heard TaeCol refer to you by your last name?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The first one I¡¯ll give you for free, but you¡¯ll have to beat me in a game to get the second.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast; I¡¯m putting a secret on the line. What exactly are you offering up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I have anything worth offering up. I don¡¯t have any money to place on this... and uh, not sure what else I could gamble.¡±


    ¡°First rule, nothing you''re afraid to lose. So how about I make a suggestion. Tell me something about yourself. Favorite book, why you joined the church, anything you wouldn¡¯t mind telling me.¡±


    ¡°Deal, for a moment there, I was worried you might ask me like strip. That''s a thing, right?¡± she said, her face flushing a bit.


    Alvec let out a laugh. ¡°Yes, it''s a thing, but I¡¯m not suggesting it. Feels more like something Naya would suggest over a bottle of wine.¡±


    ¡°Good, I definitely don¡¯t want to lose my shirt. Alright, let''s go a round, then. Winner takes all,¡± she said. Alvec dealt the cards, and they played their game. A few minutes later, Alvec laid down a winning hand.


    ¡°Damn, ok, give me a moment to think.¡± What could she tell him that would count as a secret. She wasn¡¯t all that exciting of a person. Not really. Not when compared to the people she was traveling with. Naya is a self-taught swordsman with a dire wolf searching for a cure for her village. Illaria, a strikingly beautiful swordsman who served in the blue banner searching for Cutthroat Crowely. Bait, a goblin searching for his lost clan obsessed with cheese and guns. Mavec is another wizard who worked on clockwork. Then there was Alvec himself, a Tiefling wizard who became an Abjurer. ¡°I feel like this is a copout, but I haven¡¯t lived nearly as exciting of a life as you guys have... so here we go. I love helping bake the first apple pie of the season. It''s one of my fondest memories with my mother.¡±


    ¡°That''s very sweet, and hush about not living an exciting life. Any one of us will tell you it''s not all that great. Want to go again? Same deal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, deal it,¡± she said. This time, she noticed something: he cheated. She almost went to call him on it, but he shook his head.


    ¡°Well, luck must be on your side, my hands shit,¡± he assured her before casually laying down what was most certainly a losing hand. She laughed for a moment, sure she¡¯d seen him flick his tail and swap cards. She wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about him choosing to lose. It wouldn¡¯t have been very fair to have just kept crushing her round after round. ¡°So it was why I don¡¯t use my last name, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, TaeCol used it, but I¡¯ve never heard anyone else use it. They just call you Snaptail.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who the Reynore¡¯s are?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°They''re somewhat similar to a merchant family. Except they deal in magic. Before the academy system, they were private tutors, court advisors, and prominent figures within the capital and the armies. Even now, many of my cousins hold positions in the Blue and Red Banner armies and other households or academies teaching magic.¡±


    ¡°So why would you hide that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°My grandfather, Iridel, is the one that introduced devil''s blood into our veins. We¡¯re a bastard offshoot of the family created by him. My not grandmother, Annel, is a mighty and furious woman. If she heard I was running around using the family name, I¡¯ve no doubt she¡¯d try to interfere in some bad ways in my life. Hell, she tried to keep me out of the academy. She¡¯s the Head of Conjuration at the capitals academy. Her voice carries a lot of weight. The family name carries a lot of weight, and using it would make my life simpler, but not better.¡±


    ¡°Alright, can I ask a follow-up question?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a deal instead. We put away the cards, and I get to ask a question for everyone you get: sound good?¡±


    ¡°Only if we reserve the right to skip questions,¡± she said.


    ¡°I like that idea. So what''s your question?¡±


    ¡°Why abjuration? It''s not exactly a school of magic you see a lot of people specialize in. Evocation tends to be the more evocative one... and aren¡¯t Teiflings known for being able to do some conjuration involving devils, too?¡±


    ¡°Second part first, yes. Tieflings specializing in conjuration can call up stronger creatures using their connection to the hells. That''s the problem, though. Relying on my infernal blood would make people even more suspicious of me. Easy power, sure, but it''s problematic. Evocation is similar. Sure, I can lash out with fire and lightning, which I do... but if I specialized in it, people might treat me with the same fear. Just another pyromaniac. So, I wanted to lean as far away from those stereotypes as possible. Abjuration is the antithesis of evocation. I protect people and things, and I resist elemental assaults and physical ones better than most anyone would anticipate. Doing so makes me stand out, and it also forces people to confront those preconceived notions. Is that satisfactory of enough answer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it. It''s your turn. What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Did you really think I was proposing when I gave you the cloak?¡± he said, smiling, laughter dancing behind his eyes.


    ¡°That''s not fair.¡±


    ¡°Sure it is.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to think,¡± she said, tugging at the edge of it. He hadn¡¯t asked for it back yet. ¡°Look, my family deals in silver pieces, and the church has given me gold before to get stuff for them, but usually, it''s less than a hundred pieces. You just casually gifted me an item worth over three thousand gold pieces! There are literally noble women on the other side of the river who haven¡¯t received a gift worth half as much as this cape that you gave me. What was I supposed to think?¡± she said, flushing bright red.


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t; it would be kind of rude to propose to a woman I¡¯ve shared a single dance with and little else.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, why did you give this to me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Because this is all my fault. You shouldn¡¯t be here right now; you shouldn¡¯t have been heading off to the Valley of Steam. Everyone else has a reason to be here; everyone has chosen to be here. You weren¡¯t given that choice.¡±


    Hearing him say it hurt. He was right, of course, but hearing how badly it weighed on him hurt. She moved forward towards him, quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and pulled him into a hug.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to hear another word about that. This is the fault of those devils and the iron castle, whatever that means. Just promise you¡¯ll help find that answer. I want to know why I¡¯m out here risking my life.¡± The wagon came to a stop suddenly, and she jolted further forward into him.


    His arms finally wrapped around her and held her steady. They stayed awkwardly for a moment before he let her go, and she swung her legs off the bed.


    ¡°Are we good?¡± Alvec called out as he stood up and used magic to whip his buckler to himself.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, but it''s dark enough now that we might want to make camp. Pushing much further through the rice fields will be dangerous for us. A wrong turn would sink our wagon.¡± Illaria replied.


    She scooted a bit further away from him. ¡°Besides, so far, this hasn¡¯t been all that bad. We had those wolves, but Echo ran them off before I saw them.¡± A few minutes passed in relative silence as a campfire was lit behind the wagon, and the group began cooking food.


    ¡°Actually, Alvec, I do be thinking we have a problem. Can you guys get out here?¡± Illaria shouted as she squinted off into the darkness. Sarbie and Alvec exchanged a quick worried glance before he took the lead out the back of the wagon.

 67: The What?

    ¡°Guys, what is that sloshing sound?¡± Naya asked as she held her ear towards the wind.


    ¡°I do not fucking like that sentence,¡± Mavec said as he cast an arcane armor spell on himself. Alvec finished strapping on his buckler and followed suit, bringing up an ethereal, almost ghostlike chainmail that glowed a faint blue. He hopped on out ahead of her and walked up to join Illaria. Illaria had brought the wagon to rest on a large raised earthen mound sparsely rung by trees. A road ran around this embarkment, but as far as his Tiefling eyes could see, there was water and reeds.


    Sarbie gulped and grabbed the crossbow and her quiver of bolts. She hoped that, like last time, they¡¯d get lucky, and there wouldn¡¯t be any issues. She hopped down and remained at the rear of the wagon.


    ¡°Fuck are those Zombies?¡± Mavec asked as humanoid figures came into sight. They were shambling and sloshing through the rice fields with little concern for themselves. They were still too far away to see any clear details about them.


    ¡°No,¡± Naya barked out. ¡°Look at their movements; they¡¯re too flexible. If they were dead, their joints would be stiff. If anything, it looks... Oh fuck, it looks like they¡¯re sleepwalking!¡±


    ¡°Not this fucking shit again,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°It looks like an entire Lom¡¯s worth of people,¡± Illaria noted.


    ¡°And we¡¯re sure they aren¡¯t zombies; I¡¯d almost rather have the zombies than another mystery on our hands,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Bait test? Bait shoot, if blood, not zombie?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not Bait. You shoot them, and they aren¡¯t zombies, and we¡¯ll be answering to a town guard for murder,¡± Illaria shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting any necromancy; this is the sleepwalking phenomenon again,¡± Alvec stated.


    ¡°What the hell is going on Alvec?¡± Sarbie asked as she crept up behind him and glanced into the distance. About forty of fifty people were sloshing through the rice fields, swiftly approaching their position on this small hill.


    ¡°We¡¯re not really sure, to be honest,¡± Alvec said. ¡°It happened to us once before we came to Sha-Laial. Something compels them to sleep, walk, and lay in strange patterns.¡±


    ¡°So far, we¡¯re just recording it and trying to decode it. No luck so far, but we¡¯re still early in our investigation.¡± Mavec said. As the group of villagers neared the hill they were camped on, the sound of a sword being unsheathed caught everyone''s attention before loud footsteps thundered on ahead of the group walking through the fields.


    ¡°Release them!¡± A man bellowed as he reached the crest of the hill. He looked in his 40s with graying brown hair and a fairly muscular build. He wore leather and wielded a single long sword. They were close enough now, that looking down the hill it was clear that these were all living people. There eyes were closed all but a slit, and they struggled to ascend the hill, all accept the man with the sword.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯d love to, but uh, this isn¡¯t us, friend,¡± Mavec replied.


    Alvec stepped forward with Illaria. Her hand rested gently on her Wakizashi. ¡°I¡¯m Avec Snaptail, member of the Cheese Acolytes, winner of the Festival of Blades in Sha-Laial, and this is...¡±


    ¡°Illaria, also a member of the Cheese Acolytes, in addition to a member of the Blue Banners Coffin Flotilla.¡±


    The man hesitated. ¡°This is magic... and you¡¯ve got two magic users I can see.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, we overreacted; we thought it might be a horde of zombies the way they were shambling,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re claiming you didn¡¯t do this?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re the winners of the Festival of Blades in Sha-Laial. What do we need with a bunch of sleepwalking people?¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°I... I want to believe you, but this is all a bit much.¡± The man said.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m Illaria, and these are my associates,¡± Illaria said as she pointed out each member of the group and gave a brief description of each member of the team.


    The man sheathed his sword and walked up over to Illaria.


    ¡°So what do we think is going on then? Do you guys know anything of this?¡± He asked.


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    ¡°Not much, I¡¯m afraid. We were victims of this same circumstance ourselves about a month ago. We woke up in a field. Thankfully, our animal companions protected us throughout the night... Praise be to Echo the most, for he is a wolf and strong enough to scare away most predators.¡±


    ¡°Everyone woke up?¡± He asked.


    Illaria nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure our wizards are going to do what they can to investigate. Make yourself comfortable here at our campfire. We could use another sword hand or pair of eyes for the watch tonight. Taking on their safety is going to make it much harder for us to respond to threats.¡±


    ¡°What sort of threats are you expecting?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be sure, really. Hopefully, nothing, but we can¡¯t be taking chances now, can we? What can you tell me about the village anyway?¡± he dusted himself off a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tareef the lochmaster here at Lom-cilic We¡¯re just a small pastoral village. We trade in cows, rice, and river fish mostly.¡±


    ¡°A typical river town understood,¡± Illaria noted.


    ¡°I actually would like to take a look into this. I was unconscious last time... maybe it''s not arcane after all. Sarbie, once they settle down, let''s look at one of them.¡± The people around them started to lie down, forming a pattern on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll chart the pattern,¡± Mavec said as he began sketching onto a piece of canvas.


    Alvec walked over to one of the people near the end of the chain with Sarbie. He knelt down and began inspecting them.


    ¡°It''s not arcane, and it doesn¡¯t look properly divine either. It reminds me most of Naya¡¯s magic. Looks related to the spirits to me.¡± Alvec declared loudly. ¡°What about their health? Do they seem okay? Physically?¡± Alvec asked as Sarbie began to look them over.


    ¡°Yeah, other than some scrapes and bruises from stumbling their way here, they seem fine. Heartbeats feel strong, and their breathing fine,¡± she said. ¡°Regarding divine magic, I¡¯m not exactly getting anything either. It feels similar, and yet wildly different.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like spirits to me,¡± Alvec said. ¡°Would make some degree of sense. We suspect the spirits are involved with Naya¡¯s village turning to plants.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Sarbie asked, blinking in surprise. He hadn¡¯t just said her whole village had turned to plants.


    ¡°Oh, right, we haven¡¯t had much time to go over this sort of stuff. Yeah, that''s why she started adventuring. I picked her up in a tavern in the boonies.¡±


    ¡°Do the armies know this? The Church?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Naya told a bunch of people, but Lom-Itoti is so small it doesn¡¯t even have a proper road. They¡¯re known for trapping and selling furs. They were so isolated that several seasons could pass before anyone would even think to go looking for them.¡± Alvec replied. ¡°The Banners and even the church never bothered to investigate. I doubt it was out of any malice, but it''s just so small.¡±


    ¡°And this sleepwalking thing, you¡¯ve encountered this before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, last time we were the victims, though. Rem was kind enough to keep as good of a record as possible.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that, Alvec. The patterns are different. NO fucking idea what that means, but the design is different, ¡°Mavec said before walking away and lighting a cigarette.


    ¡°I¡¯m just hoping that this isn¡¯t somehow connected to the flesh abominations,¡± Alvec said, shaking his head.


    ¡°The what?!¡±


    ¡°We can save that one for later.¡± Alvec insisted.


    ¡°No, no, no, no, you don¡¯t, Alvec Snaptail Reynore. You do NOT get to say something like that and walk away!¡± she said, grabbing him by the coat.


    ¡°Ok, ok. I¡¯ll answer, I¡¯ll answer,¡± said Alvec ¡°We¡¯ve run across a couple of strange creatures. They don¡¯t seem to have been recorded in any field guides or monster manuals we could track down in Sha-Laial. Vato called them invaders or intruders.


    ¡°Vato?¡± asked Sarbie. ¡°Who¡¯s Vato?¡±


    ¡°Vanished Archwizard from the Anarchy. We found his tomb,¡± Mavec said, taking a drag from his cigarette.


    ¡°And his journal,¡± Alvec said. ¡°I forget the exact verbiage, but he indicated they were strong enough to fight Red Banner patrols independently. So far, we¡¯ve encountered... a tripod-legged creature with a scorpion-esc tale and a glowing orb surrounded by what looked like floating seaweed. Human-sized flatworms with human teeth at both ends. A long floating skull and several sets of detached teeth just floating about... and a tongue. A giant tongue with teeth growing out of it and fly eyeballs near where it would connect to the throat. Yeah, they¡¯re pretty fucking strange.¡±


    ¡°...Alvec, this isn¡¯t funny,¡± said Sarbie. ¡°You had me till you hit the detached teeth.¡±


    ¡°Sarbie, I assure you. I¡¯m not joking. Ask the others if you doubt me.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, stop it. You¡¯re freaking me out.¡± He had to be joking. There wasn¡¯t anything like what he described in existence. This had to be some hazing ritual for newcomers. Tell them tall stories and see how they react. A series of loud sloshing noises caught her attention. ¡°More villagers?¡± she asked.


    Alvec held his hand up to his lips, pressing a single finger gently against hers as he mirrored, doing the same to his mouth. While she couldn¡¯t see the rest of the group, she could practically feel the tension as conversations came to a sudden stop. The sloshing was loud and frantic. Too loud to possibly be a sleepwalking crowd of humans.


    She felt Alvec¡¯s magic rush around her. She nervously grabbed her crossbow and fiddled with it. Her hands were shaking. ¡°Stay with me, and try to stay behind me. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Those words, even in the face of some threat, resonated with her. While he may not have looked it, Alvec was worthy of trusting. He was Alvec the Unyielding after all. From where the pair were standing behind the wagon, they could not see what was coming.


    ¡°Spread out!¡± Illaria bellowed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the south western edge!¡± Alvec shouted back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the Northwestern edge¡± Came the voice of the Lochmaster.


    ¡°Bait, Mavec and I will take the east then!¡± Illaria bellowed again.

 68: Shots in the Dark

    Baits gun rang out a few times before he began to scream for help. Worse, the sloshing suddenly seemed to become more distant. Sarbies nails dug into the wooden handle of her crossbow. Had something swallowed Bait? Or dragged him off into the night to eat him? Only the occasional burst of gunfire assured her he was still alive somewhere out into the night. Electricity arcing through the air was punctuated by Mavec screaming for help, too. Just as she started moving towards the rest of the group, Alvec grabbed her arm and pulled her back. A giant bright pink Newt¡¯s head popped around the wagon''s south eastern edge. It saw the unmoving people on the ground and its jaws opened wide before it lunged for them. Alvec responded, encasing the creature in a dome of ice further isolating them from the eastern edge of the combat.


    The giant newt thrashed around violently, struggling to break free. The ice wasn¡¯t thick enough to hold it for long, but when it busted out of its icy prison, Alvec met it with a blast of shards of diamond to the face. It howled, and Sarbie took a risk firing off a crossbow bolt. The bolt glanced off its rubbery skin. She shot a look at the people behind her and shook as the cries of her allies rang out from the darkness beyond the wagon. She wanted to hop into the wagon and hide just as much as she wanted to pierce the night and see if her new friends were dead.


    ¡°We stand our ground.¡± Alvec said firmly, ¡°If we don¡¯t hold the line, these people die.¡±


    ¡°Right, of course.¡± She said as she began to reload. The giant newt bit at Alvec, who managed to give it a mouth full of buckler, followed by a solid dose of electricity. It was hard to aim past him. One wrong move and she could just as easily bury a bolt into Alvec¡¯s back as she could place the shot into the newt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about shooting me; I¡¯ve got a spell active; you won¡¯t hurt me,¡± he assured her before jolting it again. She took his word and fired again. This time, her bolt found purchase into one of the arms of the creature. A deafening roar made her nearly jump out of her skin before realizing it was a wolf''s howl. The depth of it, after the realization occurred to her, brought comfort. Echo was here and no doubt enlarged. She was sure that if she peeked around the corner, she¡¯d find his massive form wrestling with a giant newt now smaller than he was.


    These things were tough. Even after having been pelted with lots of magic, it was still holding steady. She watched Alvec grudgingly traced red hot runes into the air before him. An arc of red hot fire sprang forward and slammed into its head, leaving a massive singe mark as the creature collapsed before him. A ruckus to their left drew their attention. Another newt had a man''s foot in its mouth. She took the shot on reflex, not even thinking about it. She couldn¡¯t let this be the end for this man. Her bolt connected, but the creature shrugged it off as it continued to drag this older man fully into its mouth. Illaria and the Lochmaster both dashed into view and brought their blades to bare against the creature. Illaria went high, her blade raking across the newts eyes. The Lochmaster drove his blade into its side and pushed forward leaving a long gash on its side.


    The creature recoiled from the attack, dropping its would-be victim. Neither of the swordsmen gave the newt time to retreat. They continued their attack until the beast fell dead on the ground before them. Sarbie¡¯s heart was hammering in her chest. ¡°All clear on this side, Alvec, you alive?¡± Came Mavec¡¯s voice from the other side of the ice dome.


    ¡°Thank you for the assistance.¡± The Lochmaster said to Illaria. ¡°That one almost snuck by me entirely.¡± He said.


    ¡°Aye, you look to have been having your hands full. You took down another on on your own by the looks of it.¡± Illaria said motioning off towards the edge of the hill.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re alive. How¡¯s everyone else¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Naya and I are untouched,¡± Illaria stated as she cleaned her blade off before sheathing it.


    ¡°Bait and I, on the other hand, aren¡¯t hurt all that badly... but I need a bath after that.¡±


    ¡°Newt slime great! Bait would do again if it didn¡¯t mean getting eat.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can take watch then, Bait, while I get cleaned up,¡± Mavec said as he finally passed into view. He was covered in a thick, viscous slime and looked less than thrilled by it, his hair standing up at odd angles. He wandered over to the fire and began to strip off his clothing and place it near the fire to dry out.


    Her heart was still hammering in her chest, even knowing that they had successfully repelled the attack and no one had been hurt. A wave of nausea swept through her and brought her to her knees. She couldn¡¯t keep it in and began to throw up. A warm hand quickly found its way to her back, pressing down gently as fingers brushed her neck and swept her hair away from her face.


    ¡°It''s ok,¡± Alvec whispered. ¡°This is normal. Lots of people feel sick after their first life-or-death encounter. Adrenaline dump is a thing. Once you¡¯re good, we should get you some water and bread to settle your stomach.¡±


    ¡°Is it always like this?¡± She asked.


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    ¡°You get used to it. Some people even seek out that feeling after a while.¡±


    ¡°Some psychos,¡± she said. ¡°Help me up, please.¡± Alvec held his hands out, and she grabbed on; a moment later, she stood up. She still felt queasy and could feel a headache coming on.


    ¡°Any of the villagers hurt?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°No, but that guy''s shoe is slobbered, and unlike me, he doesn¡¯t have a change of clothing. Maybe we let him ride in the wagon when they wake up. We are escorting them back to town, right? One sword isn¡¯t enough to protect a whole village,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Of course we are,¡± Naya confirmed.


    ¡°Aye, as much as I want to get to Ac-Aziza, I can¡¯t in good conscience leave these people here. We get them home and head toward the sea as fast as possible. We¡¯ve got an appointment to keep with that right bastard.¡± Illaria said, making a fist and shaking it to the east.


    Alvec produced a water flask. ¡°Would you like it cold or room temperature?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Which do you recommend?¡± she asked. He pursed his lips for a moment.


    ¡°I like mine ice cold, but I think, since you need to drink a lot, lightly chilled is the best.¡± He worked a small amount of magic on the flask before handing it to her. ¡°Small sips. Don¡¯t try to down it, or else you¡¯ll just vomit again,¡± she nodded in agreement and took a few soothing sips from it. ¡°Alright, let''s get you to bed,¡± he said, gesturing to the wagon.


    ¡°You expect me to sleep after that?!¡± She asked.


    ¡°Would you like me to stay and keep you company?¡± It sounded nice, even if she was sure she couldn¡¯t sleep for an age after the chaos of the last few minutes, and even more certain, she couldn¡¯t find an unawkward way to say yes. ¡°Or, if that''s too embarrassing, I could have Rem stay with you.¡±


    ¡°Both of you, please.¡± She muttered as she took his advice and headed for her bed. She tucked herself in, and Rem joined her, cuddling beside her. Alvec sat on the floor, leaning against the bed with his back and head resting gently against it.


    ¡°So tell me, so I stop feeling so foolish, what was your first time like? Did you get sick too?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not as sick as you did, but I did end up with a pretty bad headache and feeling as if I''d just run a marathon.¡± He admitted. ¡°The first life or death fight I was in was just after graduation at Jai *name* traveling alone for a Tiefling isn¡¯t safe... and two ruffians on the road decided I¡¯d be an easy mark. I can¡¯t blame them. I don¡¯t look like all that much of a fighter. When I refused to give them everything of value on me, they pulled knives on me and tried to kill me. I don¡¯t think they expected me to fight back. I tried to offer them a chance to retreat, but they kept coming after me. The thing about my fighting... it''s limited. I¡¯ve only got so long before I run out of magical power. So when they wouldn¡¯t stop... it made me choose between myself and them. I chose myself. It wasn¡¯t fun or glorious. I set their bodies on fire before I left. Leaving behind nothing but charred bones. I figured it was a kinder death than being picked apart by scavengers. I wasn¡¯t well after that fight. I couldn''t sleep for days and spent about a week holed up in the nearest city. I thought a lot about turning around and just going home. There were plenty of jobs a wizard could qualify for that wouldn¡¯t have me in life-or-death situations.¡±


    ¡°What made you decide to keep doing this?¡± He paused for a moment before replying.


    ¡°At first? Selfishness, I think. If I chose a safer path, if I leaned on my family¡¯s name and reputation, I would surely live a modest life. One in which I could have a reasonable standard of living... but I dreamed bigger than that. I want to have my own business; I want to be viewed as a trusted member of a community. Just being ¡°situated¡± would never make me feel that way.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°Now I think about Rust Hill. If I¡¯d given up on my adventuring. If I¡¯d gone home and lived a comfortable, quiet life. That child would have been burned to death. There would be a hole in the life of her parents that could never be filled. How do I hang up my shield, knowing there are more lives out there that are in danger? How do I put away my spellbook when it''s all too easy to imagine her curly blonde locks of hair burning to a crisp.¡±


    ¡°I think you might be a better person than me. All I can think of right now is running home.¡± She said, petting Rem.


    ¡°I spent a week questioning if I should quit. Believe me, this is fine and normal. It doesn¡¯t make you a bad person for being afraid and feeling in over your head.¡±


    She reached over and ruffled his hair instead. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± Eventually, through no small effort, Sarbie faded into sleep. Alvec headed back out onto the hilltop.


    ¡°Is it my turn to watch yet?¡± He asked. Illaria waved him over.


    ¡°No, you still get the night off. I know you¡¯ve been burning the candle at both ends, on my behalf, no less. You be resting up one more night.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. We learn anything new?¡± He asked, looking over the sleeping figures on the grassy hilltop.


    ¡°No, Mavec did more magical detective work while waiting for his clothes to dry, but he said it was inconclusive.¡±


    ¡°Bait, learn that giant lizard meat taste good when cooked! Like tougher chicken!¡± Bait shouted as he had a piece of barely cooked meat on a plate, large bites already taken out of it.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve not been interested in testing his claims,¡± Illaria said, shaking her head. ¡°How be our cleric doing?¡± Alvec ran a hand over his hair, giving himself the chills momentarily.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be alright. This was a rather rough first encounter for her. They say there''s this trick to scary stories. You don¡¯t describe the monster. Nothing is scarier than what you can imagine, and scary is deeply subjective. With the wagon and the ice dome in the way, all she could hear was the screaming. Is it any wonder she worked herself up so much?¡± Illaria nodded along to Alvec¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°Makes sense. We¡¯ll be taking a small detour when they wake to escort them home. You and Mavec go get some sleep; the rest of us can keep watch for the remainder of the night.¡± Illaria insisted.


    Alvec took the cue and excused himself, heading straight to bed. Mavec, now fully clothed again, followed suit.

 69: Spinnymen

    The morning was a chaotic mess as the people who had slept walked into the hilltop campsite started waking up. Illaria greeted them all and referred them to speak with Mavec, Alvec, and Sarbie. They were each debriefed on what had happened and informed that the group was actively investigating this phenomenon but that we knew frustratingly little about it. Sarbie¡¯s presence did seem to put people far more at ease. The corpses of the lizards had been left where they fell, which helped to lend credence to the story being told to them. Few questioned what had transpired, at least not out loud, as they could all see Echo¡¯s dire-wolf like build prowling around the campsite. The golden charm hanging from his collar seemed too small now for him, and yet people accepted that he was in fact an animal companion despite his above average size.


    The journey back to their village wasn¡¯t a particularly long one; it was about mid-morning by the time the group arrived. With nowhere near the food stock to feed the entire village, the group had departed on an empty stomach, agreeing to accept a meal as payment for the protection they offered. It was a small reward for risking their lives, but it was one they were all more than grateful to accept. They found themselves in a quiet and quaint home of two local merchants who ran the general store, joined by the lockmaster. After everyone got a good plate full of food, an older farmer knocked on the door and let himself in.


    ¡°Damn it Tarneef I think we have a problem. The cows got loose while we were out. Tracked um a little ways, think they headed on up the hill where those damn spinny-men live.¡±


    ¡°Spinny men?¡± Naya asked, confused.


    ¡°Yeah. No one''s gotten close to them since they have weapons and brandish them threateningly if anyone gets near. One of the kids swore they were machines under the clothing, but he¡¯s either wrong or bluffing,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Huh, if he were right, those might be external gyroscopes... we are in the Tsuhomma downs right now,¡± Mavec said. Obviously, he wanted to stay here and check this out. If this was connected to Alusai, who knows what new avenues could be unlocked by studying his designs? And yet... it would have to wait. Alusai¡¯s secrets were still going to be here. Illaria¡¯s parents... they might not be. They were in the clutches of a wicked man. She needed revenge or to rescue her parents far more than Mavec needed to know about Alusai.


    ¡°The spinny men are something of a local legend. If you ask a different villager, you¡¯ll get a different myth about them. Some people say they¡¯re constructs. Others claim they are ghosts from the war that haven¡¯t been able to pass on. Some claim they are a strange clan of foreigners stranded here in the wars. Truth is they might not even exist.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that Lochmaster. Too many tales of things with spinning heads living in these hills. You can¡¯t just be dismissing that,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°We should go help rescue the cows,¡± Naya stated.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already eaten up so much of your time; we couldn¡¯t ask you to do us any more favors,¡± The lochmaster insisted.


    ¡°It would help the people here; surely we can spare a day?¡± Sarbie asked.


    ¡°Cows make cheese; Bait save Cows.¡±


    ¡°How much danger are they in, really?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too much. It might take me a day or two, but I should be able to get most of them back safely.¡± The lochmaster assured them.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be at a tie then.¡± Mavec said, ¡°Because I¡¯m voting we get back to the sea. Illaria''s business is more pressing than rescuing some cows. Especially if someone else here thinks they can be recovered safely without our help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also voting we get moving, now that I¡¯m sold on this farmer''s whole livelihood not being decimated,¡± Alvec said. ¡°We just can¡¯t leave the matter of Crowley and the devils alone. If the banners aren¡¯t mobilizing already, we¡¯re going to be their warning bell. The sooner we get there, the better.¡±


    ¡°Think of the poor cows, Alvec. They¡¯re in danger,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s unfortunate, but we really can¡¯t just chill here solving small problems while bigger ones mount,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°I see your point...¡± Sarbie said as she reconsidered her opinion. ¡°We should head to the sea,¡± she said a bit defeatedly. As much as I think it''s a good thing to help, I don¡¯t think it''s the right thing in the face of everything else. Though helping rescue some lost cows sounds a lot more pleasant than our actual mission.¡±


    ¡°We appreciate the desire to help, and we extend our thanks again for the help you¡¯ve already provided. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have been able to protect anyone on my own.¡±


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    The group packed up and headed off towards the sea once more. Naya road on Echo muttering about how easy it would have been to just fetch the cows. The road eventually led to a small stream, which two robed figures stood over with large buckets.


    Their heads spun around rapidly; as the party got closer, it was clear to Mavec that he was staring at humanoid clockwork. This sort of clockwork wasn¡¯t prevalent in the empire. Other designs proved more valuable on the battlefield and in specialized work. The external gyroscopes cemented these constructs as abnormal by modern Artificy standards.


    ¡°Guys, guys, slow down. Maybe we can avoid a fight if we just stay far enough back. I¡¯d prefer to leave as many of these things intact for when we return; Because we will return here as soon as we¡¯ve rescued Illaria¡¯s parents. Or avenged them. Depending upon how much of a lying sack of shit Crowley is.¡±


    The machines, however, moved with a shocking amount of speed and grace forward, brandishing scimitars and electricity charging up in their gyroscopes. ¡°Sarosa, damn it! I was really hoping we could avoid this,¡± he said as he leapt to the ground, tracing runes in the air before him. While they looked to be gathering electricity, he couldn¡¯t at a glance find anything to suggest that they were any less weak to it than any other clockwork they¡¯d encountered. Perhaps some sort of lightning rod, or maybe enchantments to ward against electricity, would make sense, but thus far, no model had contained anything quite like it. He took the shot, wincing as he did so. These were possibly priceless inventions of Alusai, and he would just wreck them. If it weren¡¯t for the fact they were advancing on the party, he wouldn¡¯t dream of attacking them.


    The blast of lightning struck hard, clearly injuring the clockwork as it advanced upon them. Naya and Echo rushed forward, the wolf enlarging enough that he now dwarfed the humanoid clockwork. He bit down, injuring the one in front handily before Naya leaped down moments later to bury her blades into its back as it attempted to stand up.


    Illaria brought the wagon to a stop and hopped off, dashing past Naya and Echo towards the second one. Her sword flew out blazing, igniting briefly with a shimmer of golden-red light as she slapped the blade against the side of the creature''s head. It released the charge of electricity into the water harmlessly before she struck again, slashing at its chest. Her sword bit surprisingly deep into the metal. It was the first time she had used this blade to both parry and riposte since Alvec finished the enchantments on it. It practically sang through the air, its sharpness now enforced by magical might. Not only that, but the subtle flash of golden red light fit Illaria all too well. He¡¯d done good by her, alright.


    Bait, riding shotgun, aimed his double-barrelled musket past Illaria. He pulled the trigger, and two bullets roared to life out of the barrel of the gun. They found their marks blasting off gears and cogs as they passed through its body. It, too, crumbled to the ground. Alvec hopped out from the wagon, ready to join the fight, only to see that the fight was already over.


    ¡°You think these were Alusai¡¯s?¡± Alvec asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they have given us more resistance?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Let me get a closer look,¡± Mavec said as he approached one of them and tore its clothing off. The fight had been easy, but there were a few explanations for it that didn¡¯t involve assuming the party was just that good. Despite the scimitars and the electric attack, it was pretty clear to Mavec that this wasn''t designed to be a combat model. It was built without any defensive plating, nor could he find any evidence that it was made for speed or stealth. This model looked like it was designed exclusively for general labor. A tool is only as good as its purpose. A hammer isn¡¯t interchangeable with a screwdriver. Sure, you could try, but the results wouldn¡¯t be impressive. Perhaps that was partially the point, though. Something like this, even using Alusai¡¯s signature move with the external gyroscope, wouldn¡¯t raise too much suspicion.


    Suppose he had large plated constructs built for combat. In that case, he¡¯d raise the suspicion of all artificers who came across it. Even a tiny combat-worthy construct might cause further investigation. If staying hidden was the goal deploying these weak units, well-designed as they were, might not cause any real issues. Examining them further, it was clear that these were old models. However, they had been maintained well. There looked to be a gap in service at some point, but it had been repaired. Perhaps these units had gone rogue for a while? Clockwork could end up winding each other and expressing a version of self-awareness.


    ¡°The results?¡± Alvec asked as he caught up with Mavec.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be sure, to be honest. It could have been, but it could have been so many other people.¡± Mavec confirmed.


    ¡°So it''s inconclusive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaning towards a hesitant yes. It certainly means we should return here as soon as we can. Between you and me, I¡¯d vote to stay, but let''s be honest, there won¡¯t be any convincing Illaria, so we¡¯ll just have to get a move on.¡±


    ¡°Anything else of note?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Someone''s been maintaining them. Too bad we can¡¯t stick around to find out who.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t, but is there anything you could leave behind?¡±


    ¡°Ah the poppets... I could leave them. Hold on a second.¡± Mavec ran back to the cart and returned with two child-sized humanoid constructs.


    Naya frowned and cocked her head at him. ¡°Have you always had those?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, I built them when we were in Sha-Laial. They aren¡¯t as sturdy as Piccora so they¡¯ve mostly been for show.¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°And where were they in the cart?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Under the beds? Where else could I store them in there?¡± Mavec replied before turning his attention to his two small constructs. ¡°OK, here are your orders. When someone comes to collect these, watch which way they go, and when we come back, show us.¡± Mavec said as he set them on the ground and waited for Naya to help camouflage them. She let out a reluctant sigh and helped cover them up with local flora to make them less noticeable.


    ¡°Suppose there isn¡¯t much else to do,¡± Mavec said, nodding.


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ve still got plenty of daylight left ahead of us,¡± Illaria stated. Mavec got back onto the wagon and watched wistfully as they pulled away. He¡¯d be back here someday soon. He promised himself that.

 70: Garbage Barge

    The days following the events of the Lom in the rice fields were quiet. Too quiet for Bait¡¯s taste. Alvec and Sarbie sat in the wagon all day, working on secret magic things or playing games after the sunset. Others not much fun either; they make Bait do work. Shoot this, stay on guard duty, sleep outside. Blah, blah, blah. Bait hate it. Arriving in another Jai something or other gave Bait great opportunity. They here to find a ship, ship that will take them to Ack-apizza. Bait will find the stinkiest boat, the garbage barge! They will charter it to take them down to Ack-Apizza. It was a good plan, the best plan.


    The others were boring and went off their own ways. Naya and Illaria headed somewhere while Mavec did something, and Alvec and the cleric went to grab a drink or something. Bait didn¡¯t care; Bait need to find Garbage Barge. He quickly surveyed the town. Someone in this river town would surely know where the garbage barge would be. He picked the first plump person he ran into; surely a man of such blessed girth would know where a garbage barge might be. ¡°Hi, Garbage Barge?¡± He asked the man as he waved wildly at him. The man looked at him, confused for a moment, racking his brain before saying anything at all. Bait waited for his wisdom with a broad smile and sharp goblin teeth.


    ¡°Oh yes, well, I do believe it''s over there. That gray building over yonder is the one you''re looking for,¡± he said before stepping around Bait and heading on his way. Bait such a good judge of character. Pick right first time and everything. Without wasting time, he charged forward to the building. He burst through the door into what looked an awful lot like a bar.


    ¡°Garbage Barge? Where? Need to go to Ack-Apizza, need best ride. Garbage Barge,¡± Bait proclaimed.


    ¡°This is the Garbage Barge,¡± the man behind the counter said before spitting into a tin can.


    ¡°No, GARBAGE BARGE!¡± Bait shouted back at the man. This was a building, not a Barge. This building couldn¡¯t sail the river, and it wasn¡¯t even half as dirty as it needed to be. Though it was much dirtier than most bars he had been in.


    ¡°Ah, I get what you''re saying, little dude. It''s down that hallway. You¡¯ll be able to add your trash to it for sure,¡± he said, winking. Bait rushed down the hallway to find himself standing in a bathroom. He leaned over the toilet and shouted down into the stinky dank hole.


    ¡°Garbage Barge?¡± With no answer, he turned around and stomped out of the bathroom, leaving the bar altogether. He glanced up at the name on the side of the building. The Garbage Barge. He spat on the ground. Word-play dumb. This no garbage barge; it just a place named garbage barge. Pale imitation to the true glory of a garbage barge. Its stink only middling compared to the glory of the garbage barge. Bait give up; he would just have to pee on whatever boat they got, goblin blessings and all. Now, just to find the right boat. Maybe Illaria already find boat. Bah. Probably a dumb, clean boat.


    Alvec and Sarbie:


    Alvec threw an arm around Sarbie¡¯s Shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re leaving transportation up to Illaria. She¡¯ll find us a boat, no problem. We, on the other hand, are going to celebrate. To me, for crafting so many items, and to you for surviving your first combat. To the tavern!¡± he said, pulling her gently in the direction of the town center. It wasn¡¯t a large town by any measure, but almost every town larger than three buildings had someone selling alcohol. After how hard he¡¯d been working, Alvec deserved to knock back at least one drink. He¡¯d opt for more to celebrate, but it wasn¡¯t worth being caught off guard, and with how many different issues they¡¯d encountered since banning together, it wasn¡¯t a risk he was willing to take. After a few steps, he released his arm from around her.


    ¡°What do you say? Food and drinks are on me.¡± Alvec insisted.


    ¡°I guess it might be nice. I¡¯ve actually never been to a tavern.¡±


    ¡°When you say you¡¯ve never been to a tavern before, do you mean just that, or do you mean you haven¡¯t had hard drinks before?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°Both, actually.¡± She said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be sure to take it easy then.¡± Alvec assured her with a nod of his head.


    The pair arrived outside a relatively standard tavern. The smell of roasting meats and sauces roiled through the room. It was early afternoon, and only a handful of people actually were at this particular tavern. They¡¯d come at a good time. Alvec led her to a table on the edge of the room and pulled a chair out for her. As soon as she sat down, he took the seat opposite her.


    ¡°So what should I even order anyway?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask what they have available for food and drink. Though, thinking about it. I think we¡¯ll be asking if they have any Sangria on hand. It''s a very fruity wine. Seems like a good first drink for you, and a glass of that should be more than enough to celebrate,¡± Alvec said as he waited for someone to come over and take their orders. ¡°At a place like this, we¡¯re at the mercy of whatever they happen to have available.¡±


    ¡°And that would be rainbow trout, and you can choose between a baked potato, potato soup, or mashed potatoes,¡± A gruff man in his mid-fifties said as he approached the table. ¡°Red Banner bought out most everything else. All that we¡¯ve been able to restock are potatoes from a local farm, some minor dairy items, and river fish. My apologies.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, good sir, any warm food sounds delightful. We¡¯ve been on the road from Sha-Laial, headed towards Ac-Aziza. I¡¯ll take the fish chowder with the roasted river fish.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the mashed potatoes with the roasted rainbow trout,¡± Sarbie said.


    ¡°And what can I be getting you to drink?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Would you happen to have any Sangria?¡± Alvec asked. The barkeep pursed his lips.


    ¡°Yes, but it''s not a popular choice in these parts. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to sell it by the glass. You¡¯d have to commit to the whole bottle.¡± He said.


    ¡°What might that run me?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sell it to you for five gold. I bought it for four, but it''s been sitting on my shelf for far too long. If I don''t use it soon, it¡¯ll be vinegar. Normally, I¡¯d sell it for at least six or seven gold.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You have a deal, good sir. Would you like to share a glass of it yourself? It''s just the two of us, and while we could take it with us, we wouldn¡¯t mind sharing. Doubly so if you can tell me more about the Red Banner buying you out of stock.¡±


    ¡°Fuck it, we won¡¯t be busy for another few hours, and a single drink won¡¯t spoil my work day, that''s for sure. I¡¯ll go fetch it now,¡± the man said before he walked away from the table.


    ¡°Do we always try bribing information out of people?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hey, when you¡¯ve got ram¡¯s horns and a tail, cutting to bribes is often a fast way to get what you need. It''s a lot easier to convince someone you¡¯ll honor a deal than it is to prove your worth trusting. Granted, walking around with you or Illaria does seem to have a different effect. With Illaria, it''s like I¡¯m invisible. She says some variant of ¡°my coworker,¡± and they just nod in agreement and offer up any amount of help they can. With you, though, I notice I get one of two looks.¡±


    ¡°And those are?¡± She asked.


    Alvec leaned forward and spoke so only she could hear him. ¡°The first is, wow, that tieflings walking around with a cleric, he must be important or really trustworthy. The second look is: Should someone pull her out of this situation?¡±


    ¡°Come on, they don¡¯t really.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it''s a concern in Sha-Laial any longer. I gathered enough of a reputation due to the festival that I doubt anyone will do more than a double take. Out here though, I worry a bit more.¡±


    The bartender returned with a bottle, three glasses, and a chair. ¡°Forgive me; it''s not as cold as I had hoped.¡±


    ¡°I can fix that; give me but a moment,¡± Alvec said, grabbing the bottle and tracing a simple glowing rune over the glass. A frost slowly crept over the bottle.


    ¡°Ah, a wizard, but you''re not with the Arcane Regiment?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No, freelancer. Alvec Snaptail of the Cheese Acolytes. We were the winners of this year''s Festival of Blades in Sha-Laial.¡±


    ¡°Cheese Acolytes, that''s a strange name,¡± he said, popping the now cold bottles cork and pouring three glasses.


    ¡°Yeah, our goblin friend chose it. Cheese is essential to him, possibly more important than his gun, but I¡¯m not sure which one has a stronger grasp on his heart, black powder or cheese curds.¡±


    The bartender tipped back his glass, draining about a third before setting it down. Alvec unhesitantly did the same. Sarbie hesitated for a moment, smelling it. It indeed smelled fruity as Alvec had promised, but it had this strange scent to it too she couldn¡¯t decide if she liked. Regardless, she, too, took a long sip of the wine before her. As it crossed her tongue, it tasted good, but the sensation that occurred afterward was less than pleasant. She wasn¡¯t sure she liked this. ¡°Give it a moment to kick in,¡± Alvec said, tilting his head at her.


    ¡°So you wanted to know about the Red Banner Army? What exactly were you hoping to learn?¡±


    ¡°We just noticed a lot of Banners as we arrived here; we were curious what exactly was going on with them.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re being fairly tight-lipped about it, but I can tell you a little. First, whatever''s going on has to do with Ac-Aziza. That''s where the Blue Banner has been ferrying them.¡±


    ¡°The blue banner, you don¡¯t say... bet Illaria gets us passage on a Blue Banner ship,¡± Alvec replied.


    The man took another large swig of the wine. ¡°Secondly, there are a lot of Red Banners passing through here. They¡¯ve been coming through here for near a week, Blue Banner is transporting them down river to Ac-Aziza.¡±


    ¡°Why would they be heading there anyway?¡± Sarbie asked as she took another sip from the chilled wine. She was starting to feel a warm sensation in her chest. It was a delightful sensation, and it had only taken a single good sip to achieve. She could already see why Alvec had told her they were having a single glass only.


    ¡°It''s the Empire''s biggest port, and the rumor mill suggests that the Dread Pirate Crowley is on the move. Now, it¡¯s just gossipl, but it''s all the same,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Of course, it would be Crowley,¡± Alvec said. ¡°Bastard slipped out of my reach last we met; I won¡¯t let that happen next time.¡±


    ¡°Wait, You¡¯ve met the Dread Pirate?¡± the bartender asked.


    ¡°He stole something from me. We caught him in the act, but he used magic to escape before we could do much about it,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Well, I wish you the best of luck. May the bastard meet his end soon for the good of the Empire!¡±


    ¡°Here, here!¡± Alvec said, gently clinking his glass against Sarbie¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why you said only one drink.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll have your food out soon,¡± he said, draining the rest of his glass and left, taking it with him.


    Alvec reached his hand over to Sarbie as she reached for the glass again. The warm feeling was very nice, and her head felt floaty, just like he¡¯d described.


    ¡°Let''s slow down a bit. You should get some food in your stomach, maybe drink some water.¡± His hand felt like fire burning against hers.


    ¡°Sorry, it''s a nice sensation. It¡¯ll fade if I don¡¯t keep drinking, right?¡±


    ¡°I mean, yes, but you could also make yourself sick if you drink too much too quickly. It''s better to let that feeling fade before deciding to have more. Remember, it impairs your judgment a bit.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem as fun,¡± she said.


    ¡°Look, you die of alcohol poisoning; I¡¯m going to have to flee this plane of existence to get away from TaeCol or Hoc.¡±


    ¡°Bah, it''s always them,¡± she said, shifting her hand away from his and grabbing the glass again. She tried to tilt it back, but the liquid lingered at the edge of the glass, flirting with the tip of her tongue. She lowered the glass, glaring at him.


    ¡°You know, as much as discovering how you¡¯re like drunk sounds fun and exciting. I want to keep you safe. We¡¯re going on a boat in a few hours. Do you even know how to swim?¡±


    Come to think of it, she didn¡¯t. ¡°That counts as a question. I get to ask one next.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, never learned. They don¡¯t like people swimming in the river that cuts Sha-Laial in two. It''s reserved for boats, really. I don¡¯t think my parents know how to either, now that I think of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be on a boat in a few hours. You really want to be even a little bit inebriated where we¡¯re going to be one disaster away from figuring out how to swim?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll save me,¡± she said with a confidence that shook Alvec.


    ¡°So long as I draw breath, I¡¯ll try,¡± he assured her.


    ¡°Then I think it''s safe to keep sipping this glass if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he shook his head just a bit.


    ¡°If you insist.¡± He relented and didn¡¯t try tricking her with magic this time. Thankfully, his stall tactics had been sufficient, and the bartender arrived with food. The pair dug into the steaming hot food with abandon. It had only been a few days since they had breakfast in that small Lom, but it felt much longer since they¡¯d had proper food. With the food now in her stomach, the buzz she was feeling was slowly starting to fade. When the food was cleared from their plates, Sarbie hung her head down and to the side.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if we did this again. Just you and I. The rest of the group is nice, and I¡¯d enjoy some time with them too. But I like how comfortably quiet it can be when it''s just us. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for the things attacking us, I¡¯d say that traveling with you while you enchant objects has been surprisingly nice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve enjoyed your company as well. Enchanting can be lonely work, but the quiet you bring is very peaceful and warm,¡± she flushed red and looked even further away.


    ¡°Shall we get going? Illaria will no doubt have sorted out transport for us by now,¡± he said, standing up and offering her his hand. She accepted it and found herself gently pulled to her feet. Alvec stopped at the counter and paid the tab before the pair departed.

 71: Attention Getter

    Illaria was a woman on a mission heading towards the docks. Mavec and Naya were simply tag alongs following in her wake. The number of Red Banner Army stationed here was alarming. Having departed before she could send a message through official channels, Illaria was cut off from whatever was happening here. Perhaps she should have asked Mavec to message Cal Clatterback before they had set out; he had made a trip to the academy to secure Alvec''s enchanting equipment. In retrospect, it was a good idea wasted. They arrived at a riverside dock with a large boat anchored there. It was a mixed vessel, with a flat enough bottom to glide the rivers but designed to hug the coastline as well. It likely wouldn¡¯t stand up to deep-sea combat, but there weren¡¯t a lot of deep-sea operations in the Empire''s Blue Banner army anyway. Crowley and the pirate menace made sea trade difficult.


    She marched on up to the officer guarding the boat. ¡°Illaria reporting for duty, I¡¯m with the Coffin Flotilla. What''s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Where''s the Goblin? Thought you and Brie left together,¡± the man asked.


    ¡°I think you mean Bait,¡± Naya replied.


    ¡°Wait, it wasn¡¯t Brie? Like the Cheese? Huh, I guess I owe De-zel four copper. What a strange name.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s off trying to find a ¡°garbage barge¡± He¡¯ll be along soon, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this town only has a tavern named the Garbage Barge. It''s not an actual garbage barge, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s actually looking for that. Bless his goblin heart,¡± the man said, placing his hand over his chest.


    ¡°We were hoping we might be getting a space on your transports and perhaps some intel on what''s going on,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Yeah, this is a fuck ton more Red Banner Army soldiers than I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Mavec said as he politely stepped to the side and lit a cigarette.


    ¡°It''s Crowley. We¡¯ve got reliable intel that he¡¯s on the move. Pirate activity has increased, and I¡¯ve heard whispers, I can¡¯t confirm, that he might be working with infernals.¡±


    ¡°Aye, he is,¡± Illaria confirmed.


    ¡°Yeah, bastard got away from us,¡± Naya pouted.


    ¡°Wait, what? Do you guys have confirmation that he¡¯s working with Infernals? How?¡±


    ¡°Fucker disguised himself and competed in the Festival of Blades under the name of San Verado. Stole a sword from us, but that seems minor compared to the whole piracy thing.¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°When he stole the blade, he had several low-ranking devils with him, and he used their ability to teleport. Some boon they are providing him, no doubt,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°Fuck, we need to get you back to headquarters. I can only imagine the brass is going to want to hear this. You guys wanted in this fight, right? How many of you are there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got three companions not with us presently. I imagine fitting Echo here will be the hardest part.¡±


    ¡°He tame?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Yeah, see the charm! He¡¯s an officially recognized animal companion by the church of Kushang in Sha-Laial,¡± she said, pointing to the bright yellow metal tag attached to his collar.


    ¡°Ah, good, good. I¡¯d hate to have to file paperwork about this later. Why, Ja-Riel, did you let a wolf the size of a horse onto the boat? Did you want to kill the two men it ate? No, thank you,¡± the man joked as he looked at the wolf more. ¡°Alright, ya know what. I¡¯m just going to do it. Young miss, may I pet your wolf? I might be going into battle with fucking devils and pirates. No telling if I live through it, so I might as well go out having pet a god damned dire wolf.¡±


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    ¡°I would be delighted if you would,¡± Naya said as she gave the command hand signal for Echo to sit. He did, and the man walked up to him and gently caressed his head and neck.


    ¡°Awesome,¡± he said before stepping back and composing himself.


    ¡°When do we depart?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a few hours... plus a little extra time. I¡¯ll have to kick off a group of reds. That said, It will take a while to argue with them that you get priority... but hey, you and Bait are fucking Coffin Flotilla. I drop that and the fact that you¡¯re traveling with a fucking dire wolf, and I think whichever Reds we kick off will likely be happy to give up their spots. Be back here before sundown.¡±


    ¡°That went well; glad to know we¡¯ll be on our way in a few hours,¡± Mavec said, nodding. ¡°Wish it were a bit faster, but hey, the logistics of managing this many meat heads must be similar to herding cats.¡±


    ¡°Only thing worse might be herding adventurers,¡± Naya joked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be going on our way now,¡± Illaria said, motioning for Naya and Mavec to follow as they headed towards the town center. Finding Alvec and Sarbie was easy; they had also headed for the town center after their small celebration. Illaria told them what little they had learned from the Blue Banner and how they had gotten permission to travel with it. Bait, however, was nowhere to be found. ¡°Anyone got any clever ideas to go find him?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got like eight, but this one sounds the most fun,¡± Mavec said as he cast some magic and cupped his hands over his mouth in a cone. ¡°Cheese sucks!¡± he shouted, his words amplified several times over by magic. Most of the Red Banner milling about, as well as the average towns folk, looked particularly confused.


    ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t do that again,¡± one of the Red Banner army men said as they approached.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Shouldn¡¯t need to. There should be an angry goblin stomping this way right now. We lost track of him, and it seemed the easiest way to get him back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to take your word for it,¡± the man said. Moments later, Bait emerged from the crowd, shouting a string of curses at Mavec.


    ¡°Traitor! Cheese do nothing wrong! Cheese great! Clocks stupid, Rabbits stupid, not cheese!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Bait, relax; I don¡¯t actually think cheese sucks, I just needed to get your attention, and I figured you¡¯d come running if someone talked smack about cheese loud enough.¡±


    ¡°Bait, not sure he believe you.¡±


    ¡°Gouda is my favorite cheese,¡± Mavec replied without missing a beat.


    ¡°Bait good, what need?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve secured passage on a boat. We leave before sundown. It will be a crowded boat, so I thought we¡¯d review some basic etiquette. If you need to defecate, it''s off the front of the boat. I don¡¯t want you going anywhere else, understood?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Wait, how does this even work?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the most pleasant, and seeing as this is a military vessel, not used to accommodating civilians, they won¡¯t have any extra privacy measures in place... At the very front of the ship, there¡¯s essentially an open-air outhouse. A small board you sit on and well... Do your business,¡± Illaria explained.


    ¡°Just right in front of everyone? Gross. Everyone use the bathroom before we get on the boat,¡± Naya said, looking at Sarbie more than anyone else. Sarbie nodded back at her.


    ¡°If the river is swift, and it should be, we¡¯re looking at another twelve or so hours before we arrive at Ac-Aziza. What I¡¯m saying is that it should be early morn before we arrive.¡±


    ¡°Bait want to pee off the poop deck dough.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Bait, unless you be wanting to have the commanding officer beat you with a stick for insubordination, I¡¯d advise against it.¡±


    ¡°What if I shoot him?¡±


    ¡°How do you imagine that plays out?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Other people happy to be allowed to de-caffinate wherever they please, Bait hailed as hero!¡±


    ¡°Or, perhaps people get mad that you killed their friend and decide to kill you. Do you think you can shoot an entire boat full of Red Banner Army men? Remember how strong they were in Sha-Laial,¡± the goblin paused for a moment.


    ¡°Alvec, you help?¡±


    ¡°Haha, not a prayer,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Den no, Bait no able to shoot whole ship. Bait hope Alvec funnel them through small gaps with walls. Den Bait might be able.¡±


    After convincing Bait to use the bathroom only as intended, the group headed for the boat and quickly found themselves crammed at the rear of the ship. Everyone leaned up against Echo, who was large enough that he couldn¡¯t slip the netting above deck, and the party got some much-needed rest, as uncomfortable as it was to be packed like sardines on this boat. Alvec took extra precautions, placing cork on the tips of his horns so that he couldn¡¯t accidentally stab someone.

 72: Who Authorized This?

    Morning light awoke the group. Illaria was first up and made a point of raising Alvec to consciousness first. ¡°Go take a look at the Red Banner encampment. I¡¯ll rouse the rest of them.¡± Illaria said. Alvec made his way to the side of the boat to see what all the fuss was about. The active duty Red Banner army members were mostly awake. Being up early was not uncommon for them.


    In the light of early dawn, it was easy to see why Illaria had asked him to take a look. Stretched out in front of them was the splendid city of Ac-Aziza, with its sea-brine white walls. The more striking thing was the absolute field full of Red Banner Army set up outside of the city. As far as the eye could see, there were tents all waving the red banner. The breath caught in his lungs; this wasn¡¯t just an operation... this was a war. This was likely most of what the Red Banner Army could commit to a single location.


    Illaria swept up beside him and leaned over the ropes a bit gazing at shoreline. ¡°Do I be right, thinking that this be all of them?¡± She asked.


    Alvec stammered in response for a moment. ¡°I guess,¡± He finally choked out. Illaria frowned.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be a good thing can it?¡± She asked. Alvec merely shook his head no.


    As the boat got closer, he could see that people were sketching in summoning circles. Earth elementals were being called up on top of the forces they already had.


    Oh no.


    Fuck.


    Alvec raised his hands over his mouth in a cone and amplified his voice. ¡°STOP, YOU¡¯RE TOO CLOSE TO THE RIVER STOP!¡± Summoning circles used precise language, language that interacted with its environment. They were explicitly designed for a single domain, so an earth elemental summoning circle so close to the water was a bad thing. It could have wildly unpredictable consequences. Hopefully, the man had heard him.


    He looked up towards the boat, but it was too late; the last rune had been etched in place. Power flowed through it. ¡°To ARMS!¡± Alvec shouted behind him towards Illaria and the rest of the group as he hastily called up his arcane armor around himself. Rising from the summoning circle were not earth elementals but mud elementals. Denizens which live on the bleeding edge of the planes of water and earth. There was nothing in the magical writing to control them, and as such, they immediately lashed out. His shout may have allowed his allies to get ready, but it also drew their attention towards the ship. The largest one gathered up a globe of itself and launched it at the boat. The blob of mud slammed into the ship, rocking it wildly. Worse, Alvec had heard the splintering of wood breaking from the impact. It was subtle now, but he could feel it; they were starting to take on water. There were a lot of men on here who likely couldn''t swim and to whom the current of the river would be extremely deadly. Ice wall could perhaps solve that issue; maybe they could float the boat over to the shore.


    For the moment, though, they first needed to neutralize the threat. He dashed back towards his allies, who he was thankful to see were all standing and ready to fight. He cast once more, accelerating them all with magic. Illaria hopped onto the railing, crouched on top of it for but a second, and launched herself as far out from the boat as she could. With the added speed and a little extra panache, she quickly cleared the deep water. She continued her dash toward the mud elementals. She made it to them before anyone in the Red Banner could even consider moving. Her blade flashed out of its sheath, and she was ready to give worse than she got.


    Naya followed suit, with Echo rushing behind her. The boat shook slightly as he raced across the deck, men diving left and right to get out of his way. The two leaped off the edge of the boat. Echo went first, enlarging as he soared through the air. Naya went next, not even bothering to attempt to clear the water as Illaria had, but instead jumped onto Echo¡¯s back and, from his back now a few feet further, continued her own jump. Another chunk of mud slammed the boat, knocking Mavec and Sarbie off their feet. Bait and Alvec managed to stay upright. Alvec wrapped his tail to the rope and braced himself with his hands. Bait simply rolled with the jostling of the boat. The boat tipped further. If something wasn¡¯t done soon, there would be a lot of unnecessary deaths. Mavec slid towards the open, lightly netted side of the boat and managed to slam both feet onto the posts and pulled himself back upright, leaning against the rope and clutching it with one hand, he cast with the other, sending a bolt of lightning over the water into one of the mud elementals. The mud sizzled and hardened where the bolt struck, and the creature moved more rigidly. ¡°Just a reminder, these things aren¡¯t immune to electricity, right?¡± He asked Alvec.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t use acid, and we should be fine.¡± He replied.


    Sarbie wasn¡¯t as lucky as Mavec; she slipped between the rope plunging into the river. She took a sharp breath in right before she slipped beneath the river''s surface. The current swept her under, dragging her along the bottom. She tried to right herself, but the current was too strong. Ahead of her, a large mouth full of sharp teeth plunged beneath the water''s surface. The wolf, with its large amber eyes, spotted her and snapped its jaws around her as gently as it could manage but firmly enough that she wouldn¡¯t be swept any further downriver. As she was plucked from the river, she watched as a hail of gunfire puckered into the creatures, spewing goblets of mud on the ground behind them. One of the creatures lashed out at Illaria, who, with a flash of golden-red steel, sliced its arm clean off from it. Who the hell thought she was a good match for this group? They were all amazing. Meanwhile, she was swept off the boat, bad.


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    Illaria followed up her parry with a quick repost and then launched into a series of swings herself. She struck the creature three times in rapid succession. The creature¡¯s severed arm oozed back into itself, but the damage she had done to it was significant. As they became wounded, they were shrinking, quickly losing the threat their large size gave them. Before long, they¡¯d be nothing more than annoyances, if that. Naya joined her moments later, laying into the nearest one with wild abandon. The creatures were simply too big to dodge out of the way, and her whirlwind of steel had no problem finding its mark.


    Alvec let out a sigh of relief as he saw Sarbie plucked from the water by Echo. He¡¯d been ready to summon the dolphin, but since she was safe, it was time for him to do something different. This boat was going down, and the men around him were beginning to panic. As he had suspected, very few of them knew how to swim, and worse, many of them were in armor. Some were starting to strip out of it as fast as they could. The fear that it would weigh them down and drag them to a watery death wasn¡¯t unfounded, but perhaps the ship could still be saved. He took a deep breath. He began to sketch the arcane runes in front of him.


    An ice wall crept over the multiple holes in the hull, and with the added buoyancy from the ice, the boat began to stabilize. For now, they were safe, but it might not be long before he was left trying to float the entire ship. He still had another casting of ice wall left, and if it took too much more damage, he¡¯d need it to help the boat limp along. Hopefully, the rest of the team could handle it. Based on how Naya and Illaria were doing, there was no need to panic. He scoffed at the thought.


    Bait and Mavec again rained down spells from afar; a ray of heat baked one of their chests before bullets slammed into it, shattering vast sections of it. Echo let Sarbie down in the shallowest part of the river and dashed forward, biting the one Naya was fighting. More gunfire erupted from the boat. Musketeers joined in with Bait in pelting the elementals with lead. It was only a few more moments before the fight came to a swift end. The boat still wasn¡¯t in the best of positions; it had taken on a lot of water, and Alvec¡¯s fix was temporary and not holding well enough.


    ¡°Naya, have Echo tug us to shore. I¡¯m going to float us as best I can.¡± Alvec shouted as he formed another ice wall, this time at the front of the boat. Echo darted around the ship to the other side and slammed himself into it, forcing the boat over to one side of the river; with a mighty heave, he pushed it up onto the river bank. The Red Banners and Blue Banners on board hopped off onto the solid ground and began to help pull it up while Echo gave it a further push. The damage was pretty bad for only having been hit twice. These boats were meant for transport and not actual live combat.


    As soon as they were all safely gathered. Alvec pointed to Mavec and the summoning circle and started walking to it.


    ¡°Who in the nine hells green-lit this?¡± Alvec asked, producing his bronze badge that identified him as a classically trained wizard of the Empire. As he stormed up onto the summoning circle.


    The Red Bannerman standing at the circle was taken aback. ¡°Orders were to create 12 summoning circles for earth elementals. We did just that.¡±


    ¡°Look at the circle. Do you see the problem here? Or do I need to give a damn lecture on summoning to you?¡±Alvec asked.


    ¡°There''s nothing wrong with it; it''s an earth elemental summon circle; this isn¡¯t anything advanced.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to me again, sir; this circle nearly killed an entire transport of Red Banner Army soldiers,¡± Alvec said as he pointed to the circle. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again: do you see the problem.¡±


    ¡°Alvec, Alvec, this guy''s not getting it. So I¡¯ll just answer your question. It''s too damn close to the river. Caused the spell to fail to summon earth elementals, and instead summoned mud elementals, who weren¡¯t bound by the arcane constraints which make summoning an elemental safe to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mavec, now again. I asked who approved of this? My friends nearly drowned over this, so I want to know whose fault this is.¡± Alvec stated.


    ¡°Captain Tyir of the Third Arcane Regiment authorized it, but he didn¡¯t personally oversee it. I¡¯ll have to confirm where he wants a new circle set up.¡±


    Alvec¡¯s tail went stiff, and he made eye contact with Mavec. This was the first time they had even heard someone bearing the same name they had been searching for for months. They needed to know if this was THE Tyir.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be going with you to get a better understanding of what happened. We¡¯d like to speak with Captain Tyir immediately,¡± Alvec insisted.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± the man said, waving away the idea.


    ¡°Oh, I think it''s quite necessary. Someone must take responsibility for nearly drowning a whole regiment of Red Banners and ourselves.¡±


    ¡°And who exactly are you anyway?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the Sarosa-blessed Cheese Acolytes, and we¡¯re here as part of the Blue Banner Army''s Coffin Flotilla,¡± Mavec replied. ¡°And more importantly, we just saved that ship from your incompetence. So we¡¯ll see this through, thank you very much.¡±


    The man let out a hefty sigh. ¡°Nothing I say will convince you otherwise, will it?¡±


    ¡°Not even slightly, sir,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Alright, follow me to see the captain.¡± He said before escorting them to a tent far from the river. The man walked to a tent where a Tiefling with dark curly hair and ram''s horns wearing the Red Banner colors and light armor stood. ¡°Captain Tyir, we have visitors from the Blue Banner who would like to speak to you regarding an incident that just took place."


    ¡°Alvec, why does it feel like I¡¯m looking into a mirror?¡± Illaria asked as she looked between the two Tieflings. There were slight differences between the two, but they looked as if they could be brothers; the resemblance was uncanny.

 73: Seeing Double

    Tyir


    The tiefling in front of him calculated as he stood up and placed a hand on the desk he was sitting at. ¡°I¡¯m Tyir, Captain of the Third Arcane Regiment. What is this all about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ignoring the elephant in the room for a moment, your men fucked up a summoning circle. The resulting mud elementals nearly sunk a Blue Banner barge and almost killed regiments headed this way. Do better, Captain,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Tyir asked of the man who had escorted them over to the tent.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Why was it so close to the river?¡± Tyir asked.


    ¡°We ran out of room to make the designated number of summoning circles.¡±


    ¡°Next time, come get me; we can try to negotiate more space. It''s not worth casualties before the battles even begun,¡± Tyir gave a short bow to the group. ¡°By the words almost killed, I assume that there were both no casualties and that I have you to thank for this?¡± Tyir asked.


    ¡°My team handled the threat, and I held the boat together long enough for our giant wolf to push it to shore. It''s currently beached along the river, but no one died.¡± Alvec reported.


    ¡°Are we really not going to be talking about how similar these two look?¡± Illaria asked as she looked between them.


    ¡°What is there to discuss? Infernal blood runs strong. We¡¯re probably distantly related.¡± Alvec said, shrugging.


    ¡°Distant, you look like you could be brothers, not third or fourth cousins,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°It is a little unnerving,¡± Sarbie said from the back of the group.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it no further issues arise from the summoning circles; you have my word. I¡¯ll double-check every circle myself,¡± he said, giving a curt bow. ¡°Thank you. Now, is there any other business I can help you with? I¡¯ve got plenty of work to do here.¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± Alvec said curtly. ¡°But I¡¯d have us discuss it without your men present.¡±


    ¡°A strange request. Would you care to enlighten me as to why I should honor it? No offense, but we look enough alike that I can¡¯t rule out this being some infernal ploy to kill and replace me.¡±


    Alvec laughed.¡°I forgive you for that. If I were in your shoes, I¡¯d have to entertain that thought as well. Give me a moment; I have my reasons for trying to be as secretive as possible, so I want to give as much information as I can without saying everything.¡± Alvec mused momentarily, his face twisting as he minced the words in his mind. ¡°Okay,¡± He said before clasping his hands together. ¡°A dying man we attempted to save gave us a journal and said trust no one, Tyir.¡±


    ¡°Might I see this journal?¡±


    ¡°Once your men have left.¡± Alvec replied as he began rummaging through his bag.


    ¡°Why do they need to leave?¡± He asked.


    ¡°An abundance of caution,¡± Mavec replied. ¡°If this was worth killing over, wouldn¡¯t you want to keep it as secret as possible?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Men, disperse. Come check on us in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± was called out in a wave as they all exited the tent. As soon as they were gone, Alvec produced the journal and set it in front of him.


    ¡°It''s encrypted. I¡¯ve tried brute forcing it with skill and magic, but it''s proven to be rather hard to crack, making me think it has to be a book cipher.¡±


    Tyir¡¯s lips pursed together with concern. ¡°If you''re right, and this works, I need to know what you know.¡± He said before walking over to a shelf and pulling out a well-worn book, its pages yellowed and tattered from wear and tear. He flipped the two open and began to look it over. ¡°Gods damn it!¡± he shouted suddenly, slamming the books down on the table.


    ¡°Shall we be giving you a moment?¡± Illaria asked as she stepped forward a bit.


    ¡°No, no. I just, I was really hoping it wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Tyir said, clenching his hands into fists and fighting back tears. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, you say the man who had this is dead? How? What happened? I know you said you tried to save him, but the whole story, please.¡±


    ¡°We had just left Cellocht''s party and were headed towards Sha-Laial when we heard the sound of combat. We rushed in to join. This man was fighting a creature with tripod crab legs, a base with seaweed floating straight up, a glowing orb resting at the center of it, and a scorpion esc tail. Every time we sliced it, it whistled in some strange way,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Like a kettle, the steam from a kettle.¡± Mavec supplied.


    ¡°During the fight, he was struck by the tail and injected with something. Whatever it was killed him within a minute. When I tried to heal him, he shoved that book into my hand and said Trust no one, Tyir. Which we figured meant to trust no one but you, Tyir.¡± Alvec added.


    ¡°Looking at the two of you side by side, though, I think in his death throes, he may have thought you were Tyir,¡± Sarbie said.


    ¡°A distinct possibility.¡± Mavec agreed.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve been looking for this Tyir fellow everywhere. We were hoping to find you much closer to Cellocht''s party.¡±


    ¡°Except that''s not the end of the story,¡± Alvec said, retaking the reigns. ¡°Not a few hours later, we were attacked by more strange creatures. I find it hard to believe that this was a mere coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Creatures we later learned from the journal of another dead man, Vato, the Archwizard Diviner, that these strange creatures were mighty and very dangerous and that they had been around at least since the Anarchy,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°In light of all of that, I¡¯m at least not convinced that his death was in any way an accident. I suspect that we were attacked for the information stored within this journal, and I¡¯m sure it''s why he was killed,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°So, who was this man anyway?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°A friend of mine first and foremost. He was an imperial sentinel.¡± Tyir informed them.


    ¡°So, for the sake of those of us not in the know... what exactly is that?¡± Naya asked, raising her hand.


    ¡°How do I put this simply? Spies who report directly to Ageneon? Is that a simple enough summary?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°So it''s an important position, got it,¡± Naya said as she nodded.


    ¡°So whatever this says is going to be big. How soon could you be translating it?¡± Illaria asked as she made eye contact with Tyir.


    ¡°Right now, it will be a challenge to get any information from it. We¡¯ve got our hands full preparing for what''s going on here. Just about all of the Red and Blue Banners are deployed here, and many of the top brass are on location. Even the eyes of the blue banner are here; LuCol himself has graced the battlefield. Honestly, I¡¯m going to be busy for a while.¡±


    ¡°That''s fine; we¡¯ve got our own business to care for here as well. We¡¯re going to reenlist and go after that bastard Crowley ourselves,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Make a backup plan in case you don¡¯t make it. We need to be able to decode that.¡± Tyir nodded at Alvec¡¯s comment.


    ¡°I hate to be so pessimistic, but we are heading to war. I bid you all farewell for now, and I hope that you''re able to see your goal through to the end,¡± he said, giving a deep bow.


    The group took their exit, leaving the journal behind. It felt strange to Alvec not to be carrying it around anymore, but soon, they would have real solid answers about what they had been dragged into.


    ¡°So, really and truly, no relation?¡± Illaria asked again as they began walking back towards the docks to reenlist.


    ¡°Considering his penchant for magic, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for him to be a cousin. But I can say I don¡¯t have a secret brother,¡± Alvec continued arguing with the group as they headed toward the recruitment office.

 74: New Orders

    The recruiting station was little more than battered table under a blue banner flying in the wind. A grizzled old man missing and eye and multiple teeth stood at it with leatherbound book of names and a pen. Illaria had barely stated her name before she was pointed toward one of the command ships. ¡°Sorry, friend, I¡¯ve been given orders not to let you re-enlist without first talking to brass,¡±


    ¡°I understand. Are they expecting me?¡± asked Illaria


    ¡°In so much as they told me to direct you to them, yes. In so much as they are ready for you right this second, no idea,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Either way, I wish you well.¡±


    Illaria gave a curt bow and led the group onto the ship. She and the rest of the party, minus Echo, who was forced to remain above deck due to his size, were escorted towards the captain''s cabin. In the office, they found a middle-aged man with dark-tanned skin wearing dark clothing waiting for them. On the table he leaned against, a miniature monstrous cat played with a ball of yarn. Naya¡¯s eyes lit up as she rushed right over to pet it.


    ¡°Mind the claws now.¡± He said, ¡°They still pack a punch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. I didn¡¯t get a dire wolf for nothing,¡± she replied as she began playing with this kitten-sized cat with massive fangs and strange shadowy appendages drifting around it.


    ¡°Do you all know who I am?¡± the man asked


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t be knowing that,¡± Illaria said as she stepped forward.


    ¡°Then I have you at a disadvantage. Allow me to put us on more equal footing. I¡¯m LuCol, the eyes and ears of the Blue Banner Army. Thank you for coming here and answering my call.¡±


    ¡°And we are...¡± Illaria began.


    ¡°Ah, save the trouble; I know all about you. Illaria and Bait, of the Blue Banner Army. Served several tours, each in the Coffin Flotilla, and lived to tell the tale. Both of you joined to search for your families. Alvec ¡°Snaptail,¡± your messages with your grandfather have been sloppy, but I know that was your goal. Mavec, a graduate from Jai-Laeal run out of town by the actions of another wizard named Alston. I hear the town of Jai-Laeal is starting a lawsuit against him; your words at the festival sparked it. Sarbie, formerly a cleric of the church of Kushang.¡± He paused to wink at her. ¡°Rumors vary about that, some say you saw an opportunity for immense wealth and leaped at it; others think a certain tiefling swept you off your feet, and you were wed in secret. The truth is that you were sent to act as an agent of the church in an unofficial capacity... and Naya from Lom-Itoti. I¡¯ve heard strange rumors about it from those who have spoken with you, but I regret to say I have not had the time to look into these rumors myself. My attention has been on the sea, with good reason.¡±


    ¡°You certainly seem to be knowing a lot about us,¡± Illaria said, a look of discomfort crossing her face. ¡°Should we be regarding you as friend or foe?¡±


    ¡°Forgive my showing off, but friend, I would hope. Tell me, how much do you know about what''s happening here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Crowley¡¯s in league with devils. Got a fancy fucking sword he stole from us and has been seen teleporting around.¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°That''s true, but there''s more to it than that... I think.¡± LuCol said as he paced around the small room.


    ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Before I explain myself, I¡¯d like to ask you not to re-enlist. I have a special project in mind, one which I can¡¯t have on the books.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Illaria stepped forward. ¡°Is this the sort of mission we could accomplish in time to join the offensive against Crowley? If not, I¡¯ll have to pass. I¡¯m here to rescue my family or kill Crowley, ideally both.¡±


    ¡°Supposing I say that you should be able to make both things happen, you¡¯d be up for hearing me out?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Aye, I might even be accepting,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Good, I think the timetable is... doable, though tight. You¡¯d need to leave as soon as this conversation ends, but I already have a boat and a captain waiting,¡± LuCol said with a smirk.


    ¡°So what do you need done anyway?¡± Naya said absent-mindedly as she continued playing with the magically dwarfed cat.


    ¡°I recently encountered a strange substance while exploring underwater in the seas. Styxweed, a plant native to hell, is known to grow towards blood and is also very easy to shape and control with infernal magic. Specifically, I¡¯ve noticed it growing around sunken ships. I have a concern that Crowley is behind the Styxweed and that he plans to use it to shore up the sunken ships, float them back to the surface, and crew them with an infernal legion.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but why not just have the devils teleport? They can do that pretty much at will, right?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Even if Crowley is a hell of a barterer, I can¡¯t imagine him getting anything but the lowest foot soldiers of hell to do his bidding. Most of them won¡¯t be able to teleport, not to mention, there are wards meant to screw with infernal teleportation, and no doubt they are deployed in many areas where infernals are not wanted.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°These sunken ships, where are they?¡± Naya asked. LuCol smiled at her.


    ¡°All up and down the coast.¡± LuCol replied.


    ¡°Oh, oh, that''s not good,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Because currently, most of the country''s armies are here, in Ac-Aziza,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°If they struck the whole coast, rather than this section, there would be almost no way to respond to them fast enough. Devils would be up against town guards and the academies, who would be caught off guard.¡± Alvec shuddered as he spoke. ¡°Sure, the churches would help, but it would be a blood bath.¡±


    ¡°That''s what you want us to confirm? If this is, in fact, the plan?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Yes, I want you to find Mangrove, a Child of Akrixi who I believe will be able to help us locate the central root of the Styxweed. If he does, you can report it back to me, and we can start sending some of the Red Banners away. To disperse them around the coast so that we can deal with the devil threat more accurately,¡± LuCol said.


    ¡°If we discover it, would it be possible to destroy it before it can take root?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°It grows from a single root, so it is possible that destroying the piece tended here would result in the rest of the Styxweed withering, but we have no way to know for sure. We are in uncharted waters at the moment. No ploy like this was ever attempted, even during the Anarchy. I fear for the future of the Empire if this infernal threat isn¡¯t met here with decisive force.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Emperor Ageneon has been informed of this?¡± Sarbie asked.


    ¡°More than likely, someone has advised him on this; else, why would so many of the Banners be reporting to duty here in the first place?¡± LuCol replied.


    ¡°Ah, alright. I wasn¡¯t sure if he had or if we should let him know.¡± Naya said.


    ¡°I do believe he has people for that, Naya,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Well, no one seems to have told anyone about the intruders, so maybe he didn¡¯t know?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Intruders?¡± LuCol asked.


    ¡°No, not right now. We¡¯re here about Crowley and the devils.¡± Illaria stated firmly. ¡°After we¡¯ve dealt with all of this, we can tackle any other strange issues, understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Alvec said, shooting her a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Oh, hush you, we don¡¯t have time for your sass,¡± Illaria replied.


    ¡°Do we have time for me to play with this cat for a few more minutes?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°No, we don''t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what about eating more cheese? Bait would like to try Ack-apizzaa cheese.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know who sells good cheese here, Bait? How about we ask LuCol here to gather us some recommendations, and then when we get back, we can eat some authentic Ack-Apizza cheese,¡± Illaria said, exasperated.


    ¡°Look, as fun as it might be to tease you. I think that maybe, just maybe, you¡¯ve had enough. Let''s get going.¡± Mavec said as he headed for the doors.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be looking to meet up with a man named Turncoat. He¡¯s a strange green man with no nose who helmed a ship called the Audacity 6... currently, Crowley has stolen it as his flagship,¡± LuCol informed them.

 75: Stomp

    The walk to the docks didn¡¯t take long at all, and sure enough, in front of a boat with the words ¡°Audacity 6 and a half¡± painted alongside it was a green-skinned man. Turncoat was a well built and rugged in appearance wearing a bright red coat.


    ¡°Ah, you must be the folks I¡¯m waiting for. On account of the giant wolf. He mentioned there were some beautiful women among you, too, and boy, did he not lie. Names Turncoat, and welcome to my temporary ship, the Audacity Six and a Half. Mind your manners aboard her; she¡¯s haunted and will, in fact, bite you if you displease her. Especially you, master Goblin, piss on her deck and she won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Bait not scarred! Haunted boat normal,¡± he said, scampering onto it. Turncoat grabbed Alvec by the coat.


    ¡°Two things, horn-boy.¡± Turncoat said, grabbing him by the arm. ¡°First, be careful with the fire. I¡¯ve traveled with a tiefling alchemist before. A perilous man. Second, have you ever considered attaching a slingshot to your horns? Lob a little more firepower if you load it with your tail, aye?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have; I don¡¯t really lob alchemical supplies. More of a magical front liner than anything else.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Still, mind your fire, the boats haunted, and she will smack you around if you disrespect her.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir,¡± Alvec replied as he breezed past him.


    ¡°Is it really haunted?¡± Sarbie asked as she stood at the boarding ramp.


    ¡°Yes, it''s genuine.¡±


    ¡°Alvec, I¡¯ll just stay right here.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t,¡± Naya said, wrapping an arm around hers and pulling her forward onto the boat. ¡°If the rest of us have to ride this haunted boat, we¡¯re sure as hell not leaving our cleric behind. Besides, he said so long as we don¡¯t disrespect it, we should be fine. Let''s just say hi to it and thank it. Come on, like we¡¯re talking to spirits, or maybe your god!¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Sarbie said reluctantly as Naya faced the boat, gave it a curt bow, and thanked it for its service. Sarbie did the same. There was nothing to indicate that the ship was, in fact, alive. Not the slightest thing to confirm it, honestly. Alvec could only wonder if the old sea dog was pulling their legs. He didn¡¯t get too long to think about the question as Bait shouted a challenge to the boat and urinated on it. With a resounding crack, a floorboard slammed up between his legs and doubled him over in pain, leaving him in a puddle of his own piss.


    ¡°Huh, boats haunted,¡± Alvec said, amused.


    ¡°Boats haunted, and it has a sense of humor. I like it.¡± Mavec said.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the boat took off, racing towards the island that Mangrove inhabited. It wasn¡¯t a long trip; as they sailed, Turncoat regaled them with tales of other heroes he had served under and possibly some villains.


    ¡°The last time a volcano was involved, the world nearly ended. The only thing stopping it was a series of living cities that ate the sulfur out of the air. Being stuck here without my Audacity Six is a damn crime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make Crowley pay for it,¡± Illaria said firmly.


    ¡°Good, stab the right bastard through the eyes if you can! Fucker stole my boat, and I¡¯ll be indebted to anyone who can get it back for me,¡± he said, almost spitting on the deck before thinking better of it. ¡°You get the sentiment.¡±


    As the island grew nearer, another ship came into view bearing no flags. ¡°Aye, we¡¯ve got our first challenge crew. Got a ship, almost certainly one of Crowley¡¯s guarding the bay. We¡¯ve got a few options to deal with this. We can attempt to engage them at a distance, where our cannons are clearly outmatched. The six and a half may be haunted, but we¡¯re only packing a whopping four cannons total. That thing looks like it''s got at least 12 broadsides on each side. We¡¯ll be in trouble in a direct firefight. Option two, we ram them. This is also less than ideal because Audacity Six and a Half hates this idea. Option three, which might be most viable. We sneak around them and try to stealth it. If we¡¯re fortunate, we can drop you off with no problems.¡±


    ¡°What about boarding them?¡± Mavec replied. ¡°IF we can get close enough, we can disable them with no problem.¡±


    ¡°Mavec is right; we¡¯re going to need to disable that boat. We can¡¯t count on luck with so much on the line. Anyone be having some clever plans?¡± Illaria asked, glancing between the wizards.


    Alvec strode with purpose towards the front of the boat. ¡°Take us in, Captain. Don¡¯t worry about the cannon fire. We¡¯ll survive it.¡±


    ¡°Well, no debating it; you lot are gutsy. I¡¯ll get us close.¡± The boat began its approach at top speed.


    ¡°Change your trajectory. Head straight at them.¡± Alvec shouted to Turncoat.


    ¡°Thought we weren¡¯t going to ram them?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t, they¡¯re going to open fire on us, and we¡¯re going to defend and pivot. Just trust me.¡± Alvec said as he began casting the spell, holding it for the exact moment. He was sure that with a living boat or an excellent captain, this dumb plan would work. The other ship turned, and their haunted vessel closed a surprising distance on it. They mustn¡¯t have been expecting any fight this recklessly. The cannons flared to life on the opposing ship, and Alvec let the spell loose. A wall of ice encased the bow of the boat. The boat lunged down from the sudden, unexpected weight. Cannonballs slammed into and bounced off the ice wall as the vessel used the added weight to pivot and pull alongside the pirate ship.


    Illaria and Naya were off with lightning speed, both of which quickly jumped the gap between the boats. The pirates on the other ship promptly found themselves outmatched in every way imaginable as the pair received immediate backup from Bait and Mavec. Alvec accelerated everyone again before attempting the leap himself. After the first two pirates dropped, a door from below deck burst open. A devil with short, jagged horns, black hair, a red captain''s coat, and goat legs began running across the deck. The wood hissed and singed beneath his feet. The remaining pirates didn¡¯t even wait for it to speak; they disengaged and jumped overboard to get out of its way. It screamed in infernal at them.


    ¡°Cowards the lot of you. Even with me fighting at your side, you flee? You useless curs. I¡¯ll burn you to ash myself after this is over. Pray to whatever gods or spirits you believe in that you can swim faster than this damn boat.¡±


    Bait opened fire on him suddenly before the devil had finished ranting at his insufferable crew. He turned his attention to Bait and rushed right past Illaria and Naya, who both swung at him. Their blades bit into his flesh, and he proceeded with a single-minded fury to charge at Bait. He leaped over the gap between the boats high into the air and spiked down with his fiery hooves at Bait. He landed perfectly on target, slamming into him before bouncing off and growing two sets of talons on each hand, which ignited on fire as well. Bait stumbled for a moment, trying to recover from the vicious blow.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Echo rushed up and nipped at the devil, but he ignored it. Bait stepped backward and fired his gun. The bullets hit again. The devil shifted forward and unleashed everything it had on Bait, talons slicing mercilessly through his only lightly guarded flesh. Bait spilled to the ground, his gun falling beside him. The devil was right there, only feet away from Sarbie.


    Her breath caught in her chest painfully as she gulped. She was here to heal them, even though every instinct in her body said run. She only moved a bit further away and ducked behind a crate, focusing her power and calling on divine aid. A burst of positive energy rolled out from her and washed over everyone, healing some of their wounds. Bait woke up and grabbed his gun, shooting the devil again.


    Alvec rushed towards the edge of the boat. He jumped again, but this time, his timing was off, and he narrowly missed grabbing onto the ship. He plunged into the water and immediately retrieved the summoning scroll and cast it, calling forth a dolphin to ride on. ¡°Well, at least I won¡¯t drown.¡± He muttered to himself as he contemplated just heading to shore. He could probably make it.


    Illaria cleared the gap, and Naya began to chant to the spirits of the sky and call down lightning instead. Illaria joined the fight, attacking the devil. Her blade sliced him, but he still wasn¡¯t giving her his full attention.


    ¡°The green-skinned one will die first,¡± the devil howled in infernal. ¡°I will trample all over his future and his dreams and leave nothing but a shattered corpse in my wake. Then the rest of you will suffer the same fate, one by one.¡±


    Alvec couldn¡¯t see what was going on from below, but he hated the way this one talked. He was a brute first and foremost.


    The devil split its attention, taking a swing at Illaria, who parried the talons away from her but failed to connect on her follow-up strike. Frustrated by his miss, he stomped on Bait more. A hoof to the face brought him back to the inky blackness of unconsciousness.


    ¡°Kushang, damn it!¡± Sarbie said as she again focused and sent out a wave of positive energy. She felt that well of power run dry. She¡¯d used one to treat the first salvo of attacks from the pirates. If this devil didn¡¯t go down now, she¡¯d have to move next to him to heal him... and that meant being right next to that thing. The thought sent ice through her veins.


    The magic brought Bait back up, and he once more fired his gun at the devil. Mavec cursed loudly. He couldn¡¯t get a clear shot at him. The way the masts were positioned and the fighters, any shot he took would likely endanger the boat. It was going to be all up to those who were already there. Illaria slashed through him repeatedly, anger fueling each strike as this devil continued to split his attention between her and Bait. Were she not pressing him so hard, he¡¯d have already killed Bait. She was certain of it. He was already clinging to life, Sarbie¡¯s healing being the only thing still keeping him up. She¡¯d have to be thanking Alvec and Sarbie later. Sarbie for her efforts, and Alvec for the forethought of recruiting her. Even after slicing him repeatedly, the devil refused to give her his full attention. He was still standing and once more stomped down on Bait.


    Bait looked bad. On death''s door, as if at any moment, he might fade from this world and into the next. Blood, burns, and missing teeth. His breath was shallow, and Sarbie could tell that if she didn¡¯t heal him, he¡¯d die. Not even if he was attacked again. If she did nothing, he would die. Inaction would be the same as plunging a dagger into his small green heart. The icy sensation in her veins continued to burn, but it now felt like fire. This creature wasn¡¯t just going to take him from here. He didn¡¯t have the right to be doing any of this. Waging war on her people, bringing violence and strife to the empire. Disrupting the honest and hard-working people of her home. No. She stood up and dashed over, sliding the final few feet beside him and drawing up the most power she¡¯d ever held, forcing it down her arms and into his chest. His breathing stabilized, and she crouched over him, trying to shield him with her own body, praying that this would end before he could strike again.


    Alvec cursed; being down here waiting was driving him mad. He couldn¡¯t see shit and couldn¡¯t do anything to help the party from down here. All he could do was float on the dolphin and wait for rescue. He cursed in every language he knew. Naya called down another lightning bolt, darting between the sails like a thread through a needle''s eye. It struck the devil, whose eyes for a moment rolled back into its head before it stubbornly came to. Illaria screamed in frustration as she plunged her blade into its chest. It grabbed the edge and twisted its head at her, breathing one last torrent of fire at her before it went rigid on her blade. She twisted out of the way of the torrent of flames, then pulled her sword hard, slicing viciously out of the creature as she threw it to the ground.


    Bait held up a hand to the sky, blocking out the sun. Fresh blood slicked his arms. After a moment of flexing his hand, he dug into his pants and pulled out a small block of cheese. ¡°Emergency Cheese,¡± he said before slowly nibbling upon it as he rocked back and forth on the ship''s deck. Sarbie stayed on the ground beside him. The threats were gone for now. In a moment, she¡¯d focus on healing him up. For now, she needed to breathe. Her heart was hammering in her ears, and she didn¡¯t think her legs would let her stand. Not on their own.


    ¡°Hey, anyone going to pull me up?¡± Alvec asked.


    Moments later, Naya and Echo arrived with a bunch of rope. ¡°Just hold on tight, and we¡¯ll get you back up here,¡± Naya said as she tied one end over Echo¡¯s collar. She tossed the rope down, and Alvec grabbed on tight. Clenching for his life, he was dragged up the side of the boat. Even without his enchantments, Echo was getting strong. Naya grabbed his arm and helped finish pulling him up. ¡°Might want to go check on your charge. She¡¯s pretty shaken up.¡±


    ¡°The hell did I miss?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°That thing went after Bait and Bait alone,¡± Naya informed him.


    ¡°That... that checks out; Bait shot him while he was giving a speech about what he¡¯d do to the cowards who fled... pride and anger hand in hand. He alright?¡± he asked pointing to the Goblin, rocking back and forth with a wheel of cheese in his mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t be reckoning he is. Very much certain he was about to meet his Goblin Maker.¡± Illaria responded.


    ¡°Oof, Sarbie you ok?¡± he asked, noticing her sitting awkwardly on the ground beside him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand,¡± she said, her breath coming shallow and fast. Alvec moved beside her, and Naya swept to her other side.


    ¡°Easy, does it. We¡¯ll get you back up and standing, no problem,¡± Alvec said as he crouched beside her and slipped his shoulder under her arm.


    Naya did the same.¡°On three,¡± she said before she began a small countdown. Both lifted up, and Sarbie winced as she was brought to her feet. She was shaking like a leaf, but the blood flow quickly returned to her legs, and her friends held her tight so that she wouldn¡¯t go tumbling over again. Turncoat had hopped on over to the enemy''s ship and had dropped anchor, giving them a moment to contemplate what to do.


    Mavec walked over to the side of the boat, cackling lightning around his fists. ¡°Listen here fuckwits, you can surrender, or I can electrocute every last one of you.¡± He pointed down at the men who had abandoned the ship. There was a general murmur of agreement. Illaria kept her sword out and focused on the men Echo was helping pull up from the ocean one at a time. All told it was only about four men who had survived the combat. Naya left Sarbie to Alvec and headed over to bind their captives.


    ¡°That does bring us to the matter of the ones on shore,¡± Turncoat said as he pointed at a small contingent of men on the shore.


    ¡°Bait!¡± Illaria shouted. ¡°Man, the cannons, friend, I want you to rain thunder upon them. Shell the beach, and hopefully, they will surrender!¡± Illaria said as she towered over her goblin companion.


    ¡°Bait not ready; need to finish eating Bait¡¯s emergency cheese,¡± he tore a small chunk off it and held it out to Sarbie. ¡°Here, you save Bait; you get some emergency cheese, only fair.¡±


    ¡°I saw you pull that out of your underwear. I¡¯m going to have to decline,¡± Sarbie said, pushing Alvec between them.


    ¡°Fine, Bait gib other gifts. Rat sticks make children learn to fear. Make babies stronger.¡±


    ¡°Bait, I uh, I don¡¯t have any children,¡± Sarbie said, flushing bright red.


    ¡°Fine, Bait, find something later, den,¡± he insisted before eating more of his emergency cheese and running over to the cannons. His eyes lit up with glee as he hurriedly packed each cannon with black powder. Bait no trust others to get the mixture right. Have to have pre-vice measurements, and den aim just right. He spent a few minutes hurrying between them, cannons supplying them and loading the balls into them behind the powder. When they were finally ready, he instructed the others to set them off. The group lit the cannons, and they waited for them to thunder onto the beach. They weren¡¯t aimed at the crowd of pirates but at the general area instead. The cannon balls slammed into the sand, blasting plumes up twenty or thirty feet into the air. After a single volley, the group approached the shore waving a white flag. Turncoat brought the Audacity in closer, and they did as they had before, binding the pirates before taking them into custody. Placing them on the Audacity meant the haunted ship could also keep an eye on the prisoners. Turncoat wouldn¡¯t be alone with a crew of pirates as the rest of the group explored the island. It was a good plan, Illaria decided as she worked upon escorting them one at a time onto the Audacity Six and a Half.

 76: An Old Problem

    With all of the pirates pacified, the group began their trek into the island''s interior. It didn¡¯t take long before they found themselves in a mangrove forest. ¡°Mangrove, we¡¯re here to speak to you!¡± Naya called out as they walked through the wood. The strange submerged trees were a sight to behold. Alvec wasn¡¯t sure how these ones had adapted to the weather of the empire, but their spirit origin seemed to help with it plenty, he guessed.


    ¡°Child of Akrixi, Mangrove, we seek an audience,¡± Naya shouted again.


    ¡°And perhaps you may yet have one child,¡± came a voice from the trees. The group looked up to find a face in the foliage above their heads. It was simply a face made of branches and leaves.


    ¡°Oh! Hello Mangrove! I¡¯m Naya, from Lom-Itoti. It''s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Naya said, bowing down to it.


    ¡°Alvec Snaptail, abjurer, at your service.¡± Alvec supplied before bowing slightly.


    ¡°Uh, Sarbie, cleric of Kushang.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Illaria of the Blue Banner Army.¡±


    ¡°Mavec, clocksmith.¡±


    ¡°Bait.¡±


    ¡°It is a pleasure to have such polite company. The last men here said they¡¯d burn my roots if they could. Instead, they swore to keep everyone else away. Burning my roots may have been far too great a challenge for them to ever achieve,¡± Mangrove said, its face shifting through the canopy.


    ¡°Mangrove, we come here seeking information. LuCol of the Blue Banner Army suspects that the infernals are plotting something far grander than a single sword point aimed at one of our cities. We wish to know if you can help us confirm this, oh mighty child of Akrixi,¡± Illaria said, bowing low.


    ¡°Tell me, how would you grow from this knowledge?¡± the tree spirit asked.


    ¡°Ack-Aziza is already in a state of growth, the Empire too,¡± Naya replied quickly. ¡°If Infernals were allowed to kill and maim as they pleased, it would arrest our growth and cause us to grow into a more aggressive nation. It would throw us out of harmony with nature more so than we already are, as the flames of war consume all, turning a farmer''s implement to a life-ending blade.¡±


    ¡°That is a type of growth, and yet, I see your point. That growth would be discordant with the natural world of which I am a part. I do not wish to see more of my trees cannibalized for these constructions you call boats.¡±


    ¡°So, can we count on your help?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Yes, tell me how I may be of service to you, oh spirit-speaker of Lom-Itoti.¡± the voice from the trees replied.


    ¡°What do you know of Hellroot?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Styxweed, she means,¡± Mavec replied.


    Naya laughed nervously. ¡°Sorry, I was only half paying attention to that conversation; the cat was so cute!¡± she said, placing a hand on the back of her head.


    ¡°Come on, Naya, this is serious,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°It''s okay; everyone else was paying attention. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve got the details between the remainder of us,¡± Illaria replied.


    ¡°This styxweed, LuCol speculated that it could be used to raise an army of sunken boats, ones that could then be crewed by devils and used to assail the empire,¡± Alvec said, filling in the gist of LuCol''s theory. ¡°Is that a possibility?¡±


    ¡°It most certainly is. Styxweed is very pliable to certain infernal magics. It could be effortless for the right devils to use it to repair the ships claimed by my distant relative Shoalsatta,¡± Mangrove said as the face appeared above Alvec.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Alvec swore.


    ¡°Is that an invitation to copulate? I have not done so with a corporeal creature before.¡± Mangrove stated.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Alvec said hastily. ¡°In addition to the usage you''re familiar with, it''s also a negative exclamation. In this case, I¡¯m using it to express both frustration and how bad that is for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you for this information. Common is not my native tongue.¡± Mangrove said.


    ¡°Question... how would that have even worked?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°I do suppose I would have had to manifest myself in a visually pleasing manner and then allow the Abjurer to disrobe and do as he pleased. That is how this works, no?¡± Mangrove asked.


    ¡°In a very overview sort of way, but can we maybe get back on topic, Naya?¡± Alvec said, flushing red and staring at the ground.


    ¡°What more do you need to know of the Styxweed?¡± Mangrove asked.


    ¡°How do we get rid of it?¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Simply dig it up,¡± Mangrove replied. ¡°Deprived of its connection to the hells, it will wither and die once separated from the soil.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t possibly dig it all up; LuCol said that it was all up and down the coast,¡± Illaria stated with frustration.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t do so. All these pieces of Styxweed growing are, but one root carefully tended. If you were to destroy the central root, the rest would collapse,¡± Mangrove replied.


    ¡°Okay, where we find root?¡± Bait asked.


    ¡°I sense it east of here, on an island. Show me one of your maps, and I will do my best to discern where it may be.¡± The face emerged from the base of a tree and looked over Illaria¡¯s shoulder at the map. A root of it pulled out of the ground and made a small circle on the map around a particular island. ¡°There, you shall find what you seek there. Dig up the Styxweed, and you will foil these infernal plots. Is there anything more we can help you with?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Uh, yes, actually!¡± Naya said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to learn more about the Greensleep and Elder Bristlecone.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what can I tell you about the Greensleep and my eldest brother?¡± Mangrove asked.


    ¡°Is the Greensleep permanent? We understand that it''s for protection, but does it kill the people it''s used on?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°It is Brother Bristlecone¡¯s power; it would be easiest to ask him, child. To my knowledge, though, those in the Greensleep remain alive. Nourished by the sun and the soil and the rain, just as we are.¡±


    ¡°I see; thank you for that information. Do you know where Elder Bristlecone might be now?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Alas, I do not,¡± said Mangrove. ¡°He visited a time ago, ranting and raving about Kaavas.¡±


    ¡°Wait, say that again,¡± Mavec exclaimed.


    ¡°Alas, I do not. He visited a time ago, ranting and raving about Kaavas.¡±


    ¡°And that''s exactly how he said it?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Must I repeat the sentence again, clocksmith?¡±


    ¡°Only the final word,¡± Mavec confirmed.


    ¡°Kaavas.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just give me a few minutes. I might need you to repeat it.¡± Mavec said as he tore through his pack, searching for his notes. It took a moment to find it, buried deep in one of his books where he had recorded the various suggestions about what the name might be. Old Imperial was a tonal language, and the inflection could have meant anything. A dying man''s poor pronunciation of it, and only written in Vato¡¯s journal without pronunciation guides, had left the group unsure, but now someone who spoke common had the inflections for them to study. After a few moments, he found the paper. ¡°Once more, please, Mangrove,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Kaavas.¡±


    Mavec cross-referenced the page quickly, finding the correct translation. ¡°Foul Light,¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Alvec said again.


    ¡°Shall I assume a more appropriate form first?¡± All this talk of copulating does have me more interested in the possibility than I thought possible,¡± Mangrove replied.


    ¡°Other word usage, again,¡± Alvec assured the spirit.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Perhaps you, as well, have not yet attempted any mating rituals. Hence your reluctance. Afraid to be a bad partner? Or maybe you have other partners in mind?


    ¡°And we won¡¯t be answering either of those,¡± Alvec said. ¡°Mangrove, do you know what Kaavas is? A powerful diviner suggested that the world was ending because Kaavas was returning. We only now know what the name translates to; we¡¯ve no idea what it actually is, though.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid I do not. Whatever it is, it is older than all but Bristlecone as far as the Children of Akrixi go. You would need to speak to other spirits, older ones, such as the Three Sisters, or perhaps Shoalsatta would be inclined to answer your questions if you were to present her with proof that you thwarted an attempted theft from her watery domain.¡±


    ¡°Will the Styxweed be kept near Crowley¡¯s base of operations?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°I imagine that it will be; the Styxweed would need to be nurtured carefully. I do not imagine a mortal man as calculating as Crowley would allow for many variables. The closer to his base of operation, the better. The further away it is, the harder it would be to both monitor its growth and to defend it from any attempts to destroy it.¡± Mangrove said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Illaria replied. If Mangrove was correct, then this was where she would find her parents, somewhere on the island with the Styxweed.


    ¡°Thank you very much, most blessed child of Akrixi,¡± Naya said, bowing low. Alvec followed suit, motioning for Sarbie to do so as well. Illaria and Bait also bowed slightly.


    ¡°While I sense only veneration from a few of you, I appreciate the rest of you paying your respects despite your beliefs,¡± Mangrove said. ¡°Be safe in your travels, and may the infernals yet curse your names.¡±


    With that, the face in the trees dispersed. The group began to walk back. There was a lot of distance to cover and much to think about. The Iron Castle, Crowley, Kaavas, Elder Bristlecone, the mysterious journal. So many puzzle pieces slowly started to click into place. Alvec cursed again, this time keeping the word fuck in his head so as not to tempt Mangrove into making demands Alvec would NOT be willing to give into.


    Crowley was likely just someone capitalizing on plans much more significant than himself. Though what they were was hard to say. Kaavas was clearly connected to the strange creatures and also to, most likely, the journal, but they wouldn¡¯t know for a few days more. Elder Bristlecone was so worried about Kaavas, something ancient, that he had uprooted himself. He let out a hefty sigh as they boarded the Audacity Six and a Half and headed back to the port of Ac-Aziza. He rested as much as he could during the trip to regain his spells.


    Illaria


    There wouldn¡¯t be a lot of time. The way the Banners were mobilizing, the assault would be fast and likely soon. By dawn, they¡¯d be heading towards an early morning fight. The problem was that the fighting was a severe risk to non-combatants. If her parents were there, their very lives would be in danger the moment the fight began, and with a flying ship, it would be too easy for Crowley to escape the battle even if it turned south. The possibility of loads of infernal backup joining the fray, too, didn¡¯t sit well with her. If this was going to go well, they¡¯d need to first destroy the styxweed, infiltrate Crowley¡¯s base, locate her parents, and finally steal the flying ship... all before the Banners came crashing down like a tidal wave of steel and fire. Even at full tilt and without stopping to rest the night, it would be close. Alvec, Mavec, and Sarbie had all turned in, so at least the party would be full up on spell power before they attempted this brazen plan.


    The boat rolled into port, and Illaria ordered everyone else to stay on board. She¡¯d speak with LuCol alone. With any luck, she¡¯d be back in minutes. She found her way to LuCol¡¯s ship and let herself in. The man was waiting, but the cat was no longer just a kitten. It was nearly as large as Echo and stared down as she spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve spoken with Mangrove; they confirmed the presence of the central Styxweed on this island and confirmed that your theory could very well be accurate, sir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say excellent, but this is terrible news. Even if I give the orders, we¡¯ll never be able to disperse fast enough. Concentrating like this was a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I have a solution if you¡¯ll allow it,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°Present your case.¡± He said, nodding.


    ¡°We depart immediately. A small craft such as the Audacity Six and Half can sneak around the island and land undetected. We locate the Styxweed first, dispose of it, and then commence a rescue mission, and we steal back the Audacity Six, cutting off some avenues of escape from Crowley.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t officially sanction this mission. So it''s a good thing you didn¡¯t re-enlist soldier.¡± LuCol said, smiling. ¡°The Styxweed, I suspect, is on the western side of the island. The Blue Banner will begin our assault before dawn. We need to move before the sun is high enough in the sky to be a problem for us.¡±


    ¡°That''s all we needed,¡± Illaria said before turning to leave.


    ¡°Wait, there is one more detail you should know. A tribe of goblins seems to be held prisoner on the western side of the island. They look to be the ones who are forced to tend to the Styxweed. Your companion Bait might find that bit of information significant. I can¡¯t promise that they are the missing Black Powder clan, but they very well could be. A fact I am sure will not be lost on him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you kindly LuCol.¡±


    ¡°May your will be strong and your steel swift,¡± he said as she departed his flagship and rushed back towards the Audacity Six and a Half. Turncoat met her on the docks, both hands in his pockets.


    ¡°My original deal was with the boss man, so pardon me for asking, but what''s in it for me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You get us there, and we¡¯ll steal your god-damned boat back from under Crowely¡¯s nose.¡± She said. He whistled.


    ¡°Then what the fuck are we waiting for?¡± He crossed the boarding plank to his boat and motioned for her to follow. The ship departed the second both of her boots clicked onto the deck.

 77: In The Nude

    With Turncoat''s keen eyes and the Audacity Six and Half¡¯s supernaturally quiet approach, the group found themselves easily circling around to the western side of the island, where a slum of a camp was pushed up against the ocean shore. The party disembarked, and Bait ran up to the nearest hut. The rest of the party spread out, securing the perimeter. There wasn¡¯t anything in sight, but they patrolled anyway to give Bait time to connect with what they all hoped were his people. If these goblins were enslaved, they were at least ignored during the night hours. Either way, it ended now. Just as soon as Bait convinced them to go with Turncoat.


    Bait¡¯s fist slammed against a worn down wooden door hurriedly. An older Goblin in threadbare clothing and dirt-stained arms came trudging out of the hut. ¡°What Emergency?¡± When he saw Bait, he cocked his head to the side. ¡°Who you? New ¡®helper¡¯?¡± The older goblin said, spitting on the ground.


    ¡°Bait, look for Goblin Tribe. You Black Powder Clan? I Black Powder Clan.¡±


    ¡°You no Black Powder, I Black Powder, I no Know you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Tribe disappear, Bait join Blue Banner Army, keep looking for Clan. Father is Fishhook!¡±


    ¡°Fishhook, he Black Powder.¡±


    ¡°See, I Black Powder too. We rescue you now, K?¡±


    ¡°Pointy men grab us, or dumb pirates kill us. No weapons.¡±


    ¡°Bait brought boat, you get on boat, Bait shoot anyone who try stop you. Illaria stab, Naya slash, Mavec shoots lightning, Alvec makes us go fast, and Sarbie keeps us not dead. We protect Black Powder Clan.¡±


    ¡°Let''s go see Fishhook. He know if you real Goblin or just Devil playing prank on old wort-butt.¡± The elderly goblin exited the house and walked up to a different hut, Bait following right behind him. He beat on the door while cursing. ¡°Fishhook, Net, I¡¯ve got a strange goblin here claiming to be your son.¡±


    ¡°Grub is in goblin pit with rat stick, only son we have., A voice rang out from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Not true, Bait first son, best son, only son with a gun.¡±


    ¡°Must be cruel devil trick, no see Bait since before we were captured.¡±


    ¡°No, it me!¡± He proceeded to strip. ¡°Look, Bait have all the right burn marks from when he learn how to make black powder.¡±


    Alvec quickly slipped his hands over Sarbie''s eyes. ¡°Bait! Why are you getting naked? What about a goblin family reunion means you need to stand naked in front of them?!¡± Alvec half shouted.


    ¡°Shoosh wizard, Bait HOME,¡± Bait shouted back to Alvec, who was looking at the ground to avoid looking at Bait¡¯s naked body. The goblin woman''s eyes went wide.


    ¡°By Dogmother, Fishy, I think it really is Bait.¡±


    ¡°No, can¡¯t be, right?¡± Bait¡¯s father said. ¡°They do this before, taunt us, remind us what they have taken from us. This just another cruel prank.¡±


    ¡°We are here to rescue you, the boats right there; see for yourself,¡± Alvec said, trying to urge them to hurry up. Maybe Bait would put their pants back on once this matter was cleared up. ¡°We just need directions to the Styxweed before you all load on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pee on the boat; it''s haunted. It will crush your nuts with a wooden board if you pee on it,¡± Bait informed them.


    ¡°Bait, for the love of the spirits, put your pants back on; none of us want to see your goblin dong,¡± Naya shouted.


    ¡°Guys, might I be reminding you we¡¯re supposed to be on a stealth mission. Shouting about Bait¡¯s genitalia isn¡¯t really meshing with our game plan,¡± Illaria whispered sharply.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a goblin slave village... I¡¯ve got a strong feeling it''s not being monitored as well as it should be,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Goblins are rowdy by nature, so a little noise here probably won¡¯t ruin the operation, but Illaria¡¯s right; come on guys,¡± Alvec said to the goblins. ¡°Bait¡¯s not lying; he is the genuine thing. Now, for the love of the gods and spirits, make him put his pants back on.¡±


    ¡°Go check if boat real,¡± Fishhook said before running past his son. A few minutes later, he returned and threw his arms around Bait. ¡°Boat real! Too clean to be pirate ship, and devils no have ships. Dis real Bait. Son, we thought you dead, we mourn. Have other son, name him Worm; he still young, in the nursing cages. You meet him when we are free. You bring us away from here now?¡±


    Bait¡¯s lip quivered as he shook his head. ¡°Bait heart full, like feeling of tummy after good cheese. But also sad. Illaria¡¯s family still out there. Bait, no can leave her till we rescue hers too. Strange, tall, green man, bring you back to shore. Blue Banner take care of you till I return. Bait independent compactor with the blue banner. Bait own Bait¡¯s own cheese forge, winner of Festival of Blades, Bait invited to Goblinmoot, and most importantly, Bait good friend.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°You invited to Goblinmoot?¡± his mother asked, eyes going wide. ¡°Great honor! My son a hero,¡± she said, wagging her hands in his direction.


    ¡°Bait big goblin hero. Friends with Boogie of the Boar Eater tribe.¡±


    ¡°Son, I am proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom. Now, you guys go. Bait, see you tomorrow. We feast on cheese then. After Bait murders Crowley and pirates.¡±


    The goblins gathered up and boarded the boat. Imparting basic directions to where the Styxweed was grown and tended before the boat silently sailed away from the small alcove. ¡°Oh, Oh, Nearly forgot! Watch out for Big PRICK. He dangerous!¡± Fishhook shouted to them.


    Bait stood and watched it sail away till it was almost indiscernible in the blackness of the night and the ocean. He had only just found them, and they were already gone. That was the life of goblins, though. Short and swift.


    Illaria came beside him and bent her knees to place a hand on his shoulder more easily. ¡°Thank you, Bait; I wouldn¡¯t have blamed you if you¡¯d be choosing to go with them.¡± She said.


    ¡°Bait know, but Bait can¡¯t just leave friend alone. We both find our family. Bait no feel right till we do.¡±


    ¡°Well, let''s get a move on. The sooner we destroy the Styxweed, rescue my parents, and steal a flying ship, the sooner we return to your tribe.¡± She said, giving him a firm pat on the back. The two joined the rest of the team and began following the path the goblins had laid out. Before too long, they stumbled into a pirate on guard who looked shocked beyond belief to see anything but a goblin.


    ¡°Oi!¡± he shouted behind him before Illaria thrust her sword through his unprotected neck. He stumbled back, gurgling blood, and collapsed to the ground. His single shout, however, had been enough to rally several more pirates and a devil. The ¡°garden¡± that held the Styxweed wasn¡¯t what Illaria had imagined. She had thought of a topiary wall surrounding a green space. This was much closer to a barren rice field half submerged in shallow water than it was to any sort of garden. She supposed it shouldn¡¯t be too surprising. Styxweed was from hell, not exactly renowned for its beautiful gardens.


    Alvec pointed at the devil, who stood a few heads taller than the pirates he accompanied. ¡°Well, that one must be the big prick.¡± He said. The group rushed into combat with them. Illaria and Naya moved with Echo, Alvec followed close behind, and Sarbie, Bait, and Mavec stayed in the back lines. Illaria clashed with a trio of men wielding swords. She landed a shallow hit on the one in the center before they retaliated; her blade blazed a golden red light as she knocked their blades aside and returned the strikes twice, folding them. She brought the man on her right to his knees simply by responding to his attacks.


    Naya was not to be outmatched either; she came in swinging hard, whirling both blades in tandem; she quickly cut through another pirate before he could even pull the trigger on his pistol aimed at Illaria. No sooner did the man collapse to the ground than the earth shook violently, and tentacles emerged from the ground all over the damp garden. A massive worm burrowed from the earth and towered above Naya and Echo. The temptation to enlarge Echo tugged at the back of her mind, but they only had a minute to break this root free from the ground and its power source. Risking any of that time seemed like a poor choice. She¡¯d have to save it until absolutely necessary.


    Mavec found himself surrounded by these strange barbed spiked tentacles.


    ¡°Bait, think that actually big prick; it looks like it prick you if you get too close.¡± Bait shouted over the din of combat.


    ¡°Thanks, Bait, I never would have guessed!¡± Alvec retorted as he watched the tentacles assault Mavec. One wrapped around his leg, pulling him off balance; the others began a barrage of strikes that knocked him unconscious and dropped him into the water. ¡°Sarbie, get over to him. I¡¯ll give you cover,¡± Alvec shouted to her. She nodded and dashed towards him. As soon as she was next to him, and the tentacles lurched at her, a rush of arctic air swirled around her and hardened into a shell of ice protecting them. The multitude of tentacles slammed down on the ice dome, slowly cracking it. It was okay, though; the others would keep providing threats while she revived Mavec. He took in a sharp breath of air as her magic ran through him.


    ¡°Welcome back; I am not sure how much longer this wall will hold. you have a plan?¡± she asked, unsure how to support him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to shoot some lightning at that devil or that worm. Haven¡¯t decided yet. I guess whichever one Bait hasn¡¯t already turned into a red mist,¡± Mavec said as he pushed himself off from the ground. The ice wall crumbled under an assault from the tentacles. The worm had several bullet holes punched through it, but it still stood. Naya and Illaria looked like they had everything under control with the devil. The worm, on the other hand, was bearing down on Alvec; he managed to dive out of the way of the first slam and narrowly blocked with his shield as it gummed on him. The worm it was, Mavec decided, taking aim at it and letting a bolt of lightning arc from his hands. The bolt struck the worm, and it convulsed as the electricity arced through it. Alvec used the momentary distraction to scorch its underside with fire. With a bellowing roar, the beast went down, slamming onto the ground.


    Illaria and Naya had the devil cornered. Unable to land a strike against Illaria, the devil quickly switched its focus to Naya, striking her repeatedly, drawing blood with his own longsword. In a race of blade on blade, Naya was faster. For each strike he landed against her, she scored two more, whittling him down and slowing him considerably. As he wavered, she swung hard, her blades biting deep into his neck and severing it from the rest of his body. He fell in two pieces to the ground, and she let out a large sigh as her shoulders slumped. The group moved towards the large root. Naya was ready to enlarge Echo when a white robed devil with thin snakelike features emerged from the shadows and planted a bone staff into the ground. He spoke, but the words never reached Alvec¡¯s ears.


    The root responded to his words. Tendrils of ghost-white vines crept with alarming speed over the corpses of the slain pirates, the worm, and both sections of the devil wrapped with it and rebound themselves together, a scarf of ghost-white vine holding its head to its body. The white-robbed devil merely smiled and stepped further back as the reanimated pirates began to attack.

 78: Diggy Diggy Vine

    Their movements were crooked and janky. Alvec rushed in, slinging fire from his hands, scorching two of the ones swarming Naya. A closer look told him all he needed to know about the creatures. They were zombie-esque, but not zombies. It would be more accurate to say that they were corpses being piloted by the styxweed itself. No doubt being manipulated by the white robbed devil hanging out towards the back of the combat. They were much closer to a marionette than a zombie, really. ¡°Bait or Mavec, see if you can take down the white robed devil,¡± Alvec shouted back to them. None of the pirates were using weapons at this point. They attacked with their bare hands.


    They swung at Naya, and as their fists approached her, the ghost-white vines lunged for her, too. She narrowly dodged clear of the first one, inching just outside of its range. She wasn¡¯t so lucky with the second strike. The vines coiled around her arm and attempted to wedge itself into her wounds. She screamed out in pain as she dropped her sword and clawed at the vine, tearing into it as best she could. Illaria stepped forward and cleanly slashed through the fragile tendril of the root. The one wrapped around Naya quickly went limp, no longer connected to the central root.


    ¡°Fuck! These things are gross and awful.¡± Naya exclaimed.


    ¡°They grow towards blood wasn¡¯t an exaggeration,¡± Mavec replied. Throwing another bolt of lightning down the line, striking the devil square in the chest. Sarbie ran to the center of the battlefield and sent out another pulse of positive energy. If these roots targeted blood, she¡¯d cut down on the number of targets by healing her friend''s wounds. Everyone but Naya looked fairly good after a single pulse of healing energy.


    Bait focused his attention on the worm again. Peppering it with bullets as fast as his little hands could reload his large musket. ¡°Big Prick Go DIE!¡± He shouted as he imagined the abuses his people had suffered with such threats as this at their back. Bait not know every member of Black Powder clan. Dey seemed more in number and less at the same time. How many had big prick eaten? Too many, he fear. He vowed a bullet for each goblin and screamed as his musket flared to life, roaring with him. Bait wasn¡¯t alone in fighting the worm. Below where Bait was shooting, Echo had sunk his fangs deep into the creature. While he couldn¡¯t seem to knock it to the ground, he managed to keep the creature in place, an easy target for the small goblins attacks. Echo¡¯s tail wagged; he knew just how smart and good he was to be doing this. He hated leaving his partner Naya alone, but she had good friends surrounding her. They protect, so Echo attacks.


    Illaria smirked and dashed forward, baiting the three Styxweed puppets into attacking her. With a brilliant flash of her blade, she landed three good hits on them as she broke past them and made her charge toward the devil in white robes. He, too, took the bait, swinging with his staff at her. She knocked it aside, and her blade flared with the golden red light as she sliced into him. The fight was still far from over, but she could now put pressure on this asshole.


    Naya did her best to launch into a different set of attacks. With one sword lying on the damp ground, she opted for something different. She stepped back away from the vine puppets, and chanted to the spirits of the sky, bringing down a bolt of lightning onto one of them.


    The devil she had decapitated rushed forward, powering past her and leaping at Mavec. The two forms collided, and Mavec was knocked to the ground. The devil began to rain blows down on Mavec, who threw his arms up to protect his head. Piquora leaped onto the devil''s back and began to gnaw at the vines connecting its head back to its body. Sarbie stepped backward and focused her energy. She wasn¡¯t the most adept spell caster nor the most adept crossbowman; in many ways, she felt overwhelmingly average to be standing here in the middle of this fight. This was far above what she had ever suspected she might be involved in. She pulled her power around her and wrapped Mavec in golden light. The devil swung at him again, and the force held his fist just above his target. Its head rotated unnaturally, spinning several times before settling its dead-eyed gaze on Sarbie.


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    Her blood ran cold as she stumbled backward, almost losing her grasp on the spell. The devil stood up from Mavec and rushed towards her. Something brushed against her hand, and she nearly jumped. Her heart hammered as she looked down to find Rem pushing a scroll into her hands. She grabbed it and unfurled it. Rem quickly climbed her until he gracefully rested on her shoulders. He yipped and growled in the devil''s general direction, and the ink on the page burned away at the sound of his voice. A spray of shards of diamond blasted out from the scroll at the Devil. Slicing through the vines and flesh, stripping away large portions of it. Piquora, still on the devil''s back, sunk its teeth in even further, and with a snap, the vines broke, and both sections of the creature fell to the ground. Rem yipped excitedly in Sarbie¡¯s ears as she raised her hand to pet him. ¡°Thank you, but how in Kushang¡¯s name can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Familiars have a strong magical connection with their master. The skills they have honed can be used by a familiar. Not all that surprising, really,¡± Mavec said as he dusted himself off and stood up again.


    Alvec surged in to help Naya, tracing fire runes in the air; he arced a bolt through all three of them. Coupled with another few good swings and another lightning bolt, it was just the worm and the white devil up. Bait¡¯s gun rang out repeatedly, and the worm thundered to the ground again, its body too physically injured for the Styxweed to be able to puppet it any further. Illaria dueled the devil in white robes, and within moments, free from distractions, the devil went down to one knee. It grimaced and attempted to teleport away. Illaria¡¯s blade was swift and true, swiping what little life remained in him before his spell could take full effect. He fell into the water-logged ground and lay still.


    The group gathered around and quickly healed up. In terms of power, it was already worrying how many resources they had spent. The last combat had been exhausting, draining Alvec''s magic an alarming amount. At this rate, he¡¯d be swinging a dagger by the time he reached Crowley. There was nothing to be done about it, though. He¡¯d have to use every last thing he could to provide every edge.


    Naya was ready to do her part. She spoke to the spirits again, calling for their aid. Two dire badgers heeded her call emerging from behind cover. They immediately began digging around the root. ¡°Alright, Echo, it''s time,¡± Naya uttered the command word, and Echo enlarged himself. ¡°Dig, boy! Dig!¡± She shouted to him. He ran to the root and dug with wild abandon. They only had one minute total to make use of Echo¡¯s huge form, so everyone gathered up to help uproot it. After about thirty seconds of digging, Naya called for him to bite and tug. While Echo did the majority of the work, Naya, Alvec, Sarbie, and Mavec each grabbed onto the root and pulled as well. Between huge Echo, two dire badgers, and the four people struggling to help their wolf, the root snapped and eventually broke free, sending the four humans toppling onto the wet earth. A burst of magical energies washed over the hill. Alvec cursed; they would undoubtedly know what had happened now, but it wasn¡¯t all bad. He felt his spent spells reinvigorate. He got off the ground and offered his hand to Sarbie. Naya and Mavec scrambled up seconds later.


    ¡°Alright now, we¡¯ve saved the empire, but we still have to find my parents and steal a boat, so let''s not be wasting any moonlight,¡± Illaria said as she moved toward the pirate base.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t want to be caught in the crossfire, we really do need to move,¡± Mavec said as he followed close behind Illaria.

 79: The Quick Red Fox and the Stealthy Goblin

    Trekking across the island might have been a challenge for a group without a dire wolf leading the charge. Whatever fauna might have considered the group an appropriate snack steered clear the second they got a glance at Echo in all his red majesty. It made for far faster travel than Illaria had counted on. Naya was no slouch either; at each possible fork in the road where Echo stuttered for a moment, she stepped in and deftly chose the pathway through the wilderness. Crowley must have kept the pirates and the Styxweed largely separate. It made sense; not every pirate would be willing to throw their lot in with devils. Too many remembered how the devils had fought in the war.


    No one easily forgave the damage they had done to the empire, or at least the lives they ended. Pirates included. It made sense for him to have only his most trusted men sail over here to aid in the tending of the Styxweed. The night was still relatively young as the group stopped; overlooking the pirate outpost. The makeshift town was split into two sections. One of which still had lights on, and the sound of reverie could be heard drifting on the wind. The other was mostly dark and quiet; only a few lantern lights revealed that anyone was there at all.


    "We haven''t all day. Suggestions?" she asked the group.


    "We send people to scout it out. Bait takes one side, and Rem takes another." Alvec suggested. Illaria frowned as they crouched beneath the foliage, keeping their voices low.


    "I don''t be liking the idea of splitting us up like this," she said.


    "It''s going to be a lot safer to let the two of them attempt to get us information than it will be to have us all try sneaking around," Alvec stated firmly.


    "And why the two of them?" Illaria asked.


    "We even have trouble keeping track of Bait," Mavec interjected.


    "And Rem''s a fox, not sure you know this, but he''s very much local fauna. No one will suspect he''s anything more than a scavenger," Naya stated.


    "Not to mention, I can cast spells through him if necessary. So we can likely have him slip by, and if he encounters trouble, we can spell craft him out of it," Alvec replied.


    "Alright, we send them both each way. Your goals are to find the Audacity 6 and locate any prisoners," Illaria stated. Rem yipped in agreement and trotted toward the darker section of the pirate outpost.


    The first struggle he encountered was a raised wall at a steep angle. He crouched low and sprang up, repeating the process a few times until he could clear the top of it. He strolled down the dirt streets, sticking to the shadows as best he could. The few people he encountered seemed not to pay him any mind, exactly as Lady Naya had suggested they might. He counted about six or so men still awake and moving about. The information he was sure Master Alvec would appreciate. The buildings here were shoddy, quickly built structures of wood and cheap mortar. This base had clearly been here for some time, but it also wasn''t all that built up, either.


    A pack of dogs growled at him and approached. Rem arched his back and growled back at them. They continued their approach towards him. A surge of arcane energy roared around Rem; Master Alvec must have sensed his distress. A shield of arcane force floated around Rem. He crouched low and dashed right past them. Their fangs failed to reach him, and Rem just continued running. This protection was limited; it would only last a few seconds, but that was enough for Rem to jump. The small fox worked his way up onto some crates and then all the way up onto the roof of a building, where he lay quietly until the dogs lost interest. It took a bit, but when they did, he hopped down and continued walking.


    More humans were on guard at the ocean''s edge. Guarding several boats. None of them were large and grand enough to be the Audacity Six. This might still be good information for master Alvec. Rem was less sure how to confirm if people were being kept prisoners. He snuck around, peering through the windows and trying to see if any had iron bars. When none did, he began his retreat into the woods where his companions waited. His little excursion was only about an hour, but he missed being with Alvec and his friends. Alvec was very careful with Rem. Even though he was much tougher than a regular fox, Alvec tried to keep him close to him as much as possible. It made sense; the threats they faced so frequently could easily crush a small fox. Heck, Echo could fit Rem in his mouth if he wanted to, but thankfully, the big oaf was very friendly.


    Rem returned to camp and ran up to Alvec, pawing at him. Alvec produced some blank parchment and ink for Rem to dip his paws into. Writing was still tricky. He knew the letters, but often, he''d have to sing the song to himself to remember them all. Twenty-six letters were impossible for a regular fox to remember, so of course, he''d need the song to keep it sharp in his mind. The most significant bit first. No audacity six, no family." Illaria looked over the paper and let out a sigh.


    "Can''t say I expected it to be that easy," she said. Rem continued to write. Small earth wall, small boats, and drunk pirates. He left out the mean dogs part.


    "Was your cover compromised?" Alvec asked. Rem shook his head no and wrote one more word on the page. "Dogs."


    "Ah, good job." He said before petting him on the head and supplying him with a treat. Hopefully Bait¡¯s sneaking around went off without any trouble either.


    BAIT


    Bait, in his strange goblin ways, could either blend in with the background or hide his sneaking into the lit part of the city. He hopped onto a wagon hauling supplies and simply lay there for a while as the cart was pulled through the pirate base''s streets. He popped up on occasion to make sure that he wasn''t going too far away from the ocean. That''s where the boats would be, and that was what Bait was most interested in finding. Flying ship sound cool. Finding Illaria''s parents more challenging. Boat big and easy to see. Two people among however many pirates were here? More challenging. Bait not even sure where to begin.


    A pleasant scent caught his attention coming from a particular building. Cheese-Ale. His mouth watered at the thought of it. He hauled himself over the side of the cart and hopped down, ducking under the saloon-styled doors. He pressed himself against the first thing he could find and looked around.


    Several tankards of it lay just outside of reach, and many, many pirates were here. He stood quietly and listened as he tried to develop a solid plan. "Hey, Milkin, glad to see you back already." One of the pirates shouted to another who was sitting at the bar.


    "Yeah, just finished up on the flagship. Had to deliver food to the prisoners. We''re going to be ransoming them off soon. We could use the extra coin."


    "Why''s he keep them on the flagship anyway?" The other pirate asked.


    "Landlubbers can''t fucking swim; even if they escape, they''d drown before they ever set foot on dry land."


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    "That Crowley is a smart and dangerous man. Best I''ve ever worked under." A cheer went up in the room. Bait cleared his throat and practiced a moment. There was a man in the corner who hadn''t cheered. He did his best to speak from the center of his chest as he pitched his voice across the room.


    "Crowley sucks!" Bait shouted. He made ready to run; if this failed, his cover would be blown, and he''d have no choice but to run... but that sweet, sweet cheese beer... how could he not at least try to grasp the liquid amber perfection? He grinned a wide, toothy grin as the drunken crowd took the bait, and a fight erupted. While fists were being thrown, Bait crept up to the table with the mugs of ale on it and quickly grabbed all three before scurrying out under the saloon-styled door and back into the night. He rounded a corner and guzzled each beer in the safety of the shadows before moving towards the harbor. The Audacity Six sat alone, anchored in the harbor. Illaria would be happy to know this and even happier to know that the prisoners were kept on it. Bait beat a slow and steady retreat through the town and back into the woods. He found his way with relative ease towards his companions.


    "Bait find ship, know where family should be." He exclaimed as he stood close to them. "Big flying boat anchored in harbor. Prisoners kept on boat, make sure they don''t try to escape. Many prisoners can''t swim. They drown like unlucky rats if they try to escape."


    "Excellent, then we best be getting there," Illaria exclaimed.


    "Problem, most of us can''t swim either," Mavec replied.


    "The small boats on the dark side. We could get into those and row ourselves into the harbor." Naya suggested.


    "It''s the best bet we''ve got; we can try to stealth our way through," Alvec said.


    "We can certainly try," Illaria said; it was the best plan they had. The dark side seemed to have fewer people around. If they could evade a fight here, they might be able to pull this off without issue. The group set out, moving slowly and trying to be as quiet as possible as they approached the wall. The party struggled to get over it, but most everyone managed with a bit of teamwork to make it happen. Mavec, however, even with Illaria attempting to help, took a nasty tumble down the opposite side. He let out a small scream as he went down. Illaria followed quickly behind him. Alvec motioned everyone to hide as the sound of footsteps drew closer. He grabbed Sarbie and Echo, pulling them both gently into an alleyway. He didn''t utter a single word, but the world around them went completely black. All Sarbie could hear was her heart beating in her ears like a drum. The noise of Mavec''s fall had drawn unwanted attention. Mavec struggled to get untangled from the rope he had used to get up over the earthen wall. At the same time, Illaria stood before him, looking down at him disappointed. There was no way they could hide fast enough, so bluffing it was.


    "Who goes there?" called out a man who approached them


    "Hi there," Illaria said, waving to the man.


    "What are you doing out here?" He asked. He was an older man of average height with wispy brown hair and sun-tanned skin.


    "Crowley asked us to test the defenses of our base. Sent two people of differing skill levels to see how effective our wall was. As you can see, it wasn''t much of an impediment to me... our colleague, on the other hand, literally got tangled in the rope and fell off this side. We''ll have to go find someone a little better than him, I be reasoning," Illaria said without missing a beat. "I doubt our enemies will be this frail, less they send the wizards first."


    "Ah, that makes sense. Not too many things have tried coming over the wall. I thought I saw a fox hop over it earlier, but my eyes must have been playing tricks on me. Less they came for our garbage. They do that sometimes when they can''t find enough mice. But hell, we''ve had so many ships coming and going I can''t imagine not being able to find mice on this island."


    "Ah, well, keep up the good work, and we''ll report our findings. The walls are great vs weaklings, but not experts. We''ll send someone else to test how it does vs a more seasoned climber." The man turned around and walked away, continuing his patrol. Slowly, everyone emerged, and they made their way towards the small boats. Rounding a corner, they discovered that a whole slew of men had set up outside of small docks and were drinking away the night.


    "What do we do now?" Naya asked.


    "I suppose the only thing we can be doing about them is to kill them quickly before they can raise an alarm," Illaria said.


    "Naya, you have another use of summon animals?" Alvec asked.


    "Uh, yeah... why?" she asked.


    "I''ve got a really dumb idea," Alvec said with a smile. "So dumb I hate myself for even thinking it."


    "I like where this is going. Alvec''s dumb ideas are usually next level." Mavec said


    "I''m thinking we create a distraction, say, two animals doing a cockfight. Any chance you can call up monkeys?" he asked.


    "Yes, but no. I won''t call up two creatures to fight for these pirates'' entertainment."


    "Look, we give them knives; we have them put on a real show of it. When the spell ends, they pop back to wherever you pulled them from. It''s fine; any harm they suffer will be extremely temporary."


    "Summon monkeys, give them knives, and have them fight for the pirate''s entertainment. No, this is animal cruelty. I''m not doing it," Naya hissed in a whisper.


    "Naya, Naya. This could work. These guys, they''re drunk. Look at them. They''ll fall for this. If some of us stay here and sneak on right away, and only you and Illaria lead them a few minutes away from here... you and Echo could easily make it back to shore well before they do, and Illaria too. Alvec''s right. We make the monkeys fight to save the goddamn empire Naya. Think of how many people will be butchered by pirates if we don''t do this?" Mavec asked.


    "Illaria! Help me out here," Naya said. Illaria merely shrugged.


    "I think the boys have a solid plan, albeit, I think it is, in fact, so dumb Alvec should feel bad."


    "Oh, believe me, I do," Alvec said, shaking his head.


    Naya groaned loudly. "Any other plans?"


    "I give the monkey''s guns?" Bait said as he pulled out two flintlock pistols.


    "Monkey''s with knives it is. Ok, Echo, let''s get into position," she said as she hopped onto Echo''s back and headed a few minutes away from their current position. Illaria, once she knew where Naya was going to set up the show, headed right up to the group of pirates drinking by the boats.


    "Hey guys, want to see something cool? Two monkeys are fighting with knives over here," she said excitedly as she ran off before they could ask questions.


    "Holy shit, that sounds awesome!" One of the men roared before staggering after Illaria. The rest followed suit.


    "Ah, man, I hope it''s not over before we arrive!" another said.


    "I''ll be taking bets as soon as we arrive... if someone else hasn''t started," another one said as they faded down the street.


    Alvec, Mavec, Sarbie, and Bait loaded into a small boat and began to row as fast as they could away from the shore. Shortly after, Echo, Naya, and Illaria emerged from the streets. Echo plunged into the water with the two women on his back. He doggie paddled over to the small boat, and the two of them hopped off his back and onto the ship, where they did their best to dry off as the group rowed towards the audacity. Echo swam beside them nearly effortlessly. It wasn''t long before they reached the boat. It was quiet, but that didn''t mean the boat was unattended.


    "Bait go first; make sure boat safe." He insisted as he took the rope up the boat quickly. He scampered quickly across the open deck and did his best to be quiet as he moved about the ship''s underside. Curiously, there was still no one around. Bait didn''t bother fearing it; could be many reasons. Maybe pirates dumb like the monkey fighter pirates? Maybe all drunk? Bait, no care, just glad for now that no one was in his way. After some searching, he found the brig. It was less static iron bars and more like iron curtains. The ceiling and floor had some mechanism by which the layout of the cells could be changed. There were at least a dozen people in here, any of which could have been Illaria''s parents. Bait no want to blow cover, so he decided to head back to the group.


    "Bait no see anyone, but Bait did find brig. Lots of people, maybe parents? Bait, no ask, not want to blow cover if Bait missed any enemies," he informed the group. Illaria pulled herself quickly up the ship. The rest of the party followed up shortly behind her. Getting Echo onto the boat took a lot of rope and a team effort. The entire team grabbed on and hauled him up. Once he was safely on the deck, Alvec turned to Sarbie.


    "You, Rem, and Echo, stay on deck here. Try to get the anchor up. We need to be ready to go as soon as possible. The rest of us are going to head to the brig."


    "Alright," Sarbie said nervously. She knew Echo was safe, but on the same token, he was still a giant wolf, and being left alone with him worried her, even if it was irrational.

 80: Crowleys Patron

    The remainder of the party followed Bait''s lead towards the brig when the sound of screaming erupted down the hallway. Illaria broke into a sprint first, the rest of the party following behind her as fast as they could. She burst into the brig with her blade already in hand. Crowley stood at the edge of one of the cells, holding the arm of a plump man in a stained silk shirt of mauve color. The fingers on his hand were bent at odd angles.


    "I told you, all we needed to do to bring them running was to provide proper motivation." Beside him stood an exact duplicate made out of shadow, and at the back of the brig stood a woman in black leather armor, a fancy black carved wood bow in her hands and a length of rope laying at her side. Wings extended from her shoulder blades of her back. They were muddy in color; some of the feathers were marbled white and black, while others were obsidian black and the raminder were various shades of gray. Ram''s horns crowned her head. Illaria''s eyes drifted to the cell beside the woman.


    Her parents stood there, looking, for the most part, unharmed. They seemed a bit thinner than she remembered, and the circles under their eyes were still as prominent as ever. She took a deep breath and forced herself to remain firm and resolute. "Crowley, you won''t be leaving here alive," Illaria said, taking up at the front of the group.


    "Remember the girls mine. You can have the boy all you want." Crowley said as he gestured towards Illaria. "Also, consider targeting the goblin first. He''s extremely dangerous."


    Alvec rounded the corner with the rest of the team to see what Illaria was already viewing. "Fuck." Alvec uttered as he saw the Erinyes in front of him. "Are you who I think you are?" Alvec asked.


    The Erinyes didn''t respond; she drew her bow and aimed down at Bait. No flaming arrows erupted from the bow; instead, a blast of black energy streaked through the air, slamming into him.


    Bait saw things, a world where Cheese didn''t exist. Where cows were extinct, and everything was too clean. He screamed; Bait thought he know fear; Bait thought ratstick teach him fear. No fear compare to there being no cheese. He dropped his gun and ran blindly back out into the hallway.


    Alvec rushed forward, grabbing the musket with his tail as he traced runes in the air before him. "That''s enough from you," he said as he swept his hand, guiding the magic. Ice raced between the railings, trapping her at least momentarily alone in a cell of iron and ice.


    "Ready for our rematch?" Illaria said as she swept up to Crowley and took a swing. Her blade bit lightly into his shoulder.


    "It won''t be much of a rematch, girl; you can''t hope to triumph against us. Before you know it, the whole empire will be bathed in blood." He swung twice at her, and her blade flickered with a golden red light as she swept the wakizashi upwards into his blade, knocking the double-bladed devil sword directly into the ceiling, where it stuck uncomfortably. She retaliated, slashing across his midsection, drawing blood.


    Naya rushed the shadow, slicing into it with her blades. It was a strange feeling; the edges passed through the creature, pulling black smoke from its body as they did, but it was mostly like swinging them through the air, only offering the faintest amount of resistance. It was impossible to tell how much damage her weapons did to this thing. All she was sure of was that she had, in fact, hit it square on. Her first slash had struck across the chest diagonally.


    Flaming arrows burst through the ice wall, and the Eirnyes approached Illaria''s parents. At the same time, the iron walls of the brig shifted. Illaria and Crowley found themselves cut off from everyone else. "Someone, please be getting over there," Illaria shouted.


    "Can''t, but I''ll provide covering fire," Mavec said as he launched another bolt of lightning, which danced between the iron lattice and struck the Erinyes. She moved quickly, only being grazed by the bolt, but it did its job driving her away from Illaria''s parents. Naya took a risk and a strike from the shadowed sword as she spoke to the spirits. Calling upon them to aid her. A large alligator wearing a leather collar with the name Jade engraved upon it stood between the Eirnyes and her possible victims. It hissed and snapped its jaws at her, discouraging any attacks.


    Alvec cursed; there wasn''t a good option here. Down Bait left the party at a pretty large disadvantage, even if Illaria was currently outshining Crowley. He had to open a path so that someone could protect her parents. Pulling out a piece of charcoal, he aimed carefully down at the locked door. He might have been able to catch the Erinyes in this blast, but doing so would also assail another captive. Something Alvec found unacceptable. The shards of diamond erupted and ate through the lock with ease. He kicked the door in as he sent out a mental call for help. Those they left above deck would be needed since Bait was running in fear.


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    Rem growled as he bit into Sarbie''s clothing and began tugging her towards the brig. It was uncharacteristic for the small fox to act aggressively; she followed his lead, doubly so when Echo raised his hackles and bolted out ahead of them. As they entered the hallway, they heard Bait screaming and saw him charging their way with no gun. Echo gently bit down around him, lifting the screaming goblin off the ground and carrying him back towards the action. Echo bounded into the fight, Bait in his mouth. He dropped the goblin wet and slobbered onto the floor before growling at the shadowed Crowley. He lunged forward, snapping his jaws at the creature. It oozed away from him, slipping through the bars. Naya wasted no time and dashed past Alvec, rushing to face the Eirnyes as her summon pressured her from the other side. She struck once, but her aim was true. The blade bit into the devil''s neck, drawing forth a large quantity of black blood. Anger flared in her eyes as they smoldered with literal fire, glaring at Naya.


    Looking around, the fight was not going as she had hoped. Crowley was losing his little duel. Her grandson was certainly flexing his arcane might, her lips curled up in both amusement and disdain. He had an answer for everything, a trait she admired, but it was oh so marred by ethics. Had he been willing to accept collateral damage, he might have even been capable of beating her. As it stood, however, she was relatively unharmed. This feral child had scored a hit, but it wasn''t enough to stop her. With reinforcements arriving, it was clear that it was time to retreat. She would return with fresh troops soon, and then she would grab him... the ritual required a tiefling who was beloved, and both of her grandsons on this battlefield met that requirement. This plan was two mortal generations in the making; she would not allow it to be foiled so easily. Even in the eyes of a devil, with their long view of time, this was still more than a passing commitment. She had hoped that another would have met the conditions sooner, but Ageneon''s peace and prosperity had made it difficult for anyone to become beloved. Adversity is a forge, and the peace had starved it. She moved forward to Crowley, taking another slash from this brat''s blades before reaching him. With a snap of her fingers, she recalled the shadow and grabbed both of them. The world blurred around them as she heard her grandson shout for someone to stop her. He was smart; he knew what was coming. The sound of gunfire roared through the small room, but it was too late; the bullets floated through her as her body slipped the realms, and she and this pathetic worm of a man arrived back at one of her strongholds.


    Alvec cursed loudly. The fight had gone well enough, but them slipping away was a slap to him. Worse, the way that Eirinyes looked at him... he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was happening there. It was entirely possible it could have been his grandmother, his actual grandmother. They hadn''t said anything which confirmed or denied that possibility. It still made him uneasy. Very uneasy. "Bait, let''s give Illaria some time here. You and I can get this ship in the air." Alvec said as he headed for the deck. Turncoat had given them instructions on how to get it airborne, and considering that Crowley was likely arriving back at his base, it would be but minutes before every gun in the harbor was aiming their way. They needed to be at an angle the other cannons would find challenging to hit before it was too late. Adding verticality to the equation would drastically limit the number of ways they could be assaulted.


    Naya and Echo pulled up the anchor as planned while Bait manned the helm. As soon as the anchor was up, Alvec began working the contraption. The boat rose from the water and soared into the sky. The sound of cannons erupting from below confirmed that they hadn''t been a moment too soon getting this boat going. Sarbie did her best to bounce between people treating their wounds. "Do you think we''re out of the woods?" She asked Naya.


    "No, Devils can teleport, and those Eirnyes can fly too. I''d say we need to stay on high alert till we see the Blue Banner," Naya said.


    "Speaking of which, how will they know it''s us? We''re currently flying the fucking flagship of our enemy," Mavec stated.


    "Can''t one of you guys do some magic to make it obvious that we''re not the pirates?" Naya asked.


    "I shoot lightning, Naya, not exactly something Pirates can''t do," Mavec said.


    "Fair point, maybe Alvec has a plan?"


    "Probably." Sarbie agreed.


    "Hey Alvec, what is the plan for not getting bombarded by the Blue Banner army?" Mavec shouted from across the deck.


    "Use our height advantage to fly right over them. We simply don''t engage with the main fleet. We land and raise the white flag after we drop anchor. LuCol, at the very least, is expecting us to arrive before the battle begins, so I figure that''s a good enough cue to show we pulled it off."


    "Fair enough, we actually have a white flag?" Mavec asked.


    "Not likely, but I do have a plan for that. I''ll mix something up with my alchemy kit, and we''ll erode the color from the current flag." Alvec said with a grin.


    "See, I told you he''d have a plan," Naya said.


    "Yeah, they may not always be the best, but he does," Sarbie agreed.

 81: Battle in the Sky

    The other captives had filtered out of the brig, happy to at least get a chance to truly stretch their legs. Leaving only Illaria and her adoptive parents standing in the brig. Alvec¡¯s ice gave a soft chill and dampness to the room. She took a deep breath as she looked them over. They were, near as far as she could tell, physically fine. She could see no apparent wounds, and their clothing was plain but clean.


    ¡°Ma, Pa, don¡¯t you be believing a single word that bastard may have been telling you. I never stopped searching for you,¡± her mother moved forward, throwing her arms around Illaria and pulling tight.


    ¡°We never did, dear.¡± She said.


    ¡°Clearly, you¡¯ve been keeping yourself very busy, though; I dare be saying your swordsmanship was absolutely resplendent,¡± her father said, stepping forward and clapping a hand on her shoulder. They were both humans, unlike her, and even her father, a tall man, was only just as tall as she had grown. Their hair was grayer than she remembered, and her heart ached over their lost days.


    ¡°Aye, I joined the Blue Banner army. The Coffin Flotilla, to be exact. Figured it would be my best pathway to finding Crowley and either exacting my revenge against him or rescuing you.¡±


    ¡°So those were your brothers in arms with you?¡± her father asked.


    ¡°No, not exactly. You see, Cellocht invited Bait, who would be the goblin with a gun, and myself to his hundredth birthday party. We were given shore leave and told to honor the Blue Banner¡¯s name. We met the other three there and have been traveling together since then. We¡¯d come to re-enlist but were asked to stay free agents for now. A certain someone needed individuals he could trust that wasn¡¯t under someone else''s command at the moment. So tell me, are you ok?¡± The words flowed out of her like a storm-swollen river rushing to the coast. They were still in the middle of danger, and she didn¡¯t know how many seconds or minutes they might have before something required Illaria¡¯s intervention.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been taken well enough care of. There was little abuse, so long as we kept our heads down and did what he asked. Though, that may have been because we had no real hope of escape. I dreamed of escape, of fighting back, stealing a boat, and returning to the mainland... but out here on an island full of his dastardly pirates, what chance did I have? Even if I¡¯d gotten a sword, the odds of getting away were always too dim. So we kept our heads down. He left us largely alone so long as we reviewed his books and his hauls,¡± her father said as he stepped back from his daughter and wife, looking at his sword hand with a pained expression. ¡°I always wished I could have done more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Pa, we all did what we could to survive. It would have been suicide, no matter how good you might be with a blade,¡± Illaria assured him. A voice invaded her mind suddenly.


    ¡°Illaria, we¡¯re going to need you on the main deck. We¡¯ve got company.¡± Alvec said to her.


    ¡°Nine hells, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve got to be getting topside. Stay down here where it''s safe. As soon as it''s clear, I¡¯ll return for you both,¡± she said, pulling them into a brief hug before she headed for the main deck. She ran, her long red hair whipped back by the motion. She drew her blade, which flashed with golden light as she arrived on the deck to see her companions taking up fighting positions.


    Crowley and the Erinyes had returned, with backup this time. Her fingers tightened her grip on the handle until they ached. He wouldn¡¯t be getting away this time. She could hear him shouting something in a language she didn¡¯t speak. Probably orders to attack them. The bastard wasn¡¯t getting away this time.


    Alvec cursed his no-good devil-fucking grandfather Iridel. He spoke the hell tongue proficiently due to Iridel¡¯s insistence he learn it. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this is a bad play,¡± Crowley shouted above the rushing wind.


    ¡°And I¡¯ve told you that we can not allow him to escape,¡± the Erinyes said.


    ¡°Look, we had to retreat from them just a few minutes ago. Do you really want to try our luck when they are all together this time?¡± Crowley replied.


    ¡°We have reinforcements, and he has worn through some of his spells. We may not find a better time to strike yet.¡±


    ¡°Damn it all, we could just go after the other one. Rally some of your troops, and I rally some of mine. We take the other with overwhelming force.¡±


    ¡°I believe that he will make the better sacrifice,¡± replied the Erinyes


    ¡°Fine, let''s get this over with,¡± Crowley snarled back at her.


    Well fuck. None of that was good. Considering the number of ¡°he¡¯s¡± in the party, there were only three possibilities about who they could even be talking about, and to his knowledge, only Alvec had any connection with the hells. Without a doubt, they were after him. For some sort of ritual, by the sounds of it. The Erinyes dropped Crowley onto the deck before soaring up high, her bow blazing with hellfire.


    His feet had only just touched the wood before Illaria bore down on him with a series of vicious swings. The pair danced along the eastern edge of trading blows. Three other devils with spears and the strange shadow image of Crowley also joined the fight. The shadow rushed to pressure Illaria from behind but found its line of attack cut off by Naya, whose whirlwind of steel was too much for the shadow to slip by.


    The three devils, each standing easily eight or so feet tall, unclothed bodies with bright red insectoid exoskeletons brandished black barbed spears. They quickly converged on Sarbie. Panic filled her face, quickly replaced with pain as she was skewered. Her legs shook and wobbled as blood gushed from wounds in her gut and shoulders. She rolled with it just enough for the spears to miss most of her vitals. She screamed as she called on Kushang¡¯s healing might, for the first time needing it to save her own life. Positive energy burst from her, and her wounds glowed with white light as they healed. Despite throwing all of her will behind it, the wounds were too deep to recover with only one application. Her knees stopped shaking, though as she no longer felt so much pain, she thought she¡¯d puke.


    Alvec rushed forward and took careful aim. He¡¯d already used most of his good defensive spells in the brig, and most of his higher circle spells were already spent. The best he could do was try to blind them. A blast of white-hot sunlight flared into existence between the three of them. All of them howled, but only one of them was clutching at his eyes with a free hand. Alvec grimaced as he ran to take up position beside Sarbie. As he arrived beside her, three arrows slammed into his back. They splintered on impact as small plumes of hellfire exploded from their tips. The attack had done little more than bruise him a little. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do better than that,¡± Alvec shouted in celestial to further taunt the devils.


    Alvec wasn¡¯t the only one concerned about protecting their newest companion. Echo broke from Naya and bounded over to one of the ones that wasn¡¯t blind. He snapped his jaws and grabbed the legs from under one of them. His teeth punctured the exoskeleton and drew sickly green blood from the wounds, which splintered from his toothmarks like spiderwebs.


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    Mavec joined the fight, while Rem and Piquora did their best to keep the ship flying in the right direction while maintaining altitude. The cannons booming from below him filled him with anxiety, but he¡¯d crunched the numbers; they were high enough now that the pirates would be unlikely to be able to tip their cannons high enough to get the correct trajectory. He let his racing mind fuel his spell as he pulled the practiced trigger in his mind, and lightning uncoiled from his outstretched right hand. The bolt slammed into the devils, attacking Sarbie.


    Bait carefully aimed at the winged devil flying above the crow''s nest. He stuck his tongue out to feel the influence of the wind. He squeezed the trigger before hastily reloading and firing again. The bullets found their mark, and she shrieked in pain before fixing her eyes on him.


    Illaria and Crowley continued to move away from the crowd. ¡°Give it up, girlie; I won our first match; I¡¯ll be winning this one as well.¡±


    ¡°This time, I¡¯ll be more than sticking your sword to the ceiling,¡± Illaria taunted as the pair traded blows. Her sword flashed golden red with magical power as she deftly parried his strikes and returned her own. He was slowing down. Cutthroat Crowley was slowing down. She would win, to make him suffer for all he had stolen.


    Meanwhile, the devils continued attacking Sarbie. The blind one and the one not pinned down by Echo thrust their spears at her. This time, she managed to dodge out of the way of one of them; the other would have pierced her, but Alvec¡¯s tail wrapped around her waist and tugged her backward. He moved forward simultaneously and slammed his buckler into the spear, knocking it away. A moment later, he risked a spear to cast a spell at the one who wasn¡¯t blind. A sickly green ray of light erupted from his free hand as he narrowly dodged a spearhead aimed at his throat. The devil¡¯s strength drained away as Alvec¡¯s magic took sway, leaving the spear heavy and slow in his hands. The Erinyes rained down arrows onto Bait. Each of them found their mark. Unlike Alvec, the hellfire burned him badly, ravaging his small body. He felt weak as he ground his teeth and forced himself to remain standing. No room for Bait to die here. He returned fire as fast as he could. In a duel between the two strongest ranged fighters, Bait was sure he would come out on top. No stupid devil woman with pointy sticks could beat boom-boom and lead.


    Sarbie moved behind Alvec and took a quick headcount of all the creatures within her range before she once more called upon Kushang¡¯s healing prowess. She excluded her the enemies and made sure the rush of positive energy made its way to Bait and her allies. The arrows in his small body were pushed out by the healing and clattered on the floor. It felt like the second time in as many days she¡¯d been on Bait healing duty.


    Naya pushed her assault unaided. She could use help, to be honest. The double-bladed sword vs her twin scimitars meant that both were slashing and twirling a dizzying amount. Blood and shadow shed by each of them in equal measure. The magic of the spirits empowered her enough to withstand Shadow Crowely¡¯s assault, but it wouldn¡¯t hold forever. Its devilish origin, however, meant that it was equally as hardy, if not more. She¡¯d have to hold the line till someone else could get free.


    Mavec rained down another lightning bolt while keeping his distance from the fight. To him, from his vantage point a little higher up, it looked like the tide was about to turn. Illaria looked to be winning, and if she or Bait managed to take out their opponent, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they helped route the rest of them. Echo maintained his grapple, keeping the devil pinned even as it turned its spear against him, stabbing into his underbelly. He crunched his teeth harder, and more green blood wept out of the wound onto the wooden deck.


    The Erinyes again rained arrows down on Bait. One of them pierced his neck, and the goblin went down, falling to the deck with his gun still in hand. ¡°Shit.¡± Mavec shouted, ¡°Bait¡¯s down.¡± From this distance, it was hard to tell if the little guy was still alive.


    Crowley continued his assault on Illaria; the news that Bait had fallen only drove her to fight harder. He swung at her, overextending himself, and with the ease of drawing breath, Illaria slapped his steel wide, leaving him exposed. With a single fluid movement, she carved her blade into his shoulder, biting deep into his chest. She slid forward, dancing past him, and with a final twirl of her blade, brought it clean through his sword hand. The twin blade and his right hand landed with a thunk the boat, and Crowley stumbled forward, clutching his bloody stump to his bleeding chest wound. He tumbled over the side of the ship, fading into the dark skies of the pre-dawn. She wanted to scream in joy; she¡¯d done it. She¡¯d bested the dread pirate in single combat; she¡¯d taken her family back and crippled him all in one decisive battle. There wasn¡¯t time to celebrate, however. Her allies were looking harried. She dashed forward towards Naya first, feinting as she did so; she baited the shadow version of Crowley to swipe at her.


    With practiced ease, she parried the blade. She brought her own through the shadowy demon before sprinting off toward the other trio of devils. She used her agility and skill to trick each of them into taking a stab at her, only for her to parry again before landing her own hits. In moments, she¡¯d sliced every enemy she could reach with the same gambit.


    Sarbie rushed over to bait; everyone else was okay for the moment, which meant she could spend a second casting a spell rather than just pulsing out positive energy. She slid on her knees beside him and grabbed the arrow protruding from his neck with both hands. She wrenched it out of his neck and tossed it aside before placing both hands over his neck and pushing the magic into his body. His eyes fluttered open, and she clasped her bloody hands together in silent prayer. Bait rolled onto his stomach and lined up a shot. He squeezed the trigger twice, and two more bullets found purchase in the dumb devil. It shrieked once more, and the space around it blurred and ignited with flame as it disappeared from sight with a pop of air.


    It took only moments more for Naya to triumph over the shadow, bringing her twin blades through its neck cleanly. The other devils had no better luck escaping as Alvec buried his dagger deep into one of them, and Mavec expended his last lightning bolt on them. The boat was quiet for a moment as the party, battered and bloodied, exchanged looks.


    Bait fished a piece of cheese out of his garments and began snacking on it. Sarbie stood up and stumbled to the side of the boat. She leaned over it and threw up. Alvec was quickly at her side, pulling her hair back and placing a hand firmly on her back.


    ¡°It''s ok, we¡¯re all alive,¡± he assured her while plucking his wand from its container with his tail and activating it on her. It was best to heal the cleric first. A few minutes were spent patching their bodies and clothing with magic before they all settled in.


    Illaria went to the rear of the boat and stood at its edge. The sun''s light had pierced the skyline, and a cacophony of cannon fire was near deafening even at this distance. Dozens of ships engaged each other as the Blue and Red Banner''s combined might slammed against Crowley and his infernal benefactors. After the long night they had experienced, she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d have been much help even if she could have turned the boat back around to rejoin the fray. It was only about an hour or so of sailing through the skies before Bait loudly announced they had found the rear command of the Blue Banner. In that time, Alvec had done as he had planned, dying the flag white. In addition, while surveying the battlefield, he came across Crowely¡¯s severed hand. With his alchemy kit already out, he decided it would be an excellent chance to practice preserving tissue. He grabbed a jar from his kit and placed the hand inside it, filling it with various solutions before placing an airtight stopper on the top. Maybe they could put this in a museum, or someone might want it as a conversation piece. The hand of Cutthroat Crowley.


    The ship sailed over them, flag raised, and landed hard on the water. In minutes, LuCol was there to confirm that they had pulled off their mission. Turncoat wasn¡¯t far behind him. The strange green-skinned man literally kissed the deck after boarding. He made the rounds, thanking all of them. The Audacity and all aboard returned to the shores of Ac-Aziza. The ship was ordered to return to dock and await further instructions. None amongst the them disagreed with the orders. Turncoat anxiously awaited them, he gave them all a round of rousing bear hugs as a round of thanks. With no quarters prepared for them within the camp, most of the party stayed aboard the audacity. Bait snuck away, following Turncoats instructions to find the Blackpowder clans small encampment. Illaria spent her morning regaling her parents with her many exploits. Naya and echo snoozed aboard the deck of the ship, and the wizards and cleric set up in one of the cabins fading into a gentle sleep as they awaited the conclusion to the battle.

 82: Raise the Iron Castle

    Alvec


    After a few hour''s nap, Rem roused him and led him to the deck of the boat. Another boat had pulled up alongside the Audacity. It was a smaller boat, only manned by a few individuals. A man in his fifties or sixties with a well-trimmed beard and long gray hair tied up in a ponytail stepped onto the Audacity. His clothing was well-tailored, and the brass of every button was polished. Alvec groaned, knowing this would be far more adversarial than he wanted. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again, grandfather. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Alvec said as he gave a slight bow to Iridel Reynore, the very same, no-good, devil-fucking grandfather who had spawned Alvec¡¯s bastard branch of the Reynore family. He wasn¡¯t ready for another familial spat among the salt soaked sea.


    ¡°I thought I told you to meet with me in private; I expected you before all of this,¡± he said snidely. ¡°Figured you were smart enough to follow instructions.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, we were a mite busy working with LouCol,¡± Alvec said, smiling devilishly at him. Iridel¡¯s eyes widened for a moment as he assessed the situation. No doubt Iridel was under surveillance even among the Blue Banner, so working with their spymaster certainly was a very worrying sentence.


    ¡°I see. Would you care to elaborate on your work with him?¡± he asked, clearly sweating a bit.


    ¡°When we arrived, before we could track you down, he invited us to speak with him. He wanted some free agents to look into his theory about the Devil¡¯s plotting something. We went and spoke with a Child of Akrixi and confirmed his theory. From there, we had just a few hours to enact a plan to thwart them. My team stormed Crowely¡¯s island under darkness, destroyed the anchoring Styxweed root, stole back the audacity, rescued some prisoners, fought and possibly killed Crowely, and worse, an Erinyes.¡± Alvec said with intent, pushing the implication at Iridel with his words. The man took a moment to consider all the information, silently observing Alvec.


    ¡°You believe it was your grandmother?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I suspect it was. I¡¯m more interested in something I overheard her say and another coincidence I¡¯ve observed.¡± Iridel nodded, encouraging him to continue speaking. ¡°Tyir, commander of the 3rd arcane regiment of the Red Banner army, looks suspiciously like me. You didn¡¯t sire anyone other than my father, did you?¡± Iridel laughed at the idea.


    ¡°No, he very well may be kin to you, but it''s not through my blood,¡± Iridel said.


    ¡°Alright, so others may have made the same deal. Understood. Secondly, she indicated she wanted one of us to sacrifice. Have any idea what she might have been talking about?¡± Iridel frowned.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I do not like the idea, though, as blood sacrifice is usually reserved for powerful infernal spells. Her presence... and the Styxweed... they were using it for what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Seemed like they were using it to pull a bunch of scuttled ships back from the depths to be crewed by devils,¡± Mavec said as he joined the conversation.


    ¡°And worse, there seem to be a few other worrying things.¡± Alvec said as his thoughts drifted to the third banner, which was conspicuously absent. ¡°The Gold Banner isn¡¯t anywhere in sight. This operation was massive; their network should have caught it. LuCol has a lot broader of a focus as one of the spymasters of the Blue Banner; if he was able to catch this, they should have seen it far in advance... so where are they?¡±


    ¡°That''s been troubling me; after your contact with me, they should have stopped by to check in on me. Not a word,¡± Iridel said.


    ¡°And then there''s still the business with the Valley of Steam,¡± Sarbie said as she joined Alvec standing meekly behind him. Iridel gave her a quizzical look.


    ¡°The Valley of Steam, you say? What''s going on there?¡±


    ¡°We fought a Devil there. He wielded a twin-bladed sword and told us he would ¡°Raise the Iron castle,¡± Alvec replied.


    Iridel¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Damn them all, they¡¯re trying again. ¡°How well-warded is this boat?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡±


    ¡°Then let''s go below deck to continue this conversation. We can¡¯t afford prying eyes,¡± Iridel said before heading below deck. Alvec and the others, including Naya, followed along, ending up in a sparse room with chairs and a table. They took a seat around the crowded table, and both of the Reynores spent a moment adding their own wards to the array that the Audacity six already possessed.


    ¡°So you going to tell us what that''s all about?¡± Alvec finally asked satisfied with his own handiwork.


    ¡°The Iron Castle was an idea... a goal the devils had. I¡¯d have sworn before today that I¡¯d never have heard that phrase before. No one is supposed to know about it. Hell, even most of us who fought through the Anarchy and Ageneon''s war don¡¯t know about the Iron Castle. You see, it was a ritual designed to bring the shattered facet into our world. The barrier between the realms has always been weak in the Empire of Fire and Water. They found a way to exploit that.¡±


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    ¡°Well, sounds like their plan failed,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± Iridel said darkly.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Alvec,


    ¡°It worked. They completed the ritual. The only reason we¡¯re not being enslaved by infernals is that their presence woke up Akrixi. He literally dragged them back to hell.¡± Iridel confirmed.


    ¡°HA, I told you the spirits were good!¡± Naya shouted as she pointed at Mavec.


    ¡°Ok, OK, IF TRUE, then Akrixi did us a solid,¡± Mavec admitted. ¡°So, how did you find this out?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I offered shelter to a demon being hunted by the Gold during the chaos of their plan being foiled,¡± Iridel confirmed.


    ¡°So wait a second, the Throne land... it''s connected to the ritual, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re exclusionary zones! No one''s supposed to go there because it''s still somehow connected to this ritual, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°My understanding is that ritual is carved into the very earth. War is hell, and they brought war, and conversely hell to the Empire.¡± Iridel pointed toward the twin sword. ¡°May I see that?¡± He asked. Alvec placed it on the table before him, and he turned it over a few times. ¡°It''s as I feared.¡± He said, shaking his head from side to side.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Sarbie asked nervously, still staying behind Alvec.


    ¡°This sword, it''s too new, the devil carrying this, he wouldn¡¯t have been here since the Anarchy. This means they¡¯re at it again, trying to raise the Iron Castle. I hid a stash of my old books. I¡¯ll need to consult them to see what this ritual your grandmother wants you for is. For what it''s worth, I¡¯m sorry you''re suffering for my mistakes,¡± he said with a long sigh. ¡°Think you could have LuCol offer me some protection? If the Gold barges in here, I¡¯ll lose my head just for accessing these books I need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll mention it to him,¡± Alvec said. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Do we think the Gold is... compromised?¡± Sarbie asked.


    ¡°It''s an alarming possibility,¡± Iridel said.


    ¡°We can¡¯t know for sure,¡± Alvec said. ¡°But we should operate under the assumption that they are. If they try to capture us again, I think we have to fight back. This mystery with Kavaas, and now their strange absence here in Ac-Aziza despite obvious infernal plots... all I¡¯m saying is that if we get taken into their custody again, we¡¯re not coming back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave word for TaeCol in Ac-Aziza,¡± Sarbie stated.


    ¡°Ah, so you work for the church too. Interesting company you keep, grandson.¡±


    ¡°Better than yours,¡± Alvec replied without missing a beat.


    ¡°Any word on if Tyir survived?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s being held on a medical ship. The third arcane regiment came under a lot of infernal pressure. He¡¯s got a bad case of healer¡¯s burn. They won¡¯t let anyone in till he¡¯s been treated. You¡¯ll have to wait a day at least. What do you need him for?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got him decoding a secret cipher. The first time we killed one of those strange monsters, the man who died shoved an encrypted notebook in our hands.¡±


    ¡°Well, hopefully, it contains some answers. If you don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯ll be taking my leave. There''s a lot of work to be done,¡± Iridel said as he strode out of the hold.


    Alvec gripped the table tightly, his fingertips digging into the wood. Sarbie placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°My turn to tell you it''s going to be ok.¡± She said, giving a weak smile.


    ¡°Want a cig?¡± Mavec said as he pulled one out and lit one for himself.


    ¡°No, but a drinks sounding pretty good right now,¡± Alvec admitted.


    ¡°Yeah, there''s a lot of fucked up shit going on here,¡± Mavec said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait to see what tomorrow brings.


    Illaria


    Illaria and her parents dined alone on the Audacity Six. There wasn¡¯t much for her parents to recount. Their lives had been exceptionally dull, and their contact with others beyond captives on the ships was minimal. Instead, they spent the meal grilling Illaria over all manner of things she had done since the day they parted ways. Most curious to them was her friendship with Bait. The two of them looked to be such an odd couple from the outside. There were dozens of questions about Alvec and Mavec, followed by some gentle ribbing about whether either man drew her fancy. The answer was no, but they were both great lads, and she hoped they found good ladies or lads to settle down with someday. Eventually, as their drinks began to drain, the topic turned from the past, both long gone and more recent, to the future. For the first time, she could consider a future that held more than just blood, steel, and gunpowder on the backdrop of salt water and warm sun.


    ¡°The tower in Sha-Laial doesn¡¯t have much space, but we¡¯d more than welcome you there,¡± Illaria finally mentioned.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t put you out like that. Perhaps we could stay somewhere close by?¡± her mother asked.


    ¡°Perhaps the boarding house next door. Edis and Nora would likely have some spare rooms,¡± Illaria replied.


    ¡°That sounds like a good place for us to restart our lives. I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t want to return to traveling around again shortly, but we¡¯d like to stay with you for at least a little while. We¡¯ve already lost so many precious days,¡± her father said, giving her a smile.


    ¡°It''s settled then; we¡¯ll have you return with us. The caravan is just large enough to accommodate a few extra people,¡± Illaria stated.


    ¡°So when do we leave?¡± Her mother asked.


    ¡°It will probably be at least a day or so. We¡¯ve got an important meeting tomorrow morning. We¡¯ve had a mystery on our hands for a good while, and we¡¯ll finally be getting some answers. I¡¯m sure Alvec is thrilled to finally know. It''s been annoying him for months now.¡± Illaria admitted. The trio bedded down not long after their glasses were empty. Dishes and other menial chores could wait till tomorrow.

 83: The Journal

    Alvec Snaptail


    Morning¡¯s light awoke Alvec. The boat''s gentle rocking made his stomach uneasy as he readied himself. They were getting answers today. That was the plan. He¡¯d barely gotten dressed when Illaria knocked on his door.


    ¡°Not to be giving you bad news, but LuCol wants to speak with us first,¡± she said as she stood in the open doorway.


    ¡°Alright. Let''s go debrief with him.¡± Alvec agreed. The two of them went round, gathering up the remaining members of their motley crew. The Cheese Acolytes, in all their glory, went to LuCol¡¯s flagship. They found him in his captain''s room, sitting behind a desk, his hands crossed in front of his face. Clearly trying to hide a wide smile.


    ¡°So not only was I right about everything, having spotted something infernal that had slipped by Ghol and his men. I also gambled correctly on a band of misfit adventurers to deliver a crushing victory. Crowley missing and presumed dead, and many of the infernals were neutralized or fleeing. Some ships were raised successfully and crewed by devils as we suspected, but this infernal fleet has been scattered, and we¡¯re actively engaging to prevent them from forming up into one armada.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to be hearing all of this,¡± Illaria stated as she smiled wide. She doubted deep down that Crowley was dead, but she knew that he was at least without a hand.


    ¡°We owe much thanks to you; the bards are already singing about how you took an eye, a hand, and some of his intestines with your blade,¡± LuCol said as he bowed low to her. ¡°But last we spoke, you rather rushed our conversation. Understandably so, but I believe you mentioned ¡°intruders.¡± might I ask what exactly you meant by that?¡± he asked, turning to Naya.


    The girl snapped her spine up straight and looked alarmed. She¡¯d never meant to mention them in the first place, not without asking the group if it was even ok to. She anxiously looked at Alvec.


    ¡°What do you say, guys? We trust LuCol enough to bring him into this mess?¡± Alvec asked as he looked around the room.


    ¡°He gave us information that led to us fighting and defeating Crowley. He kept his word so I would be trusting him,¡± Illaria confirmed.


    ¡°Bait trust Illaria¡¯s judgment.¡±


    ¡°I see the risks, but I¡¯d raise the benefits. He¡¯s high up in the Blue; if Vato was right, I¡¯d rather have allies like him.¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°He owns a displacer beast; he can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Naya said, nodding yes. What on earth is a displacer beast???


    ¡°Alright, gods above, how do we even describe this?¡± Alvec said. ¡°We encountered strange creatures throughout our travels. At first, we could have brushed it off as a fluke, but emerging information makes us concerned that this is very much a guided effort, and the end it leads to is an empire-threatening scenario.¡±


    ¡°Vato, the archwizard of divination, had such dark visions of what was to be coming that he was glad he would be dead well before Kavaas returned,¡± Illaria added.


    ¡°Kavaas translates to Foul Light in Old Imperial, but we don¡¯t know what it is other than we suspect it''s connected to these strange monsters,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°During our first encounter, a dying man thrust a notebook to Alvec. We assumed he meant to only share it with a man named Tyir, but we¡¯ve now met Tyir, and we think he mistook Alvec for him,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°The journal was encrypted. Tyir promised to break the code on it and reveal it to us as soon as we finished this campaign,¡± Alvec assured him.


    ¡°Alright, so Vato saw a strange invasion of monsters?¡± LuCol asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I think it''s worse than that,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Worse, how?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t ruled out that these monsters were specifically directed at us,¡± Mavec replied. ¡°Once is a fluke, and twice is a pattern. More strange monsters came after us shortly after we recovered the journal.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still researching that possibility. Independent of the Kavaas and Monster talks... we also suspect the Gold Banner is possibly compromised. We have no solid proof of that... yet. They used us to take out infernal activity in Sha-Laial, but we noticed a few oddities that made me think it wasn¡¯t a coincidence. First, the summoning circle was old and well-used. Secondly, the particular devil they seemed to be in league with just so happened to be an Erinyes, the same devil as my grandmother.¡± Alvec added.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Hey, did you tell us that before?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Sorry, I kept that one close to my chest,¡± Alvec admitted.


    ¡°Rude,¡± Naya replied.


    ¡°That''s certainly a lot of information to drop on me,¡± LuCol said as he turned away from the party and gazed out the aft window. ¡°Sounds to me like we should be checking on that encrypted journal before anything else. Perhaps it will clarify these ¡°intruders,¡± as you and Vato called them. Let''s head on over to the medic tents. LuCol led the way, and in a matter of minutes, despite protests from the nurses, they were ushered into the room Tyir was in. The poor guy¡¯s skin was a strange color. It looked to be a rose gold.


    Alvec grimaced. ¡°Healers burn really did a number on you.¡±


    Tyir groaned. ¡°It¡¯ll take weeks for this to fade, but my skin has never been softer. Those infernals were relentless. I swear one of them tried to pick me up,¡± he said with a laugh.


    Alvec joined in awkwardly with him. ¡°So about that... pretty sure they were trying to kidnap you.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°We may have met your mutual grandmother while on our mission,¡± Illaria chimed in.


    ¡°Wait, are you saying we¡¯re cousins?¡± Tyir asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that''s the assumption anyway. The Erinyes we fought made it very clear that I was the prime target. Crowley insinuated that there was another tiefling whom they could use for whatever ritual they were planning. Needless to say, you and I must be careful while we sort out what exactly they want to use us for.¡±


    ¡°So you''re saying we¡¯re using the buddy system with you, Alvec. Echo can sleep with you from now on,¡± Naya said as she pointed towards the wolf waiting just outside the tent.


    Alvec let out a long sigh. Echo was a good boy, but cuddling up with him all night was not his idea of a good time. ¡°Tyir¡¯s got the 3rd Arcane regiment of the Red Banner on his side, so we don¡¯t have to worry too much about him, at least.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the chit that; you got the journal decided yet?¡± Mavec asked, bringing the conversation to heel.


    Tyir nodded silently. ¡°Is it safe to do this here?¡± he asked, his eyes locking onto LuCol.


    ¡°We¡¯ve brought him up to speed,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Alright, place any protections you want to, and we¡¯ll begin. I¡¯ll read it to you all out loud, and then we can discuss.¡± Tyir said as he pulled out the journal and flipped it open. Alvec rushed around quickly, establishing a set of protective wards. They¡¯d be hard to spot, if nothing else. Tyir began to read in a collected voice.


    -----


    Infernal activity present across all provinces, but at a small scale.


    Permanent small portals made and maintained in large cities. Little coming through them.


    Presence in rural areas limited, except for Throne lands. Mid-caste devils spotted in Throne lands. Unable to determine if they are remnants or new.


    Unusual amount of attention given to spirits. Infernal agents approach children of Akrixi and keep others away. Mid-caste infernal attacks noted on manifest spirits.


    Gold Banner Army''s strategy consistent. Heavy reprisals against plotting nobles and small-scale infernal contact. Constant surveillance of portal sites, but no intervention. All confirmed portal sites currently monitored by Gold Banner Army.


    Pattern: When portal site accidentally discovered by locals, Gold Banner Army directs local army troops or local mercenaries to resolve issue while masking involvement. Effective, but unusual.


    Reason given for inaction. Marshal Gholl claims Gold Banner Army searching for high caste remnant devils. Extent of surveillance on portals masked in hopes of getting eyes on remnants.


    Pattern: Chain of command in Gold Banner Army unbroken. No rogue elements likely. Strategy and tactics probably dictated from top down. Marshall Ghol has Ageneon''s complete faith. Thorough evidence required to turn opinion against Gholl.


    Three week surveillance of Gold Banner Army Central Depot complete. No evidence of infernal, demonic, arcane, or fae magic. Central depot defenses likely too powerful. Must seek intelligence from alternate source.


    <ol>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Bishop Aso RaMol</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Lord Saeing TaeShas</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Master Ving Itell</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Admiral Chelen TaeShan</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Golden General Ozole Gelten</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Red Colonel Zhuen Thali</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Lord Kes TaeOl </li>


    </ol>


    Pattern: Each of these figures dined privately with Marshall Gholl. Soon began displaying erratic behavior. Some continued on in their duties, others retired. No evidence of seditious activities or contact with infernal agents.


    Master Foten Fal


    Iskala Ralel


    Pattern: Foten Fal dined with Marshall Gholl, soon became ill and passed away. Reason given: Stomach ailment exacerbated by exotic spices in meal.


    Iskala Ralel convicted of treason, Marshall Gholl invited her to dinner as pretext to get her away from the temple. Evidence of fight clear. Evidence of treason flimsy. Others dined with Marshall Gholl without incident. Connection sought.


    Pattern: Seven often move about empire without restriction. Often nearby those with civil power or martial power. Possibly some form of hidden communication between them. Seek to use Koyal¡¯s theorem to find connection. Ozole Gelten attending Celloct¡¯s birthday party at extreme distance from other seven.


    Success. Thread of communication uncovered at Arcane/Phrenic border. Window opened briefly. Communication primarily in language I do not comprehend. Some names in modern Imperial heard. Ageneon, Vato, Cellocht, TaeCol, Alusai, Tayen, Nanjao, Quector. Phrase Kavaas repeated frequently.


    Must seek greater resources to observe the thread for greater amount of time with less risk of discovery.

 84: More Questions Than Answers

    A silence fell over the group as the enormity of the words just read washed over them. ¡°Your friend, he was an Imperial Sentinel,¡± Alvec said.


    The Gold Banner wasn¡¯t compromised... or at least not the lower elements of it. It was performing just as intended. Which meant that any corruption of the Gold came right from the head of the snake. Marshall Gholl himself... the right hand of the Emperor. A man regarded as a father figure to him and a living legend himself. If that fact wasn¡¯t bad enough, that damned name had come up again. Kavaas, meaning Foul Light in Old Imperial. If Gholl and Kavaas were connected... then the only choice was to find a way to contact the Emperor.


    Even with the aid of the individuals they had contact with, it would be tough for them to get an audience with the Emperor. Even plying his last name might not be enough to carry him into the inner palace... and even then... if Gholl was even tangentially aware of what they knew, then he¡¯d be an immediate target.


    ¡°This is really bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but what''s even more worrying is that we still don¡¯t know what Kavass even is,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°We know he be returning, but it''s not anything we¡¯re familiar with. Is there a chance it had a different name?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Look, anything is possible till we can rule it out? What do you guys make of two that died after meeting with Gholl?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Foten Fal was an enchanter, had a fairly frail constitution if I remember... and Iskala... wasn¡¯t she a famous Paladin?¡± Alvec asked as he mulled something over.


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± LuCol asked.


    ¡°Mavec, Tyir... How confident are we that Ozole Gelten could have detected that his connection had been dropped in on?¡± The trio exchanged looks for a moment. ¡°That''s what I thought,¡± Alvec said. ¡°If Gelten had a moderate background in the arcane, then he would have been able to spot it.¡±


    ¡°He did; while you were off getting food for the animals, he said hello to me at the spell tent. Gave off the impression he knew at least basic magic.¡± Mavec confirmed.


    ¡°Which means we need to operate under the assumption that those monsters and the Gold Banner are directly linked. The attacks we encountered on the road near Celocht''s and on the High Arrow were not a coincidence. Gelten likely orchestrated it. He must have intended to collect any possible evidence that the Sentinel had. Which is why he made a separate attack on us on the river.¡±


    ¡°So why not after that?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°Bait know, Bait too good with boom boom, kill all dumb abominations.¡±


    ¡°Ornral intervened. The presence of whatever those things were enraged it, and it attacked them.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that serpent of water?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°It''s a water spirit who enjoys floods. I¡¯m pretty sure they saved us on the High Arrow.¡± Naya insisted.


    ¡°Not to mention in the Valley of Steam. The second time, a water snake emerged and washed away these ¡®intruders¡¯,¡± Illaria reminded them.


    ¡°Every time we¡¯ve encountered these intruders near water, something has shown up to help us deal with them. I think it''s safe to say the spirits don¡¯t like them,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°You know what this means, right?¡± Mavec said as he cast glances around the room. ¡°We¡¯ve got to talk to a spirit, and I don¡¯t mean any spirit, something older than the children of Akrixi. Someone with more knowledge of these things. Have any ideas of who we could try to talk to?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Aye, I''ve an idea, and I hate it,¡± Illaria said as she glanced at the sea.


    ¡°No, no, no, Shoalsotta is as likely to claim us as to talk with us,¡± Naya said. ¡°We¡¯d need a great deal of sacrifices to make sure she¡¯ll treat in good faith. She¡¯s very possessive.¡±


    ¡°We could offer a boat; I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve got some that are damaged enough that repairing them would be almost more effort than it''s worth. Gold coins, the devil''s sword. All of those things would be attractive offers.¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Would Crowely¡¯s hand be a good bargaining chip?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°The hand of a man who tried to steal from her, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d take great pleasure in that. Did we not sweep it off into the sea already?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°No, actually. I retrieved it and preserved it... an exercise in my skills as an alchemist; it''s in a jar on the boat.¡±


    ¡°What were you going to do with it?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°I mean, I figured if we got more famous, maybe a museum would want it as a curiosity piece,¡± Alvec replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Gross, but... I see what you mean,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°Alright, LuCol, can you secure us a boat we may offer up?¡± Illaria asked. ¡°As well as gather a few bards to join us on another boat nearby?¡± Illaria asked. ¡°If we¡¯re to do this properly, we¡¯ll want to prepare the boat first and then dance upon the waves.¡±


    ¡°You do realize how insane this sounds?¡± Tyir asked the group as he glanced at LuCol, expecting to see disagreement or bewilderment on his face. Instead, LuCol met Tyir¡¯s gaze with an icy, stern demeanor.


    ¡°If everything they say is, in fact, true... if Gholl is compromised, if something murdered a sentinel on his orders... then I don¡¯t see much else choice but to speak to the spirits to uncover what Kavaas is,¡± Mavec replied.


    ¡°Wait just one moment. Tyir, can you be reading us the names at the end again?¡± Illaria asked.


    ¡°TaeCol,¡±


    ¡°We know him, of course,¡± Sarbie said, crossing her arm over her chest and gently cradling her other arm. ¡°He sent me here to assist you.¡±


    ¡°Vato,¡±


    ¡°Bait know dat one, he dead guy who seeee da future.¡±


    ¡°His prophecy was the first time we heard about Kavaas and his return,¡± Alvec supplied.


    ¡°Alusai,¡±


    ¡°The master of clocksmithing, who revolutionized the field,¡± Mavec stated.


    ¡°TaeYen,¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the name of the noble house our maid Sorali worked for?¡± Naya asked.


    ¡°Huh, I think your right.¡± Alvec mused.


    ¡°Nanjo,¡±


    The room was silent.


    ¡°Guess you don¡¯t have any connections with them,¡± Tyir said. ¡°Quectar.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know him, but I know of him. He was the Archwizard of Transmutation. Some halfling who was on the wrong side of the war. Disappeared shortly after it.¡±


    ¡°So what''s the common thread?¡± LuCol asked.


    ¡°Was that rhetorical?¡± Mavec asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I see one thing, but I want to make sure it''s not the only connection,¡± LuCol said.


    ¡°Nothing beyond them all being rich or powerful,¡± Alvec confirmed. ¡°That''s the connection you saw, right?¡± LuCol nodded.


    ¡°Just like the Sentinel said.¡±


    ¡°Alright, do we have a boat to sink for Shoalsata?¡± Naya asked as she turned her gaze to LuCol. The man straightened himself up, polishing the brass buttons on his coat.


    ¡°I have the authority to get us one, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then make it happen,¡± Mavec said, giving him a solemn nod. ¡°It''s a black day when we depend on answers from the spirits.¡±


    ¡°I''ll call for you soon,¡± he said as he exited the tent and walked briskly to the docks.


    ¡°What else can we do to prepare?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°We need to get a band together. It''s taboo in the Blue Banner to sing or dance on the seas. So it might be best for Tyir to go find us some members of the red who play instruments.¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Consider it done; I¡¯ll message my men and have them assemble a group,¡± Tyir said as he leaned back into the bed and raised a finger to point at his own horned head. Alvec smirked; they even had similar mannerisms. He did the same thing when casting that spell. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine him as a brother. Thankfully, his father was too good of a man to cheat. How many more were out there, though? Could any others meet the conditions, whatever they were, to be considered good specimens? It was a daunting question that was nearly impossible for Alvec to answer.


    ¡°Let''s be heading to the docks, I¡¯m ready to get this started as soon as we can,¡± Illaria said.

 85: A Hand to the Deeps

    ¡°Bait meet you there!¡± The goblin said before dashing out the door first. Bait has secret plan. Need to visit mess hall. Drink lots of water. Bless boat with lots of pee! Shoalsotta must love pee; all boats have pee on them. The mess hall was easy to find and relatively quiet when Bait bolted through the tent flaps and rushed to the tables with pitchers of water on them. He grabbed one in his hands and defiantly threw his head back as he drank deeply from the pitcher. He struggled to choke down the water faster enough; dis pitcher made for humans, not goblins. Too big, not enough cheese. The few people in the room looked at him with concern but did nothing to stop him as he set down the pitcher and grabbed another.


    ¡°Is that safe?¡± One of the witnesses asked another.


    ¡°Probably not; it causes the brain to swell if you drink too much too fast. Though he is a goblin, they have big skulls.¡±


    Bait finished the second pitcher and went for another. A robust human hand grabbed the pitcher before he could and pulled it out of his reach.


    ¡°Friend, you¡¯re cut off.¡± Said a man who had a scruffy salt and peppered beard.


    ¡°Dat for wheat rot-water, not water water.¡± Bait said, hopping a bit, reaching for the pitcher just out of reach.


    ¡°It''s for whatever I say it is. Now run along, please. I don¡¯t want to clean up any vomit today.¡±


    Bait looked at the man in his stern face. ¡°K bye.¡± He said before scampering out of the tent and heading back to the docks. By the time he had arrived, so too had a few members of the Red Banner Army, each carrying some small instrument. Bait like the dwarf with the small drums best. Elf with a flute, human with a violin. Others with other small instruments Bait not know name of. Sad, no goblins here with rat sticks. Dey hiss lots, make great chorus. Blackpowder clan still resting and recovering. Crowley and she-devil work Blackpowder clan hard. Tend dumb Sticks-weed. Bait clan no gardeners or farmers. Dey hunters. Dey need time to adjust to the outside world again. Day hunt before long.


    Bait joined his friends upon the boat, sneaking to the ship and gingerly relieving himself all over the back. Illaria would yet at him again if he pissed on the front of the vessel. The memory of the boat smacking him in balls sent a shiver up his spine. Dumb ghost boat.


    The rest of his friends were busy preparing to visit the spirit. Mavec and Alvec had set up a shrine with the sword, Crowley¡¯s hand, and a small pile of gold pieces. Illaria, Naya, and Sarbie were on their hands and knees, adding decorations to the boat. Painting the image of crabs and other favored creatures of Shoalsatta onto the ship. Bait not know how else to make Shoalsatta happy, but Illaria says we never dance so as not to draw da spirits ire. So Bait stripped down to just his undergarments. Traditional goblin dance would help get attention.


    As the other boat followed them out onto the open seas, the music began, and Bait stomped around the ship, making hoos and ha¡¯s as his feet slapped the wooden deck.


    Mavec shook his head as he leaned against the railing of the boat. The seas were calmer than they had been the night before, but the seas weren¡¯t a thing he was familiar with. For all he knew, this was how they usually were outside of storms. He hated this; relying on the spirits was about the last thing he wanted to do. To think that Akrixi had stopped the infernals was a bit of a gut punch. Spirits were fickle and ephemeral. Trusting them felt like rolling dice with their very lives. But the gods, as great as there were, were the newcomers in this land, historically speaking. Ageneon''s reign had cemented them as the preferred beings of worship in the empire. Either way, helping set up the makeshift altar and decorating was all the bullshit Mavec could stand. He stubbornly tapped his foot to the makeshift music drifting over to them from the second boat a few hundred yards away. He could see LuCol watching them intently from the other ship.


    Naya and Illaria swung around in a bawdy dance. Illaria belted the lyrics to one of her favorite sea shanties as they moved around the dance floor. Sarbie followed Mavec¡¯s lead, hanging out near the entrance to the small captain''s cabin. These last few weeks had been a blur. Constructs with spinning heads, giant salamanders, sleepwalking towns, devils and pirates, and spirits. You could write a good story about any of the topics she¡¯d recently encountered. The group certainly seemed like the heroes of an epic tale. Illaria was so beautiful and swift, not to mention daring. Illaria¡¯s vibrant red hair flashing on a background of swift steel was ingrained in her mind.


    On the other hand, Naya felt like she¡¯d stepped out of time or a folk tale. She and Echo cut a taller-than-life portrait of living in the hinterlands, where the spirits ruled more than the gods. Mavec was perhaps the least outwardly heroic, yet Picquora had come in the clutch many times, and her speed was dazing. Bait, well, he¡¯d have been the comedic relief in any other story, but his lethality with his musket put him in some strange folk-hero category. A cheese-obsessed goblin should be the relief. And then, there was Alvec. The unyielding. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. The nickname and the story circulating with it were the stuff of legends. While he¡¯d certainly earned it, he was very different from the image they cut of him.


    The hours with his head glued to books, enchanting projects, taking care of Rem, and teaching everyone here so many variations of gambling games was an image at odds with his reputation as Sha-Laial¡¯s shield-wizard who had faced down 2/3rds of the red banner armies team on his own. She found her fingers interlaced with the clasp of the cloak he¡¯d given her. The vial of Alchemist Fire is still safely on her hip. He¡¯d been the one to get her into this mess, but every step of the way, he¡¯d done his best to ensure she was as safe and protected as possible. He didn''t leave her side when the devils focused on her during the last fight.


    As if on cue, he broke her concentration by clearing his throat and looking slightly more jittery than usual. ¡°So, if the world might be ending, would you do me the honor of another dance?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather join in a dance with Illaria? I can hear it now, the bane of the dread pirate and the unyielding shield. Makes for a good story.¡±


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    Alvec smiled too wide at her, exposing his slightly more prominent canines. ¡°True, but I¡¯m not writing the best fairy tale. I¡¯m writing the one I want to tell.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight flush creep up her face as he extended his hand. ¡°I hardly feel worth your time. I¡¯ve been nothing but a burden,¡± she said, glancing away from him. His hand quickly found hers, and with a swift tug, she found herself dragged out from the wall. He laced his fingers between hers and wrapped his other hand around the small of her back.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t hear a no,¡± Alvec said with a soft, nervous laugh.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear a yes, either.¡±


    ¡°True, instead, you were saying you¡¯ve been a burden. I¡¯m not exactly sure how.¡±


    ¡°All of you have been protecting me so much; how am I supposed to feel like anything else?¡±


    ¡°Sarbie, you saved Bait¡¯s life. Not even a question; that devil nearly caved his skull in repeatedly. Had you not been there healing him, we¡¯d be one goblin companion short of our merry band. You¡¯ve been an immense help.¡±


    ¡°I barely did that, one small hiccup, and he¡¯d be dead.¡±


    ¡°No one expects you to accomplish things with heavenly grace,¡± Alvec said as he led her through the same tight square motions they¡¯d practiced at the festival of blades.


    ¡°You guys make it look so easy.¡±


    ¡°I promise you it''s not; you know what I was thinking during the Red Banner fight? When Mavec went down, it was just me and the familiars?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m skeptical how I¡¯ll be made to feel better.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, fuck fuck, there''s no way I make it through this.¡± He said with a grin. ¡°There were four of them and just one of me. How on earth was I supposed to compete with that?¡± Sarbie gently slapped Alvec¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m calling bullshit, Hoc wouldn¡¯t stop raving about how you fought.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he could see me shaking from fear and adrenaline from the stands.¡±


    ¡°But you kept your cool and kept fighting. I can¡¯t say I¡¯d do the same.¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure you already did. You risked your life to save Bait. You had to be close enough to Bait to heal him, and that meant you were also in range of the thing trying to savagely kill him. He could have chosen to attack you just as easily at the drop of a hat.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t, so it doesn¡¯t feel like I was in danger.¡±


    ¡°If we all do our job right, you shouldn¡¯t ever feel very threatened, but we can¡¯t always protect you so effortlessly,¡± Alvec said before giving her hand a slight squeeze. ¡°It''s my fault you''re in this, so I will do everything I can to protect you.¡±


    Hearing those words with such sincerity made a blush creep up her cheeks as she coyly glanced away. She barely had time to enjoy the feeling before the boat shook. In a snap, she found herself held up by Alvec as he effortlessly shifted his weight, using his tail as a counterbalance to steady the two of them. The water beneath them was receding, and the ship was lowering. Strangely, it wasn¡¯t all the water, just about a 30-foot bubble around them. The music from the boat stopped for a few seconds before resuming, the band growing more distant. As the ship settled on the seafloor far more gently than any of them expected, what seemed like an endless tide of tiny hermit crabs emerged from the curtain of water. They scaled the sides of the boats and began shuffling their way towards the valuables.


    ¡°The keeper of the depths is with us now; hermit crabs are Shoalsatta¡¯s favorite animal. I¡¯m not rightly sure how we be talking to her, but we should begin,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Naya, how do we talk to it?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°I mean, we could say a prayer?¡± Naya responded back.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s onto something,¡± Alvec said as he closed his eyes and focused sharply on the question. He visualized the words and tried to replay the moment in his mind where Mangrove had spoken the name in the mortal tongue.¡± The crabs paused momentarily and rattled their claws skyward angrily before moving towards the loot again. An image invaded the edge of his mind. A bright purple light shone from the heavens, and Akrixi spewed thick black smoke into the sky, blotting out this strange light.


    ¡°Bait have vision, guys have vision too? Or was da cook right about drinking too much water?¡± Bait asked.


    ¡°Aye, we be seeing it as well,¡± Illaria confirmed.


    ¡°It''s a purple light?¡± Sarbie asked.


    ¡°Quick, someone think about those monsters we¡¯ve encountered,¡± Naya said.


    ¡°On it!¡± Mavec replied as he honed in on the memory of the strange flatworms with human teeth on both ends. The image that slowly overwhelmed his memory was a person and a spirit walking side by side. The light from the star shone upon them, and both transformed, flesh and spirit becoming monstrous under the influence of the light. ¡°Fuck, that explains a bit,¡± Mavec said. Alvec focused hard, showing memories of fights with his companions and pushing another thought along with it: a desire for more. His vision was quickly overwhelmed with more visions, this time three flaming women, cats, forge sparrows, and owls. All of which blazed in golden red flame. Additionally, rainfall and the hiss of serpents dragged him out of the image.


    ¡°So, if I¡¯m understanding this right. Kavaas is some light from space, and it mutates spirits and men into monsters, who spirits of fire and spirits of water fight.¡± Illaria recapped.


    ¡°Not just any fire spirits. Those were the three sisters. I¡¯d recognize them anywhere!¡± Naya said. ¡°Enner Jut, Enner Rel, and Enner Swa¡±


    ¡°What does that mean for us?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That Kavaas is something very powerful. The three sisters are like Shoalsatta. They¡¯re around, but you can¡¯t interact with them.¡± Naya said. The boat was lifted as thousands of tiny crabs hefted the ship they were standing on off the ground and began to walk it through the water curtain.


    ¡°Time looks to be up for questions. Think she¡¯ll let us out of here safely?¡± Mavec asked.


    Naya crossed her hands in prayer and imagined the water gently filling around them and lifting them back up to the ocean''s top. Less of an image and far more of a feeling swept over her: warmth and safety. She was sure that Shoalsatta would return them to the surface without harm. The waters did as Naya had suggested, calmly rising and pushing them up with it. Those who struggled to swim held onto Echo¡¯s mane. When they reached the water''s surface, LuCol was there, ready to fish them out of the water.


    ¡°Did you learn what you needed?¡¯ He asked.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Alvec replied.


    ¡°Meaning?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We know more than we did a few minutes ago,¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°There''s got to be something we be missing,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Can we maybe discuss this around a fire?¡± Alvec asked as he motioned to their sopping-wet clothing.


    ¡°Let''s,¡± LuCol said as he ordered the boat to return to the mainland. Once they had returned to dry land, LuCol commandeered a tent on the outskirts of the camp, and the group began to dry out.

 86: The Murky Past

    Illaria led a quick recap, reviewing the keynotes of what they had learned from Shoalsatta. ¡°But we still seem to be missing something.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it,¡± Mavec said as he leaned over the fire. ¡°This is old, like, pre-written history old. What do we know about the first emperor?¡± He asked.


    ¡°The story taught in every textbook is that the first emperor rallied the lesser spirits and bound Akrixi, ending a chaotic reign and allowing the empire''s peoples to flourish,¡± Alvec supplied.


    ¡°That''s what I was taught, too,¡± Mavec said, nodding. ¡°But many of those stories were recorded long after the events. Is it possible are there any regional variants?¡±


    ¡°There certainly be. I grew up on a very different story,¡± Illaria said. ¡°The natural world was in chaos. Oceans climbed mountains, saltwater turned fresh, and fires raged strange colors. The man who would be the first Emperor went to Akrixi and informed him of everything going wrong. Akrixi was moved to action by this man, created many spirits to set the lands right again. No one, however, told Akrixy when the job was done, so he damn near exploded before the first Emperor returned again, letting him know that things were settling down. After soothing Akrixi, he became the first emperor..


    ¡°Wat, Dat not how it happen.¡± Bait said as he stomped around the fire. ¡°Akrixi make everything. HUGE explosion. Things great, stuff everywhere. Soon spirits start fighting over stuff, and Akrixy no want to hear it. He tell spirits he choose one to be in charge, so Akrixi can rest and focus on booms! Den dis human showed up asking for a chance. All the spirits laugh, but not Akrixi. He say, ok. DIS HUMAN JUMP INTO DA SKY AND STOLE A STAR. DEN HE ATE IT! Spirits no want to mess with man who can eat a star, so they let him be in charge. He first Emperor.¡±


    ¡°What... the fuck...¡± Mavec said as he shook his head.


    ¡°As interesting as that was, I¡¯ve heard a different story,¡± said Naya. ¡°Long ago, man and spirit lived in ignorance of each other. One day, a nameless light shone upon the land, fouling waters and twisting the bodies of man. A man seeking help began to speak to the spirits and learned that they, too, were being harmed by this light. With the support of the spirits of fire, he petitioned Akrixy for help. Akrixi agreed and used his smoke to blot out the sky, blocking the nameless light. While the sky was dark, the spirits of fire and water worked to purge the land of its strange influence. In exchange for the spirit''s help, the man vowed that he and his ancestors would venerate the spirits. He became the first Emperor.¡±


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    ¡°That''s a lot of different tellings.¡± Alvec mused. ¡°Sarbie, do you have anything to add?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry, all my stories involve Kushang and the rest of the pantheon. As great as they are, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re related to what¡¯s going on,¡± she said.


    ¡°Alright, let''s think about this. All of the stories have one point of commonality. A conflict was ended by the man who became the First Emperor. Let''s assume that every story we¡¯ve heard has some truth. Where does that get us?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°The nameless light and the star the emperor ate, could those be referring to the same thing?¡± Alvec asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t be seeing why it couldn¡¯t be. Also, the fouling of waters and disruption of the natural world aligns with my story. However, I never heard a reason for why.¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Is Kavaas a star? Does that make sense?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°That''s what Naya and Bait¡¯s story seems to imply,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ve got to go tell the Emperor; if Kavaas is returning, only he can wake Akrixi up and deal with it again!¡± Naya said.


    ¡°Not so fast, Naya. We¡¯re a long way from the capital, and we¡¯ll be turned away if we just show up on his doorstep. The very possibly compromised Gold Banner would certainly have us on their radar if we did so.¡± Mavec said.


    ¡°So we get help,¡± Alvec said as he grabbed some parchment and ink. ¡°We write to Cellocht; we invite him to our compound. We praise our noteworthy public achievements and hope he shows up to see how far we¡¯ve come.¡±


    ¡°The letter is going to take some time to get there, even if our friend LuCol makes it a priority,¡± Mavec said as he nodded his head towards the man who sat silently musing over all he had learned.


    ¡°Which means we can follow up on the Tsuhomma Downs information as we head back towards Sha-Lial,¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°We should keep our ears open about any more sightings of elder Bristlecone too. I still need answers about the Greensleep.¡± Naya said.


    ¡°LuCol, what do?¡± Bait said as he pointed a finger at the man.


    ¡°Me, well. I suppose I have a few things to get in line,¡± said LuCol. ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep the infernals who did raise ships before you destroyed the Styxweed from forming into a proper raiding party. Beyond that, one of those names on your list is former Blue Banner. I¡¯ll be paying him a visit and seeing what, if anything, I can learn from him quietly. Third, I¡¯ll officially request that the Third Arcane Regiment remain deployed here in Ack-Aziza. That way, Tyir will be safe with the Blue Banner while we investigate what the infernals want with the two of you,¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, we can get the Black Powder Goblins and my parents back to Sha-Lial,¡± Illaria said.


    ¡°Alright, we depart at first light,¡± Alvec said, gazing at the horizon. He could only hope that Cellocht took the bait and they found more answers in Tsuhomma downs.

 87: On the Road Again

    Illaria


    The return trip from Ac-Aziza was much livelier than the trip to the empire''s largest port. The entirety of the Black Powder Clan, as well as Illaria''s family, traveled with them now. Thankfully, the group didn''t endeavor to be stealthy, for the Black Powder Clan made it impossible with near-constant celebrations of their freedom.


    "Bait, do your kin always be this loud?" Illaria asked as the pair sat on the lead wagon. They were now a small caravan moving in the direction of Sha-Laial. The Blue Banner had been kind enough to outfit those of the Black Powder Clan, who were trained hunters with muskets and pistols. A fact that Illaria was beginning to resent with every errant gunshot.


    "Dis normal." Bait replied as the carts continued down the roads. Mavec popped his head out of the wagon.


    "So what is our plan when we reach the Tsuhomma downs? Are we just going to split off, or have the clan and your parents wait for us in the town?" He asked.


    "That be a good question. I think it be best if we send them ahead. I don''t be seeing any bandits dumb enough to attack what looks like a goblin raiding party." Illaria replied. "We shouldn''t be but a few days behind them anyway."


    "I''ll send word ahead of us to Sorali; she''ll be working overtime till we can get back home," Mavec said. "Guess taking care of a clan of goblins will make up for the days she hardly had to do a thing."


    "You know, you might not even need the miss to meet them at the gates. My father be an excellent negotiator." Illaria said, glancing back towards one of the other wagons.


    "Fair, just seemed polite, is all," Mavec said.


    "Bait, take the wheel," Illaria said as she passed the reins off to him and hopped down from the wagon. With expert timing, she waited for the last one in line and hopped onto it, joining her father at the front of their wagon.


    "Ah, Illaria, I wasn''t expecting to see you so soon. Our plan was to meet up at the campfire tonight. What will be bringing you by?" Her father asked. It had only been a matter of days, but the dark circles under his eyes seemed to be receding, and his face looked a bit fuller than when she had rescued him from the brig. It warmed her heart to see him recovering so quickly. The sword at his side also brought a smile to her face. The Blue Banner had made sure to outfit him with his pick. They''d spent the better part of a morning testing the weights and styles of blades that the Blue Banner could offer, sparring lightly with him had brought back so many memories.


    "Aye, that was the plan, but I''ve been reminded that we be needing to make a detour before returning to Sha-Laial. Mavec, one of our wizards, has business in the Tsuhomma Downs. Could be very important, so we''ll be stopping there. Can I trust you to keep an eye on the Goblins and get them safely to Sha-Laial pa?" She asked.


    "Of course, you can," he said, nodding along. "Guess that means our reunion will be coming to an end, your mother will be sad."


    "Aye, but it''s for the best. I can''t share the details yet, but the information we''re seeking could help prevent a disaster." She said.


    "Aye, then it can''t be helped."


    "I knew you''d understand, Pa."


    "How much longer do we have?" He asked.


    "We''ll be in the Tsuhomma downs by tomorrow. We''ll take our leave then." Illaria confirmed.


    "So we''ve got one last night together as a family," he said as a wistful smile crossed his face. "Just be promising me you''ll be as safe as you can be." He said.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I be promising." She said.


    "Good, let''s share a bottle of wine by the fire tonight, you, me, and your mother," He said.


    "Aye, sounds great," Illaria said.


    Mavec


    The following day, the wagon split off from the others and returned to the hill where Mavec had left the two constructs. While searching around, Mavec noted that the other constructs'' remains were, in fact, gone. Eventually, Naya found where she had camouflaged the poppets. Mavec picked one of them up.


    "Alright, which way did they go?" He asked. The machine slowly raised a hand and pointed towards the tree line. They followed the guidance of the construct down to a pair of shallow graves at the tree line. "Alright, that''s strange. You think someone buried them?" Mavec asked the group.


    "I mean, I guess that''s a possibility," Alvec said as he looked around. There weren''t any other signs of a grave here, so it very well might have been made specifically for the constructs.


    "Hey, what are you guys doing over there?" The voice of the Lochmaster came as he approached them.


    "We''re investigating," Alvec said as he waved hello.


    "What exactly would you be investigating over here?" The man asked.


    "We''re looking for those spinnymen," Mavec said. "My poppets told us they were over this way, and here we find two shallow graves. I suspect they are buried here, though, if I''m wrong... well, I don''t want to be wrong."


    "These are just graves for unknown travelers. Who would even bother burying spinnymen?" The Lochmaster asked. Mavec''s puppet raised its hand to his question, pointing directly at the man. Mavec looked at his creation, then back to the Lochmaster, and back again.


    The Lochmaster raised an eyebrow to the construct pointing at him. "I mean, yes, I buried these people here." He said, shaking his head and walking back towards the town.


    Mavec pushed a thought out with magic to Alvec. "Hey, can you, I don''t know, dispel magic on him? I mean, could he be Alusai himself? The poppet answered the question. I don''t really doubt my handiwork."


    "Alright, I''ll give it a try. Keep him talking," Alvec thought back as he quietly fell back away from Mavec and the Lochmaster. Once a modest distance away and obscured by Echo, he focused on casting dispel magic. The jagged magic he threw at the man glanced off him effortlessly. If the Lochmaster was in disguise, it was a potent one. "No luck," Alvec thought back towards Mavec.


    "Fine, we''ll just head back into town and see if anyone else can tell us more about the spinny men." Mavec thought back. Mavec explained to the Lochmaster that they''d be stopping back in the town, and the group began their trek from the outskirts to the town''s square. They hadn''t gotten too far before arriving at the hill where they had initially met the Lochmaster and the townsfolk.


    A wave of nausea swept over the party as a strange scream ripped through the air. Alvec''s fingers seemed to elongate, the joints swelling and filling out a putrid black. Illaria''s hair coiled together, becoming one fleshy mass. Bait''s torso began to elongate as he fell to the ground twisting in agony. Naya''s arms seemed to fuse with her blades, and Mavec''s throat elongated while becoming discolored. The pain was immense and sent all of them to the ground. Alvec reached out to his magic but couldn''t make the words come out of his mouth. A large creature, not unlike a particularly grotesque hill giant, now stood upon the field. Its back was hunched, and its limbs poorly proportioned, with its legs stout to the point of uselessness and its arms elongated many times its length. Its skin seemed to ooze a dark, muddy slime, and its eyes were insectoid in nature, sprouting all around its misshapen skull.


    The sound of a sword being unsheathed drew his eyes to the base of the creature. The Lochmaster seemed unaffected by the strange powers coursing through their bodies. He dashed forward and buried his blade into the beast. For the briefest of moments, Alvec''s lungs burned as he took a sharp stab of air into his lungs. The wound had made its concentration falter. His hands seemed to be slowly shrinking back to their original size. The creature lunged out at the Lochmaster, striking him hard and sending him flying. The beast recoiled and screeched in anger as it clutched at the hand it had used to strike the man. The ooze around it had been dissolved, a scorch mark sizzled where its hand had come in contact with the Lochmaster.


    The illusion around the Lochmaster dispersed as a single leaf burned away, revealing him not as the halfling that Mavec and Alvec had briefly considered him to be, but instead, a machine. He was unlike the spinnymen, in so much as the external gyroscope that the pair could see was both smaller, and housed in a much more human looking headpiece. A metal faceplate made from several small plates soldered onto a frame of wires gave it a much more personable appearance. The gyroscope itself was even insulated, as two broad bands of iron gently cradled it in place. A dim hum came from the spinning gyroscope. It also housed a soft glow of warm orange light as the pieces of the gyroscope spun around.

 88: Secrets of the Lochmaster

    "Well, that explains a lot," Mavec said as he pulled himself from the muddy ground and unleashed a bolt of lightning at the grotesque monster in front of him. The space before it rippled, and the bolt of azure blue electricity slammed into the shimmering air and was scattered in various directions spraying through the sky harmlessly.


    "Bait, be avoiding those shimmering patches of air," Illaria shouted as she pulled herself to her feet and closed distance on the monster. Drawing out her wakizashi, she fended off one of the large arms and deftly slashed into its side twice, drawing out a purple ichor. Bait did his best to line up a good shot, aiming between the shimmering pockets of air. He squeezed the trigger, and the bullets flew true; but the shimmering fields of energy shifted into the bullet''s pathway, launching them harmlessly away from the creature.


    "BA, DUMB GIANT," Bait shouted as he stomped on the ground.


    "Naya, Echo, if I give you a boost, do you think you can help Illaria?" Alvec asked as he moved into position to hit as many of his allies as possible. In this case, it meant all of them, excluding the Lochmaster. Would his acceleration even affect the man? Could a machine even be affected, or was it strictly biological creatures who could benefit? Unsure of the answer he used the last target on Rem alongside the rest of his group.


    The wolf and his master moved as one, rapidly closing the distance on the beast and laying into it with blade and fang. They spilled a great deal of purple ichor, which hissed and dissolved on contact with the air. The beast lashed out, striking at Naya and Echo first, as they had so swiftly and grievously injured it. They took the blows in stride, remaining on their feet despite the crushing blow from its oversized hands.


    Mavec frowned; most of his spells were ranged, and some distortion caused by this creature was getting in the way. He could have Piccora rush in, but that would limit the amount of damage he could do. Then again, anything seemed better than the nothing he and Bait had scored so far. Regrettably, it was the best choice he had available. Piccora dashed in, and he cast through her once more; her body crackled with electricity before she barreled into one of its giant toes. The lightning roiled over it, causing a tiny bit of the mucus coating its body to evaporate.


    Not liking how this creature seemed to redirect attacks, Alvec opted to cast his protection spell vs projectiles. It might not hold up to a full volley from Bait, but it would be much better than dying. He moved forward, motioning for Sarbie to remain close to him. He needed to get close enough to Naya, Illaria, and Sarbie to be able to trade out with them should the bullets become redirected.


    Bait fired off a hail of bullets, his hands moving supernaturally quick. This time, the monster adjusted the spatial distortions, and a storm of lead headed straight for Illaria. Alvec moved quickly, throwing himself in the way. The bullets pelted into him, slamming into his back and knocking him forward. The strands of arcane energy protecting Alvec snapped in a matter of seconds. Only just barely holding the bullets at bay long enough for him to shuffle to safety. Had that connected with anyone else, they''d be dealing with a corpse. Blood pounded in his ears as he shouted out. "Bait, lay off the gunfire, this thing has some damned teleportation effect going on."


    "Bah, Bait hate dis." He said as he stomped around. Unsure what exactly he should be doing. Was he supposed to go up and try to stab it? That wouldn''t go over much better, but at least it made sense.


    The Lochmaster returned to his feet and rushed into the fight, laying into the creature. It visibly recoiled from him as he lashed out at it. Going so far as to attempt to flee from the strange construct. Those engaged with it in melee combat took advantage of this, pushing their blades and fangs to draw more purple ichor from it.


    Floating eyeballs began materializing in the sky further from the monster''s central body. They fired off sickly yellow rays of light. Mavec took cover, throwing himself down the side of the hill staining his pants with grass, as energy roiled just inches from his head. He spun over, drawing out his wand, and returned fire most literally from the charred tip of his rod of scorching ray. His blast of hot air struck one of the eyes, which popped like a balloon.


    Sarbie, standing much closer to this creature than she would normally have planned to, decided her best course of action was to simply pray for help. "Kushang, bringer of order and law, provider of life, may you guide our hands and foil our foes." She said as she let her magic flare out around her, encompassing her allies and foes. It wasn''t an obvious power, and yet she couldn''t help but feel as if they were just a little bit better prepared to handle this monster. It seemed to visibly shrink to her as if it was shaken by the power of her prayer and humbled before the mighty Kushang.


    Emboldened by the power flowing through him, Echo bit into the creature, pulling hard at its stout leg. The creature stumbled and collapsed down with a mighty thud. Echo''s tail wagged, any time he could pull something to the ground, Naya was happy. Happy Naya was a safe Naya.


    Bait shifted his focus; Mavec was not the only one who could pop floating eyes. He took aim into the sky, pelting them with bullets. Each shot pierced them cleanly, wisps of purple mist gusted out of the holes before they fell deflated and melted to the ground. One of the eyeballs returned fire, its yellow light striking Bait. The same sensation he had felt before the spinny man attacked washed over him. He felt his stomach twist in knots as he lost focus. He felt like his mouth was too big, unhinged even. He hoped it was not. How eat cheese if mouth no work?Stolen novel; please report.


    The creature, now splayed out on the ground, found it impossible to gird its vitals against the two women lying into it with blades. It tried to twist its alien form to defend itself, but Naya and Illaria were relentless, slashing deep into flesh and sinew before it could even retaliate. With a hiss like a steam engine, the creature succumbed to its wounds. The air around them slowly returned to normal, the strange shimmers disappeared, and the eyeballs faded away as well. Leaving only the party, bruised and a little bloody, standing with the Lochmaster with an external gyroscope for a head. Without the illusions, his face wasn¡¯t as capable of displaying emotions, but the plates moved slightly, as where its lips should be pursed into a frown.


    "So, you want to tell me a little bit more about yourself?" Mavec asked him as he walked closer.


    "Forgive me, I meant no disrespect hiding my true nature from you. It was necessary." The Lochmaster replied.


    "What the hells are you?" Mavec asked.


    "I am my master''s creation. The shepherd of his last flock." He said, casting a glance towards a hilltop on the horizon.


    "And that means?" Mavec asked.


    "Hey, before we interrogate the construct, can we maybe take stock of what just happened?" Alvec asked.


    "I agree; this be a concerning development. Do we be suspecting that this was an intentional attack? Or was this just a coincidence?" Illaria asked.


    "The timing is suspicious," Mavec noted. "We only just learned what these were and decoded the journal."


    "But we don''t know that, do we?" Naya asked.


    "OH, OH, Bait know. We go check farm near Archer''s Market. If no monster, dis intentional. If monster... maybe not?"


    "Ah, I see what you be saying, Bait; if there isn''t a monster at Archers Market, where we sleepwalked, then it''s more than likely this was intentionally directed at us at this moment. If there is a monster there, it could mean that it happens anywhere the sleepwalking occurs. Doesn''t be ruling out that its directed, but it could give us a sense for it." Illaria said.


    "Are we sure he doesn''t just want us to go see Ben?" Naya asked.


    "Oh, I''m sure he do be wanting that, we can do both," Illaria confirmed.


    "Alright, is that enough processing for you guys?" Mavec asked before pointing at the construct before them. "Now, I believe we were at the part where you told me what happened to Alusai and answering what you are," Mavec said.


    "My master is no more. I am the shepherd of his lesser children and the keeper of his grave." The Lochmaster replied. His voice projected from somewhere in his chest.


    "You said his lesser children, like the ones who attacked us on our way out of the Tsuhomma downs?" Alvec asked.


    "Precisely, not all of us are blessed with a level of intellect which allows us to think with the clarity of mortal minds. There are others like myself, but we are rare, even amongst our master''s works. There are many more models, models that sit empty. Their casings are made, but they do not have the spark of life needed to empower them. So many children never born." The machine cast its gaze back towards the horizon of Sha-Laial.


    "You secured your disguise from the child of Akrixi, who lives in the swamp?" Naya asked.


    "Indeed. It is a less than fortuitous time for me to return there. Someone recently broke into our master''s shop. Its defenses are so strong that it now refuses to recognize and permit me entry. If any of the townsfolk were to wander there now, it would result in their death. Yet I can''t steer them away without the help of the spirits." the Lochmaster said.


    "Isn''t it obvious? We''ll go in and disable the defenses." Mavec said.


    "I can''t allow you to just trespass on my creator''s grave." The Lochmaster replied.


    "I have no intention of trampling over Alusai''s creations, but not long ago, we found a lost prophecy from a diviner, saying that one of the only hopes for the future was Alusai and his creations. If he''s gone, then we can only hope that you and your kin hold the keys to saving us." Mavec said.


    "Based on how that thing recoiled from you, I''d say there might just be some truth to the prophecy," Alvec said.


    "Are those what threaten this land?" The Lochmaster asked.


    "Vato called them intruders. They''re corrupted forms of humans and spirits." Naya supplied. "Though we''re still working out what exactly is causing them to become corrupted."


    "I see, if we could save the land my master loved, then perhaps it would be best to let you in. You have already demonstrated yourselves to be heroes of opportunity and commitment. If we are able to deactivate the defenses, I would not mind sharing my master''s discoveries with you." The Lochmaster said. "Though, there is one matter we still need to attend to. In success or failure, I won''t be able to go back into town until my disguise can be restored. I would like you to tell them a pleasant lie, if you could, as to why I won''t be coming back."


    "I''ve got a simple one that should work. You fell in love with a wood nymph and have taken to traveling with her to visit the deep forests of the empire." Illaria said.


    "Won''t people just think the nymph magically compelled him?" Naya asked.


    "We''ll say Alvec and Mavec met her and didn''t detect any tampering," Illaria said.


    "Bait think dat dumb. He run away to become cow herder make cheese."


    "He... you know what, let''s just ignore that. How does that lie sound to you?" Mavec asked, rubbing his temples as if trying to massage out Bait''s words.


    "I rather like the idea of having found love. It''s a nice lie." The Lochmaster said.


    With that small detail wrapped up, the group proceeded to follow the Lochmaster to Alusai''s last workshop.

 89: Protection from Elements

    Mavec


    The building was well disguised, built into the hilltop itself. It was a creation of steel, iron, and stone. Mavec found it hard to imagine a building of this size being dug out and kept secret. Then again, Master Alusai likely had several very formidable clockworks under his control. Excavators and servants strong enough to move the stone and intertwine the steel and iron wouldn''t have been hard for the master of artificy to build or modify.


    The Lochmaster used a specialized key, a rod with spinning segments, which he inserted into the door to open up. The staircase opened promptly, and the group and their plus one descended properly into the building. The lights were almost non-existent. Anyone traversing this area better have brought a light source with them or had eyes that naturally dealt better with the low light conditions. Only small emergency lights let out a soft white light. "I would turn on the lights for you, but I am afraid that they, too, have failed post intrusion by whoever disturbed my master''s resting place," he said.


    Mavec flipped on his light cap and led the walk forward. "What else can you tell us?"


    "That many of the traps should also be out of power. Though I don''t know if that''s due to the activation of clockwork, which depleted the reserve." The Lochmaster supplied.


    "Only one way for us to be finding out," Illaria said as she moved towards the next door. Alvec took a moment to prepare his defenses, casting his typical array of spells. The group advanced into the room. Metal doors in the wall immediately pulled up and constructs poured from them. They made no effort to speak as they unfurled various small weapons.High above them from the top of the room, a sphere of metal fell, slamming onto the floor hard enough to shake it. Echo''s tail wagged; he had never encountered a ball large enough to play with since he had grown to his new size. Zipping along a track along the domed roof was a small metal dome with a gun coming out of its center. Mavec whistled; this was only the first chamber. If this was everything Alusai was using to guard the first door, he could only begin to imagine the level of security further down. The closer they got to the lab, the stronger everything would be.


    The sphere of metal whirled and spun before rocketing towards Sarbie. Naya spoke his collar''s command word, and Echo doubled in size. The playful pup pounced on it, diverting the ball just enough to slide past Sarbie, slamming into the wall beside her with a room-shaking thud. Mavec dashed towards one of the constructs willing electricity to his hand. He slapped the machine and smiled as the electricity coursed through its metal body, melting some of the metals used in its construction. The smug look on his face was quickly wiped away as the turret racing along the domed roof zeroed in on Mavec and unloaded on him. His magic wasn''t strong enough to stop the bullets, and he recoiled in pain as they pierced through him. "I''m hit!" He called out, hoping that either Rem or Sarbie would be able to attend to him before he had the opportunity to bleed out.


    A fair number of constructs were assailing them, and as much as Bait knew he should be attacking the moving gun, he needed to ensure he was safe first. The goblin leveled the gun at one of the nearest constructs, wielding a saw blade, and unloaded a hail of bullets at it. Under the assault of lead it crumpled to the ground, its joints still twitching as its damaged circuitry tried to perform its guardian functions.


    Illaria dashed forward, baiting several of the warrior constructs into attacking her. She moved with expert precision, slapping their weapons aside and slicing deep into their steal frame with her steal. Alvec and Naya moved around, as one would expect. Alvec brought his spells to bear, blasting shards of compressed coal into two of them. At the same time, Naya picked a single target and laid into it with intensity. Her blades, a whirlwind, bit into the construct repeatedly until it too crumpled under the weight of her assault.


    Mavec found himself on the ropes as several constructs broke off from the nearest individuals and focused on him. "Shit, FUCK!" He shouted as he attempted to retreat backward, firing off a bolt of lightning. As he ran backward, Piccora bravely placed herself between the advancing machines. Another round of bullets from the ceiling clipped him and sent him sprawling to the ground.


    Sarbie cursed to Kushang as she ran towards Mavec and, once more, danger.


    "Echo! Clear a path!" Naya commanded. The wolf grinned as it grabbed the giant mechanical sphere and joyfully threw it around the room, guiding it onto a collision course with a small horde of constructs advancing on Mavec. The constructs scattered, as some were simply pushed out of the way, and others were overtaken and crushed by the giant metal sphere. The wolf looked around at all his friends, smiling, tail energetically wagging from side to side. Alvec chortled as he joined Sarbie in rushing to aid Mavec. He''d give Echo a nice scratch for his creative solution to their problems. Sarbie slid to her knees over Mavec and pressed both hands firmly on his chest as she willed her healing light into him. His eyes shot open, and he let out a grunt of pain. Her magic was strong, and the pain faded quickly but was intense for the few seconds it rolled over him. He was still sore, but he could tell he was no longer in danger of dying.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Echo, Naya, and Illaria continued assaulting the constructs, laying into them with steel and fang until the last crumpled to the ground in sparking heaps. The group took a few moments to assess their condition. "Do we be thinking that each chamber will posses so many threats?" Illaria asked.


    "This is Alusai we''re talking about. This first room is probably the least dangerous room in the entire building, and it nearly dropped a boulder on us, had constructs pouring in from the walls, and had a turret system. I''m not loving our odds." Mavec said as he pulled himself up to a sitting position.


    "I agree, which is why before we enter the next room, I''d like to cast a spell on us," Alvec said.


    "What do you have in mind?" Mavec asked.


    "Protection from elements, electricity. You have some sort of a generator in Piccora; it wouldn''t be a far stretch to assume that some of the more advanced models we encounter might also harness electricity." Alvec mused.


    "So we''ll be protected just like the Red Banner was during our fight with them?" Naya asked.


    "Excuse me, but could you hold still for a moment?" Sarbie asked as she placed a hand firmly back onto Mavec and pushed him back down as, once more, a soft white glow spread out from her hands and coursed over him. Alvec bent down and offered a hand when she was done healing him. He pulled him to his feet, clapping him on the back several times.


    "Alright, everyone line up!" Alvec ordered as he began casting the spell. He was met by a half dozen strange looks. "It''s a touch spell. I figure I cast it, then just impart it with a quick pat on the back?" reluctantly, the group followed his instructions, including Echo, who trotted beside Naya. Alvec finished powering the spell and quickly imparted the protection to his friends. The air around them seemed to shimmer slightly as the abjuration magic took hold.


    "Does this mean we''re immune to lightning?" Naya asked.


    "Not even close, but it''ll take the edge off a few hits," Alvec replied.


    Mavec turned his attention to the closed doorway impeding their progress. He moved to it, taking out some of his tools and popping open a small panel beside the door. He adjusted the light cap on his head to shine more precisely, with better lighting, it took him only a few moments of fooling around with the wiring to figure the controls out. A mild flow of electricity flowed over him, but thanks to Alvec''s spell, he barely felt even a tickle as he worked. With a sudden start, the door silently opened, its well-made and maintained geers moving it seamlessly. Mavec turned to his friends and found only Alvec and Bait leaning over his shoulder to see his work. Everyone else was a few feet back, just kicking rocks. He rolled his eyes and stood up, heading into the room.


    The sound of rushing water and spinning turbines caught his attention. The room was filled with large metal grates rather than firm, solid metal plates, which had composed the floor in the previous room. So, this was how the building maintained power. There must have been some sort of spring in this hill that he had converted into a water mill to produce electricity to fuel his craft. It was cleverly constructed. He''d never have guessed this building held such a contraption based simply on the already extensively hidden exterior. About halfway through the room, small mechanical leeches launched up from the grates and assaulted Mavec. He felt the magic around him absorbing electricity as the small machines flopped against him. Mavec let out a hearty laugh.


    Alusai may have been a genius, but he couldn''t do anything to combat dumb luck. "Bait, can you get rid of these?" Mavec asked as he continued wading through the jumping mechanical Leeches. Bait eagerly scampered to the grates and put his gun through the metal rails.


    "Dis easy, like fish in the bathtub," He said before he squeezed the trigger. The rest of the party waited as Bait continued putting lead through them. After a few minutes of gunfire, Bait confidently gave a thumbs-up to everyone and ushered them forward. The group left the room as quickly as they had entered, descending through a staircase deeper into the hill.


    They emerged into a hallway with strange alcoves embedded into the metal walls. Constructs stood within them, and a thick coating of dust lay over them. Their very own funeral shroud. They were all spinnymen. From the looks of it, they''d never been activated. The Lochmaster said he couldn''t "live" without the spark of life. Perhaps these models had never been gifted with this miraculous substance?


    "How many of these things are there?" Naya asked as she shirked away from them.


    "Bait count five."


    "Aye, I be thinking there be a wee bit more than five Bait," Illaria said.


    "A small armies worth," Alvec stated firmly. "Mavec, if we were able to make some of this spark of life, do you think we''d be able to power up these spinny men?"


    "Yeah, possibly; we''d need the formula first. Why, what are you thinking?"


    "Just that Vato claimed that Alusai''s inventions might save the day, and this is the second time that Lochmaster has been unaffected by whatever Kavaas does to people."


    "I see your point," Mavec replied. "We aren''t in the heart of the lab yet. Let''s hope that whoever tripped all of this security didn''t fuck off with the recipe." There was only one way forward, once more barred by another locked and closed door. Not that Mavec cared; it took barely any time to open the door again. It felt like perhaps they were near the workshop. Alusai''s fabled forge. No doubt, the resistance ahead would be unlike anything they had seen before. It was time to face down the ghost of a legend.

 90: Sword and Shield

    The door yielded to Mavec in moments, and the team cautiously entered the large room. Tracks on the wall with domed turrets were the first thing that caught Mavec''s eyes. There were more guns here than in the previous entry room. Worse, by the looks of it, some weren''t guns at all. He couldn''t tell for sure what they were yet, but they reminded him of the crystals used in the academy libraries in Sha-Laial. The ones that shone customizable light. He wasn''t thrilled by the implication of what they might be able to do. The floor seemed to have standard solid metal panels and some grates. No water flowed under them as the previous chamber had. On the far side of the room was another door with a large and complicated locking mechanism at its core. Taking a look at it, it reminded him of an electrical diode. Whatever fucking puzzle this was, perhaps they could simply overpower it. Mavec was packing more electric spells than you could shake a stick at. "I think I can open it. Keep whatever defenses activate off me, and we''ll get that door open." Mavec said confidently as he lined up his shot. Lightning danced through the room with a flick of his wrist and the snap of his fingers, striking the diode with unerring accuracy. Three segments on the door lit up, and the room whirled to life.


    A half dozen constructs emptied from alcoves in the side of the room as two strange spheres on metal pikes rose from the floor. The turrets, both conventional and crystalline, flared to life. The constructs here were far higher quality than the ones in the first few chambers. Most of them were humanoid in shape, but they were augmented. They moved at a speed Mavec struggled to keep up with, locking onto the wizard. He''d barely had a chance to celebrate the success of charging the lock before a ray of silvery energy slammed into his chest, burning him. Before he could recover, the serrated bladed arms of one of the lesser spinnymen pierced his gut, drawing blood and pain as it threatened to disembowel him.


    Illaria rushed in and slashed at the construct, momentarily drawing its attention. Her blade, as sharp and well-trained as it was, wasn''t enough to bring the construct down. Illaria wasn''t the only one to join the fight properly. Alvec, seeing Mavec''s plan, ran forward himself. He also had a few electric spells in his toolkit, but most required him to be much closer. As he ran over the grates, flames jetted up towards him. He dove forward, rolling to snuff out the fire that clung to him before haphazardly pushing himself off the ground into a sprint again. He was thrilled to see that his hellish heritage had once more kept him safe. He''d barely resumed his run towards the door when a bolt of lightning arced at him from the strange pole and sphere that had arisen from the floor. He threw his shoulder back and spun, the electrical burst only clipping him. Once more, his hellish nature took the brunt of the blow. Alusai wasn''t messing around. That much Alvec could tell.


    Bait took aim at the ceiling, firing off his gun as quickly as he could. Striking one of the automated turrets until smoke poured out of the mechanism. He hollered and whooped in triumph. Naya and Illaria followed Alvec''s lead, rushing across the room. They sliced and bit at the encroaching constructs. Much to their surprise, the constructs failed to engage with them. They continued their rush towards Mavec. The still-functioning turrets raced along the domed roof and lined up shots at Mavec.


    "What the hell is going on here?" Naya asked as she raked her blades against the back of one of the constructs rushing past her.


    "They be seeming to be drawn to Mavec. Sarbie, can we be getting some help over here?" Illaria asked. The girl still near the entrance to the room nodded heartily in agreement and began moving towards Mavec. Before she''d even cleared half the distance, the turrets let loose another barrage at Mavec. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious and bleeding out. Sarbie clenched her teeth and continued to run towards him.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Alvec couldn''t help but agree with Naya. Something was off; the entire room had zeroed in on Mavec at an alarming speed. What had elevated Mavec as a threat in the eyes of the defenses? He reached the door at about the same time, and the realization of what Mavec had done gripped him. He''d cast an electric spell, which seemed to have directly charged the door''s locking mechanism. "They target whoever uses electricity!" Alvec shouted. There was no telling if they would continue to focus on him where he had already fallen unconscious. It would be up to Alvec to take their attention instead. He charged his hand with electricity and slapped the door''s diode. Another segment of the door locks lit up as the spell coursed through it. Alvec braced himself the best he could.


    Thankfully, he and Mavec had moved in opposite directions. Most of the constructs would need to cross the room before they could land even a single hit against the shield wizard. The turrets that were still functioning, however, were an immediate problem. Bullets and rays of exotic energy slammed down at him. His array of spells ate the damage from several bullets and a few exotic rays of energy as the constructs switched their focus to Alvec.


    Sarbie came to a rest and found herself healing Mavec again. He came to with a groan as his wounds stopped oozing blood. He quickly cast another spell, fading out of sight. It wasn''t long before the constructs began to close in on Alvec. Naya, Illaria, and Echo did their best to slow them down, but the constructs paid them zero mind, focusing on Alvec even at their own expense.


    Alvec quickly abandoned any grand thoughts of casting fancy spells to take down the enemies assaulting him. All he could do was defend himself. Every ounce of his attention was on dodging and blocking what he could only describe as an onslaught of attacks. His best efforts weren''t enough. He was losing this fight slowly, bullets punching holes through his armor. he offered a silent prayer to Tohzen and to his own forethought. The special lining of his clothing was catching some of those bullets.


    A warm, comforting light swept over him, as Sarbie''s magic reached him, healing some small measure of his wounds. As he breathed a slight sigh of relief, the onslaught began again. He continued to try to minimize the harm he took, but it was clear he couldn''t keep this up for much longer. Bait lined up clean shots and took them with wild abandon. Horny wizard need backup. Bait best backup. Illaria, Echo, and Naya swarmed around the cluster of spinnymen, all slashing at Alvec, and began their assault, slowly thinning their numbers with blade and fang.


    "I can cast a lightning spell too!" Naya shouted above the din of metal, striking metal as her blades bit into one of the spinny men hammering on Alvec''s buckler.


    "Don''t you dare!" Alvec shouted back. "Be my sword, and I''ll be your shield!" He bellowed as he tried to keep his arms up. They were beginning to feel heavy, leaden, and dead. He knew, though, that if anyone else had to bear the brunt of this attack, they''d die. Hell, Mavec had probably only survived because he had been knocked unconscious so easily. Alvec of everyone here was best suited to mitigate the damage, if not dodge and deflect it with all of his arcane might. He just had to outlast them while the rest of the team did their best to take these spinnymen down. Another wave of attacks nearly hammered him to the ground. Only the brief moments of respite as Sarbie''s magic again rolled over him gave him the strength to keep standing.


    Illaria and Naya gave up on any fancy tricks, focusing on the spinny men instead. Between their combined assault, the ones swarming Alvec collapsed to their demise. Bait, too, had been successful in taking down all of his targets. Looking at Alvec, Naya couldn''t help but be impressed that he had managed to stay standing. Blood soaked his clothing where the spinnymen''s blades had sunk through. Several bloody puncture wounds and even some discolored burns stood out as well. The poor boy kept his guard up for several seconds, even after the fighting was done. The shock and adrenaline perhaps struggling to purge from his system. Sarbie gently grabbed him and guided him away from the rubble of the broken spinnymen. She pushed him to sit on the floor and knelt beside him as she worked her magic on him. Mavec reappeared, slapping the diode with electricity and charging another bar to completion.

 91: What Do Your Goblin Eyes See?

    "Guys, this is taking too long. Does anyone have a better idea?" Mavec asked as he charged the door.


    "Bait shoot lock!"


    "No!" A chorus of voices came as Bait''s plan to fix their situation was shot down.


    Starting to feel better, Alvec took a quick look at the door. They could probably power it with their spells entirely. The problem was that it would be a real drain on their resources, and there was no certainty that this was, in fact, the final chamber. It seemed like a risk. How, then, did this door normally open? He laughed so much that his wounds hurt.


    "Mavec, the answers lying on the floor," Alvec replied.


    Mavec took a moment to look around, and it dawned on him what Alvec meant. "Leave it to Alusai to make a door that''s only easy to open if you have a lot of constructs. We don''t, so, options people?"


    "We''ve still got a little charge with my elemental protection spell. I say we make a daisy chain and connect the door and that electric trap." Alvec said as he tried to stand up. He was met with two hands firmly planted on his chest.


    "Let them sort out the details, I''m not done healing you," Sarbie said.


    "Ok, if Echo bites the poles, and we grab his tail and then go arm to arm, I think we can stretch far enough!" Naya said. Reluctantly, everyone but Alvec and Sarbie lined up, and sure enough, Naya had been close. Illaria took the final spot and used her blade as the final conductor of the electrical current. It took only a few moments for the remaining bars on the lock to turn green, indicating a full charge. The mechanism spun and disconnected from the metal doors, which pulled apart, allowing the group access. The emergency lights of the passage beyond kicked on. Following the lights through the hallway, they arrived at a well-prepared workshop.


    Mavec could see so many tools of his trade strewn about. Something seemed off to him, though. While undoubtedly a "good" workshop, it lacked the finery he had expected to see in Alusai''s inner sanctum. This looked more like something he''d find at the academy. It was well-funded but meant for general usage and not specialized work, like the sort he''d need for the external gyroscopes. As he carefully examined the room, he found a vial full of a bright red and reflective liquid, like a ruby mixed with mercury. A small yellowed label on the vial read ferrous mercury. Something in one of his pockets vibrated. A look of confusion swept Mavec''s face as he reached into his pocket and removed the sample they had taken from one of the intruders. As he moved it closer to the vial of red liquid, the sample did its best to compress against the glass as far from the other liquid as possible.


    "I think this is that same material the Lochmaster had coming out of his wounds. Called it the spark of life, whatever that is, the intruders don''t seem to like it at all." Mavec said.


    Alvec came to stand behind him, observing the reaction of the intruder. "Vato really may have been on to something. We have to find that recipe." Alvec said.


    "Yeah, problem is, I don''t see anything that looks like a book of patents and formulae. This is his tomb; it''s here somewhere, just not this room." Mavec said.


    "Are we sure it''s not here?" Alvec asked.


    "Certain of it. This room is well equipped, but it doesn''t feel right." He waved his hands around the room. "It''s too... too basic. This isn''t a legendary clocksmith''s final resting place."


    "I''ll take your word for it. This seems to be the last room, though. Think we''re dealing with a false wall scenario?" Alvec asked.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Bait think so. Look at dah pipes. Too many. If no more rooms should be fewer pipes." The goblin said as he pointed to several water pipes running towards the edge of the room. They were well disguised in the rafters of this room, with a paint job that made them nearly seamlessly blend into the background.


    "Do goblins have really good eyesight?" Mavec asked as he squinted up at the ceiling.


    "Yes, dat why we shoot good." Bait replied.


    The group combed the room like last time, searching for a lever or something to open the way. Unfortunately, this wasn''t like Vato''s lair. This was Alusai, the master clocksmith. Nothing here would be easy to find if he didn''t intend it to be.


    Mavec took a moment to carefully examine the room. His eyes combed over every tool hung upon his walls and every work surface until something finally caught his eye. Two of the tools were swapped. A specific wrench in a set was hung up where a pair of pliers should be, and vice versa. He took both off and quickly returned them to their rightful positions. It didn''t cause anything dramatic, but he swore he heard a distinct click from one of the workstations. He walked over to it to find the table''s surface lifted slightly. He slid his fingers beneath the lip of the table and pulled it up, revealing a disassembled clockwork contraption. The pieces were all in a pile in a small container. He took them out and carefully examined each metallic gear and rod. One final puzzle. He lost himself in the work as he puzzled through Alusai''s last great challenge. It was difficult to solve, like a puzzle where you couldn''t rely on the edges to help you solve it. Many of the parts were the same size, and only the wear patterns on the gears gave Mavec the clues he needed to click them all into the proper place.


    With a satisfying whirling sound, the wall on the far side of the room opened up, sliding entirely into the ceiling. A strange light shone down the hallway. The oranges and reds of industrial flames poured out with an intense heat behind them. Everyone but Alvec braced themselves against the furnace blast of hot air.


    "What in the Shattered Facet is going on in there?" Mavec asked.


    "I don''t rightly be knowing, but it does feel like the Shattered Facet," Illaria said as she drew her blade again and moved down the hallway. A literal roar ahead of her caused her to hasten her steps, breaking into a full sprint. The rest of the party chased after her. When they arrived in a large circular room, they found a creature that stood easily twelve feet tall, humanoid in shape, with a gnarled second mouth on its distended belly. Flames belched from it, and a fire roiled inside it like hot coals.


    Mavec couldn''t believe it, a slag fiend in Alusai''s lair of all places. There was an old myth among clocksmiths that slag fiends would come eat your constructs if you weren''t a good practitioner of the craft. Alusai was a goddamn master; one being here was an insult to his memory or condemnation of whoever had trespassed on his tomb.


    Its second mouth crunched something before spitting a molten orb at Illaria. She brought her buckler up in time, and molten slag collided with it. The force spun her to the ground and ripped the buckler away. It came to a rest in a molten metal pool feet away.


    "These things resist electricity?" Mavec asked aloud.


    "Nope, let''s light him up," Alvec said as he stood beside Mavec. The two traced the same motions through the air as electricity crackled around them dangerously. Two azure bolts streaked through the hallway and struck the creature square in its bloated stomach. The fiend moved towards Illaria and bit at her with both mouths. The jagged fangs looked sharp enough to pierce her chainmail with ease. Thankfully, she was quick, and her blade blazed a sunset''s crimson red as she interposed it between herself and the fiend. Successfully sliding herself backward, she slashed as hard as she could, drawing out a thick oozing magma-like blood.


    A salvo of lead slammed into the creature''s chest at the same time that yellow bolts of lighting struck from ceiling to floor. The creature inhaled sharply, breathing a torrent of flame at the group. Alvec quickly countered racing a wall of ice into existence between themselves. A cloud of steam filled the room as the two opposing elements vied for dominance.


    "Anyone got a clear shot?" Alvec asked as he waved his hand in front of his face, trying to clear some of the steam from his view. Mavec smiled wide; none of the living things in this room did, but Piccora was a masterpiece in her own right, and she could see the heat source clear as day.


    "Line him up," Mavec commanded as his clockwork familiar darted through the steam. She bounded off the uneven rubble of the melted ice wall and vaulted high into the sky. Mavec felt the robotic certainty that Picorra was in place and immediately slammed the final lightning bolt through her. A flash of blue light, which lit up the whole room as it refracted from the fog, struck the fiend dead center and with a misshapen explosion of lava, not unlike a volcanic eruption, its thick, viscous magma-like blood splattered all around it, sizzling into flakey pig-iron as it cooled on the floor.

 92: The Tomb of Alusai

    The air was still as everyone took a moment to take stock of things. Illaria yanked her buckler from the ground and grimaced at it. "One of you boys can be fixing this, right?" She asked as she cast a glance between them. Alvec nodded in agreement as he walked towards the still flaming and erupting corpse of the fiend they had just slain.


    While Alvec could safely explore the fiend''s corpse, it was up to Mavec to examine this final room. As the steam began to clear out, he could see all the pieces coming together. Specialized machinery and exotic tools filled the room. Equipment you''d be hard-pressed to find in even the greatest of the academy workshops. Perhaps the academy at Ac-Rillir might be this well outfitted, but only just. Built into one of the largest workstations, he found an adamantine case large enough to store books. The lock to it had been crudely broken open. The dust outline made it clear to Mavec that what once rested here were the original plans and recipes for many of Alusai''s creations in his twilight years.


    His blood boiled as he thought about how someone had stolen them. Not only for having beaten him here but how they had carelessly traipsed over Alusai''s last resting place. This was a sacred space, and whoever had come through here had been so careless as to invite a slag fiend along with them. Mavec found his way over to a small side room where he found a stone coffin with its lid ajar. "Forgive me." He said to Alusai as he adjusted the lid and restored it to its proper resting place. As he turned to leave, he felt a strange sensation run through him. Piccora was illuminated in a soft, strange light, an emblem blazing in soft silver light upon her head. He recognized it immediately as Sarossa''s blessing. After the light faded from her, he bent down and examined his companion. Something about her had changed, but it wasn''t something he could test while in the middle of Alusai''s tomb. It would be rude if nothing else. As he began to head for the exit, Piccora hopped over to a particular wall and placed a paw softly against it. A panel folded out, displaying a strange circlet with various colored lenses that folded neatly to the side when not in use and a small bracelet that looked like it would fit perfectly around Piccora''s neck.


    He placed the circle on his head, and one of the lenses unfolded over his right eye. The bracelet glowed a feint orange to the lens''s sight. Additionally, small numbers floated beside it. It took only moments for him to extrapolate that they were the distance and height of the object. It would be hard to miss a target if Piccora was next to it, as he''d always have the exact distance between himself and them. He turned his head and bowed to Alusai. "I''ll put this to good use Master Alusai." He said as he headed back out to the other chamber. It only took him a few more moments of searching to find the switches to power down the defenses.


    "Mavec, clocksmith''s usually have specialties, tells in their work that identify them right?" Alvec said as he came walking out from the center of the room, still softly ablaze with the dying embers of the slag fiend. A brittle film of crusty pig''s iron encased most of his clothing, and he held two barely identifiable components in his hands. "Do you know anyone who uses springs?" he asked. Mavec''s face became a mask of white-hot fury.


    He knew precisely one man who employed a lot of springs in his clockwork designs. A certain Warren Alston. That imbecile definitely would have been capable of opening a door for a slag fiend, that was for sure. "Oh, I do," Mavec replied.


    Alvec squinted at him. "Please, tell me it''s not..."


    "WARREN, FUCKING, ALSTON," Mavec shouted.


    "By Tohzen! We''ve got to get back to Sha-Laial quickly!" Alvec exclaimed.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "We need that ferrous mercury by any means necessary," Mavec replied.


    "And you didn''t find any formulae? Even a partial recipe would be good; we might be able to cludge our way to completion." Alvec asked. Mavec shook his head no. He realized, begrudgingly, there was one place he hadn''t thoroughly looked.


    "Damn it, there is one last place I can look, but I feel gross about it," Mavec said. Alvec raised an eyebrow at him, prompting his friend to elaborate. "Alusai''s coffin."


    "Ah... Think he could have anything with him?" Alvec asked. Mavec shrugged as he pondered the question. If he were a famous clocksmith, he''d likely have duplicates, where better than on ones person to hold any important pieces of information?


    "Yeah, I''ll go check." Mavec said before entering the room again. "Sorry about the whole opening of your grave. I''ll put it back in order in just a second." He said as he pulled the cover back up and looked over Alusai. He''d been dead for some time at this point, and thanks to the conditions of the room, he had decayed as gracefully as possible. It was a far cry from what had become of Vato. Alusai looked as if he had partially or entirely mummified. Seeing nothing on Alusai himself, Mavec double-checked the coffin for secret compartments. While he did find one, which contained a few trinkets he was sure had held sentimental value to the man, there wasn''t anything that would help with the impending crisis. He gently restored all the items and resealed the hidden compartment before returning the lid to the coffin. With one last somber prayer to Sarossa, Mavec exited the room again, rejoining the group.


    The group milled around, waiting for him. "Nothing," he declared as he rejoined them properly.


    "So what do we do now?" Naya asked.


    "If it do be that dastardly clocksmith, Warren Alston, then we find him and encourage him to be returning what he''s stolen," Illaria said as she gently patted the wakizashi at her side.


    "Could we contact the Academy and have them do something till we get there?" Naya asked.


    "Depends where the closest Academy is," Mavec replied.


    "Jai-Najan" Alvec replied.


    "That be a mite out of our way," Illaria said.


    ¡°Faster to go Sha-laial.¡± Bait said, nodding sagely.


    "Jai-Najan isn''t too far of a detour, but I''m with Bait. As much as I''d love to stop in and see my family, it doesn''t make sense to tack extra time to our journey." Alvec said.


    "Then its agreed, we make for Sha-Laial," Mavec said. The group made their way back out to the entrance of the building. They found the Lochmaster awaiting them.


    "I can see you managed to shut down the defenses. Did you find what you sought?" He asked.


    "No, but we have a name," Mavec said as he clenched his fist. "More importantly, you said there were others like you that were this advanced?"


    "Yes, a dozen or more of us." The Lochmaster replied.


    "If you have any means of contacting them, please do. We''re going to need all the help we can get. In return, I promise to return Alusai''s accomplishments here."


    "It will be difficult." The Lochmaster replied. "We hid very intentionally with new identities, all aided by the children of Akrixi."


    "All the same, I ask you to try. You''re the only reason we weren''t turned into monsters." Mavec replied.


    "You''ve done right by me so far. I''ll see what can be done." The Lochmaster replied.


    "And if we can get some ferrous mercury produced, we can see about getting more of the dormant spinnymen here awakened," Alvec added.


    "I wish you luck, Cheese Acolytes." The Lochmaster said.


    "I still hate the name," Naya said as she rolled her head back to the sky and sighed.


    "Best name."


    The party gathered into their wagons and resumed their return trip to Sha-Laial.

 93: LEECH COMBAT

    The party''s travel had been easy for days. Few animals or even monstrous threats dared approach with such a large wolf-like Echo circling the carts. Bait find it boring, nothing to shoot. What point of riding shotgun if not use gun? On the plains, his sharp goblin eyes spotted two dog-sized creatures approaching quickly. He readied his musket, finally something to shoot! As they neared the cart, Bait realized something. Dey goblins like him, riding on large goblin dogs. He cursed under his breath as a pair of goblins pulled beside him and gestured to move closer.


    "HEY!" The one closest to him shouted. "WE HELP STEAL DIS!" the goblin said as he motioned to the two carts.


    Bait pointed his musket at the other goblin. "BAIT ALREADY OWN, NO STEAL FROM BAIT."


    "BAIT? CHEESE ACOLYTE BAIT?¡±


    "YES, DAT BAIT."


    "BOOGIE SAY WE FRIENDS, BOAR EATERS WANT TO TALK WITH YOU. WE HAVE NEWS ON DOGMOTHER! WE GO GET CLAN, YOU STOP CARTS."


    "GOOD, SEE BOOGIE SOON." Bait quickly hopped from the back wagon to the front to find Illaria at the reigns. "Illaria, we stop now. Boar Eaters wish to talk. Dey have news of Dogmother!"


    Illaria nodded to her companion and began easing the wagon off from the beaten path so that other wagons could pass them should any come along the same road. Before long, an entire procession of goblins had joined them. Even amongst all the strange goblin activities, like ax fall and other games, the most curious bit was a bronze tub with a canvas cover that several of the strongest goblins carried. Water sloshed around inside the ominous bronze tub as they goblins walked.


    Boogie, decorated in the regalia of a goblin chieftain, approached with a similarly decorated goblin woman. Both wore many fangs, bits of shiny metal, and carved bones.


    "You say you learn about Dogmother?!" Bait asked.


    "We hire wizard in Sha-Laial. He say he find Dogmother. Wizard liar! We going to pay him visit. We gonna stew him for leech combat!" Boogie shouted.


    ¡°Is that what the tub be for?¡± Illaria asked as she leaned against the wagon. ¡°Bait be this normal practice for lying wizards?¡±


    ¡°Bait no Boar Eater. No know.¡±


    ¡°They know that''s a crime right?¡± Mavec asked.


    ¡°Doubt it.¡± Alvec said.


    ¡°BEACH COMBAT BOOGIE, BEACH COMBAT.¡± Another goblin shouted as she ran up to him and poked a finger violently into his chest. "IT SUPPOSED TO BE BEACH COMBAT."


    "Beach combat?" Illaria asked as she leaned against the wagon. "Do you be thinking they mean other words boys?" She asked her companions.


    "No, Leech COMBAT! Why fight on sand, dat dumb." Boozie said as he pointed towards the tub. ¡°LEECHES MAKE MORE SENSE. STEW HIM FOR LEECH COMBAT!.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Please tell me that tub isn''t full of Leeches," Naya exclaimed.


    "Make more sense than beach combat!" Boogie again insisted as she pointed to the tub.


    "Ok, and how exactly does this be working?" Illaria asked, "Do you be reckoning that you''ll push this wizard into the tub of Leeches?"


    "Yes, he live he not guilty. He die, he guilty." Boogie insisted. Mavec emerged from the wagon, a lit cigarette in hand.


    "Guys, are they trying to say ''sue him?'' He asked.


    "I think you''re onto something," Alvec replied. "But whats up with the leech combat?"


    "So, did you guys make a contract with him? Have him sign his name saying he''d help you find Dogmother?" Mavec asked.


    "Sign? As in, write name down on paper?" Boogie asked.


    "Yeah, that''s what that means," Mavec replied.


    "No, dat stupid. We bit leather instead!" He said, pulling out a fancy piece of leather with a clear set of goblin teeth marks, no doubt belonging to Boogie, and much further away on a scrap of leather was a very hesitant and human bite mark.


    ¡°Guys, if that''s a contract, than I think they mean ''sue him for breach of contract''. Stew him with leech combat. Eh? Sounds right to me.¡± Mavec said.


    "What wizard did you hire anyway? Anyone we know?" Alvec asked.


    "Clockwizard from the Festival of Blades. Other clock wizard, one you pay to have us play pranks on. He say he can do a... a... locator spell. Find Dogmother, no problem. But no find Dogmother. He just speak gibberish to us and no one able to find Dogmother. We see her get chased into tunnel. Goblins follow her into tunnel, but not able to find Dogmother. Maybe tunnel longer than we expected, but it seem like it ended. NOW WE GO Leech COMBAT STUPID CLOCKWIZARD!" Boogie shouted.


    "Bait, do you think you could convince the Boar Eaters to well... not storm Sha-Laial looking to shove Warren into a tub full of leeches?" Alvec asked.


    "Why?" Bait asked.


    "How do you be thinking the guards will react if they see an entire clan of goblins clamoring for violence?" Illaria asked.


    "Easy, dey see us as heroes since we serving justice!" Bait replied.


    "Bait, you''ve been amongst humans enough to know that isn''t true." Illaria scolded.


    "They would definitely start attacking the goblins instead," Naya said with a shrug.


    "It would be kind of terrifying to see a horde of goblins with pitchforks and a bathtub," Sarbie admitted as she looked down at Bait''s excited face.


    "See?" Alvec asked.


    Bait nodded sagely and stomped his feet. "BOOGIE, CHEESE ACOLYTES HAVE REQUEST! You camp near Sha-Laial, but leave getting lying, cheating, dumb, stinky clock wizard to us! We find where Dogmother is, then we go help rescue Dogmother!" Bait demanded.


    Boogie looked over Bait for a moment before silently nodding in agreement. "Boar Eaters go ford rivers and make camp outside of Sha-Laial," He confirmed. "Big storm come through two nights ago. Big rain. Rivers overflowing. Goblin clan have no problem, but your carts have too many metal bits, dey sink." Boogie pointed out.


    "Look, we didn''t have time for prototyping. I was asked to make a stabilizer, and I did it on rather short notice," Mavec exclaimed.


    "Can''t we just go around?" Naya asked.


    "It might take more time, but we should go around. What''s our fastest route?" Mavec asked.


    Alvec grinned. "The fastest route will take us through Jai-Najan. It''s been a while since I''ve been to visit my family. I know we''re in a bit of a rush, but if we''re passing through, we can stop and spend the night."


    "Aye, I think we can be granting you that request. We did race to the ocean to save mine; the least we can do is stop where we''ll already be passing through."

 94: Home Again

    Alvec


    Jai-Najan was about as large as a Jai could get before it started encroaching upon being labeled a Sha. It felt like it was only a matter of time until his home crossed that threshold. While a river town in technicality, the elevation on both sides meant that the singular bridge over it was suspended at least two dozen feet over the surging river. In addition to being a tall bridge, it was also very sturdy and thick, built by dwarven craftsmen and designed to last. During the wars, this town had been a strategic asset due to the bridge, which allowed quick and easy crossing of one of the Empire''s mighty rivers.


    The storms that Boogie and the Boar Eaters had informed them had driven more traffic to the town than Alvec had seen in a long while. He frowned a bit as he rode up front with Illaria. It meant that dad would be working late today. Some small part of him wanted to find a way to shut the bridge down after they gained entry, but he couldn''t come up with a combination of spells that would do the trick without permanently harming the bridge. The passage over the bridge took a while; no doubt his father was being his usual thorough self. Goods had to be accounted for, and if needed, taxes assessed. The man was good at making that happen and ensuring it was done fairly and correctly. While many may have wished to get past without paying the taxes, to do so would invite more frequent audits of the town by royal surveyors. Nobody really wanted that.


    After nearly an hour of waiting, it was finally their turn. Illaria was the first to set eyes on the man before them. He was a modestly dressed Tiefling with fading coal black hair and green eyes. His clothing wasn''t particularly fancy, but it was clearly cut from sturdy material. His ram horns and thin tail were so very similar to Alvec''s, but the shade of his skin was a few shades more red than Alvec''s. "The fee for the bridge is a silver per cart. If you''re carrying cargo, additional taxes are also to be paid. Do you have anything to declare?" The man asked, eyeing the two wagons. Before Illaria could respond, Echo trotted up to the man and sat before him.


    To Illaria''s amusement, the man didn''t so much as budge as Echo sniffed at him and then licked his face. "Just so you know, I don''t take bribes or give discounts. Threats don''t go over well either."


    "Sorry about him!" Naya called out before snapping her fingers and recalling Echo to her side. "Wasn''t meant as either!" The man nodded to her.


    "Once more, I ask, do you have anything to declare?"


    "Only that I don''t have any cargo to pay for yet, but next time I come home, I''ll be sure to have an entire cart of alchemical supplies to be assessed," Alvec said as he stood up from his position on the second cart. He grinned ear to ear. "Surprise."


    "Alvec! What are you doing here? I just got a message from your grandfather updating me on your exploits a few days ago. You fought against Crowley? Your mother is pissed. You didn''t even send a letter telling us what you were up to. We''ve had to get all of our news secondhand!"


    Alvec laughed nervously. "I''m sorry about that, we''ve been swamped. I''ll regale you with the tail over dinner tonight. Does that sound good?" he asked.


    "It''s the least you''ll have to do to appease your mother. She should be at home; you might want to head right there. The sooner you catch her today, the sooner her scolding will end. Now pay your two silver and skip along." He said, holding out his hand. Alvec quickly complied, placing the two coins in his father''s hands.


    "We''ll see you for dinner. Want anything in particular?" Alvec asked.


    "Just make sure there is enough for everyone, including the animal companion."


    "Don''t worry, Dad, I will," Alvec said before hopping back onto a wagon, choosing to hop onto the one with Illaria at the front. "I''ll guide us to my home." He said as they began to roll into the town proper, leaving Alvec''s father to continue to collect the toll on the bridge.


    "He seems like a nice enough man," Illaria said.


    "He''s stubborn about the rules. Always has been." Alvec confirmed.


    It wasn''t a long ride by wagon before they arrived at a modest wooden house. Come to think of it, most of the buildings here were made of wood, and the construction looked rather new. Illaria turned to her companion and asked the question on her mind. "This town was nearly destroyed in the anarchy, wasn''t it?"


    "Astute observation," Alvec replied as he disembarked from the wagon. "Most of the stone structures were damaged beyond repair. Only the academy and a few of the richest families here were rebuilt with stone. Most everyone else used wood. Being a trade town, they never built the sort of defensive structures that Sha-Laial had." Without missing a beat, Alvec walked to the door and hammered at it a few times. "Mom, if you don''t come answer the door, I''m going to let myself and my friends in," Alvec shouted as Rem climbed down him and ran circles around his legs. "Also, be prepared for Rem to lose his mind a bit! He''s already running in circles." A few moments passed before a human woman, a half-head shorter than Alvec, opened the door. She had soft, mousy brown hair loosely braided into a ponytail. Her clothing was simple, a white tunic and a blue half cape.


    She swooped down and grabbed Rem, flipping him on his back and cradling him like a baby. "Alright, come on in. You''ve sure brought a lot of people with you this time Alvec. Pardon the mess; we had no idea anyone would be stopping in. I''m Melina, Alvec''s mother. Does anyone need anything to drink? Water, maybe a little wine?" She beamed a broad smile that matched her sons. "It''s been a while since we''ve hosted anyone, and never on Alvec''s behalf. He''s an earnest and shy boy; he''s never brought any friends over. Certainly never such distinguished and exotic company. Let alone three different young ladies. Do tell me, do any of you happen to be betrothed to him? The dashing lady with the hair like sunset, would you happen to share any sort of relationship with my son?" She asked playfully, smiling at her.


    Illaria took a half step back as if contemplating the question far more seriously than anyone expected. She didn''t share that sort of relationship with Alvec. Nor anyone else, for that matter, but for the first time in the better part of years, she could actually afford to entertain the thought. "No, Alvec and I don''t share that sort of relationship. He''s a great friend, and I am glad to call him such, but we are not paramours." She answered, returning a bright smile.


    "Alright then, what about this adventurous girl here with the two swords. You seem a little younger but look like the gambling sort."


    "Um, Alvec, does your mother always ask such personal questions?" Naya asked as she, too, backpedaled as she tried to think. "I''ve got too many things going on to pursue any romances." She said.


    "Shame, Ivy Day is just around the corner; if you change your mind, be sure to make him something," Malina said. A spark of fire seemed to light behind her eyes as she zeroed in on Sarbie hiding at the back of the crowd outside the door. "Now, what do we have here?" She said as she practically danced around Sarbie, circling like a hawk. "Demure, with the look of a nervous bookworm, with a symbol of Kushang around her neck." She clasped her hands together. "Please tell me it''s actually her; she''s my favorite. Come in, come in. We''ve got plenty to talk about," she said as she placed her hands on Sarbie''s upper back and dragged her into the house proper, pushing past everyone else.


    "Mom, could you stop harassing my friend," Alvec asked. "I''m not romantically involved with any of them," Alvec stated.


    "Oh, Alvec sweetie, don''t bluff with me, the house always wins."


    "It''s not a bluff."


    "It''s cute that you''re trying to say that with a straight face, but she''s wearing your clothing. Would you care to explain that? Or should I just keep drawing my own conclusions?" Melina asked with a mischievous grin.


    "It''s not like that, I''m just responsible for her. I was just trying to keep her safe."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "Uh-huh, not exactly a denial."


    Illaria''s laughter punctured the playful banter. "So this is the sort of woman who raises a man like you? It all makes oh-so much sense now."


    "Oh, are my son and I very alike?" Melina asked as she turned her attention back behind her.


    "Very. Perceptive, deductive, and daring. I be reminded of the time he threw himself face-first into a slithering Ooze. It was quite the gamble."


    "Dear, you left that bit out of your letters. Care to enlighten me inside over a cup of tea?"


    Alvec slumped his shoulders and followed Melina and Sarbie inside. The rest of the group followed along shortly behind him. The house itself was very modestly furnished. A thick, worn table sat at the center of the kitchen. There weren''t enough place settings at the table to accommodate everyone, but that wouldn''t stop their hosts. She firmly placed Sarbie into a seat and quickly rushed to another room, returning with a few more chairs. "Who wants tea? Or is this more of a coffee group?" Melina asked.


    "I''ll take the coffee; you can keep the leaf juice," Mavec said.


    "As if the bean juice be any better." Illaria sniped back.


    "Mom, just make a couple of cups of each; we''ll sort it all out," Alvec said as he placed himself deliberately beside Sarbie and between where his mother would no doubt sit. There were two quick flares of red light from the stove before she returned with piping-hot liquids for all to enjoy.


    "That was fast," Naya said.


    "My son is a brilliant enchanter. Did you think I didn''t ask him for a few minor creature comforts?" Melina asked. She frowned at Alvec before flushing an even wider smile. She took her seat, allowing the boy his small victory. "So tell me, Alvec, what brings you home?"


    He paused for a moment, contemplating the answer. One part opportunity. They needed to get to Sha-Laial as fast as possible, and the bridge offered them a quick passage. The other was that he wanted to make sure he warned his family about the events he was tied up in. If this continued so strangely, his parents needed to know how to defend themselves. The light that seemed to be the source of the mutations could be blocked out. Akrixi''s smoke had been enough to starve it of its intended target. Perhaps hell''s blood would gift his father the ability to at least defend himself and his mother. It was all Alvec could hope. With a frown, he resolved to give her the short version. The fewer details he gave, the less compromised she could be.


    "So let me get this straight. There''s a light that turns people into monsters, and you''re trying to find a way to thwart it?" She rephrased.


    "Yeah, that about sums it up," Mavec said.


    "It be missin a few details, but I do be supposing that was intentional on Alvec''s part," Illaria replied.


    "I''m concerned about having this Ferrous Mercury sample in only one vial. We should split it up." Mavec said.


    "Better, we should all carry something that looks right. I should be able to make a convincing fake." Alvec said.


    "But how do we decide who carries the real ones?" Sarbie asked.


    "Better yet, should we even know who has the real ones?" Naya asked.


    "BAIT SAY WE WRESTLE FOR IT!"


    "While that be a mighty fun idea, I think we might be able to find a better work around," Illaria said.


    "Well, of course, we can; I already have an idea. Alvec, go to your room and cook up some fakes. Take the real one with you. Come back with all of them. I''ll then distribute them. So long as you don''t tell me which ones are real or fake, then I won''t be able to know when I pass them around." She said with a smile. "And I can catch up with your friends while you work." Alvec grimaced but did what his mother suggested. Cooking up a convincing fake wasn''t all that hard. The substance reminded him of a phenomenon called hydrophilia. The droplets seemed to stick together exceptionally well. Mimicking it would be a challenge, but he was sure he could still make a convincing fake. He divided the real one into two vials. So that if one were compromised, just maybe the other would survive. It was all they had of a substance that could save the world. If they couldn''t secure the recipe, it would be up to Alvec and Mavec to recreate it from scratch. At least they had enough empty vessels back in Alusai''s tomb to test any concoctions in.


    Meanwhile, Melina offered food to the rest of the group, minus Bait, who had scampered off muttering something about searching for exotic cheese ingredients. "My son''s written me a few times about the lot of you, but he''s been rather tight-lipped about your adventures. Can you perhaps tell me a little about how you came to meet and what you''ve been up to? Let''s start with you, Miss Illaria."


    "I''m Illaria of the Blue Banner Armies Coffin Flotilla. I met Alvec at Cellocht''s birthday party. I''d stuck with him because he''s been an interesting young man with a penchant for getting himself into interesting situations with clever escapes." She replied. Melina nodded in approval.


    "Now, while rescuing your family, did something strange happen to Alvec? His grandfather sent a message to us about it, which was unusual enough to begin with."


    A look of pained guilt crossed her face as she decided to tell the truth to Melina. "Yes, one of the devils present seemed keen on Alvec." She shook her head from left to right.


    "I figured as much; you needn''t say more. Naya, what stories would you like to share?" Melina asked.


    "Share, no. But I have a question." She said.


    "Oh, sure, let''s hear it," Melina said.


    "Has your son always been this much of an idiot?"


    "Naya, what the fuck? Alvec''s one of the smartest men I know." Mavec said, rising to his defense.


    "HE THREW HIMSELF INTO AN OOZE!" She shouted back.


    Illaria let out a sigh. "Aye, he did do that. He belly-flopped right into one, set off all of his alchemist fire and acid, and got rocketed into the ceiling. If I be remembering correctly, it did work."


    Melina let out a deep laugh that roiled up from her belly. "That''s the thing, Naya. The difference between genius and stupidity is a razor-thin line. It''s all just a roll of the dice, and he certainly gets it from me."


    Naya raised an eyebrow in response. "You don''t seem..."


    "Let me cut you off there. Before I settled down and started helping out the Church of Kushang here in Jai-Najan, I frequently visited the casinos and bars. I lived for the thrill of the game. I knew the odds of each toss of the die, I could bluff the best of them around a card table, and I made a modest living doing it. Believe me, he gets his sense of adventure from me and most of his bookish seriousness from his father."


    "If you don''t mind me asking, if his father''s such a bookish and serious person, how did you two ever get together? Do opposites really attract?" Illaria asked.


    "Sometimes I think that might be it." She said with a coy smile. "Or perhaps I just like the fact that there''s someone out there that will just tell me no. I''ve had plenty of bad ideas, and he''s grounded me in all of them. Enough about me, however. There are still others to talk about. Mavec, do you have any stories you''d like to tell us?''


    "Nah, I''ll pass," Mavec said as he took a long drag on his cup of coffee.


    "Alright, then we end with Sarbie here. My son''s letters were short on details about you. Just that a cleric of Kushang had joined his adventuring party. So why the secrecy?" She asked.


    "Because he was hoping I wouldn''t need to get this involved."


    "Care to elaborate?"


    ¡°I was just a cleric in Sha-Laial. I''d never even left the city, let alone thought about adventuring. I''d rather read a story about an adventure than be in one." She said.


    "So why are you here?"


    "Bad luck mostly."


    "Would you rather be back home?"


    Sarbie folded her hands over her lap and sat up properly for a moment. It was the big question. One which, in many ways, defined what she was in relation to this group of adventurers. To her friends. "While I''d be thrilled to be back home, I don''t think, with what I know now, that I could go back to living the life I had lived. There''s too much at stake, and I just can''t turn a blind eye to it, as comforting as that may be."


    "And we''re thrilled to have you with us," Alvec said as he entered the room and handed his mother a box with six vials of liquid. They were identical at a glance and would do well for the second part of this plan. "Now, Mother, can we stop interrogating my friends?''


    "Fine, I guess I''ll stop harassing my favorite one. Yours too, by the looks of it." She said, giving him an exagerated wink as she stood up, grabbed the box full of vials, and brought it to another room. Alvec simply flushed a little more crimson on his cheeks.


    Alvec did his best to avoid eye contact with Sarbie, not wanting to encourage his mother''s insinuation. They were in the middle of a possibly world-ending event. This wasn''t exactly the time to be talking about any sort of fancy. His willpower faltered, and he glanced at her, only to find her shyly peeking back at him. "Alright, you have those vials ready to be passed out?!" Alvec questioned loudly. A few moments later, his mother returned and distributed the half-full vials of shiny red liquid.


    "I guess this is the safest way," Mavec said, nodding in agreement. "This way, if the Gold Banner Army is compromised and gets any of us, they may not actually get the real sample. Alvec knows what the fakes are made of, so while he can''t tell at a glance if a vial is fake, he can test it to determine if it was one of the ones he made. This''ll do."


    Melina brought out a deck of cards and several dice. The group, minus Bait, played games and waited for dinner to be ready. The atmosphere was kept light, despite repeated attempts by Melina to needle Sarbie and Alvec even closer together.

 95: The Wonders of Jai-Najal

    Bait knows where to find the best exotic ingredients. He need mushrooms. Mushrooms love old, dark, and wet spots. Stone bridge over river best place! Bait wandered back to the bridge alone and on foot. Knowing that no one else would help him get to the underside of the bridge to harvest bridge mushrooms. When he arrived, he pulled a rope of a long length around his waist and tied the other end to the bridge itself. He tugged against the rope a few times, making sure that it was tight enough on both sides. A small crowd was assembling to watch. Bait smiled wide; of course, dey come to see him. He best goblin. Dey lucky he bless their town with his presence. Dey would talk of dis day for as long as dey lived.


    He stretched out a bit, jumping up and down, preparing himself as best he could to take da big leap. He slapped himself on the face a few times before letting out a furious battle cry of a single word. "CHEESE!" His voice echoed loudly in the vast open sky as his feet quickly pittered against the stone. When he reached the edge, he took a mighty leap. He felt weightless momentarily as his momentum carried his small frame forward. A sharp pain in his gut hit as he reached the edge of his rope and swung back towards the bridge. He scrambled to spin around to face the bridge, only just making the rotation in time. His grubby fingers quickly searched for purchase on the stonework. He felt the weight of gravity begin to pull him towards the river below before his desperately searching green hands found their way into a crack in the stone.


    With his dissent halted, he climbed carefully to see the bridge''s underside. He cried out in triumph as he saw what he was hoping for. A rotted beam of wood, left behind for untold decades, bloomed with blessed mushrooms of alien and fantastic appearances. Chalk white and spindly, with parasol-like flesh, they looked exotic, just the sort of thing Master Ben would love for him to bring back. He struggled to make his way over to the mushrooms. His fingers hurt, and his arms felt heavy. Climbing rocks is not fun; too much work. Not even cool explosion afterwards. Under-da-bridge cheese better be fantastic. Once over to the rotting beam, he took as many as he could fit into his bag and untied the rope from himself, plunging into the swiftly flowing river below. The small goblin couldn''t free himself from the river''s current easily. It swept him far downstream before he could push himself to the shore. Trek back to town takes a few hours, but before the sun fell too low in the sky, Bait managed to find his way back to Alvec''s clan''s house.


    Alvec''s clan small, just him and his mother and father. By goblin standards dis make Alvec tribe very weak. Maybe not tell Alvec dat. He powerful wizard. Make large booms and big things out of ice. Alvec also always help Bait. Bait get picked up by crab, greased. Bait get wrestled by giant toothy tongue, greased. Are Cannonballs flying at Bait? Fortress of Ice. Bait find Sarbie sitting with Alvec''s mother at the table. The others weren''t anywhere to be seen. Bait scampered up to Sarbie and tugged gently at her robes before presenting her with a brightly colored beetle, its shell a deep crimson. "Dis pretty," he informed her as he glanced around and looked for the others. "Where did Illaria go?" He asked.


    "Thanks, Bait," Sarbie said slowly as she gently pushed the beetle to the table''s edge. She didn''t want to offend the goblin by outright throwing away the "gift," but she didn''t need it crawling on her. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. "Illaria is making herself comfortable in one of the wagons, I think."


    Bait shuffled off to his wagon, claiming his bed and settling in for the night. Leaving Sarbie alone with Alvec''s mother. Alvec and his father were catching up while Alvec was put to work fixing things around the house. The second time, he''d been made to focus on mending things for friends and family. Sarbie couldn''t help but smile as she looked down at her cup of tea. Now that the rest of the party had filtered out of the house, it felt like home. She''d thought Alvec, as gifted as he seemed to be in the arcane arts, must have come from some prestigious house. She could easily imagine him having private tutors and instruction from a proper battle master, like a proper lord or wealthy merchant. To see that his home was so quaint and ordinary certainly shattered that perception. While he may have been a Reynore, it was clear that he hadn''t benefited from their namesake.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    In many ways, this felt a bit like home to her. They''d been so busy that she hadn''t had time to process how much she missed home. Stopping her friends from being killed by devils and pirates, abominations, and machines had left her exhausted each day. She could only hope that her family wasn''t too worried. Alvec had asked her not to write to them, and his explanation made a lot of sense intellectually. Emotionally, it still hurt to know she couldn''t tell them what she''d been up to till she saw them in person, and even then, it might be best to leave out the details. It might keep them safe from the Gold, if nothing else. Her hands shook a little bit as she let out a sigh. Hoc as well was probably worried sick. He no doubt blamed himself. If he''d only been more of what the Cheese Acolytes needed, perhaps he could be here instead of her. She shook the thought from her mind and took a big gulp of the warm tea in her hands, trying to reset her mind and peace with the action.


    "Are you liking the tea?" Melina asked.


    "It''s excellent, thank you," Sarbie replied.


    "So now that we''re alone, you said my son felt responsible for you? Do you mind telling me how?"


    "It''s his fault that I''m even on this adventure." She said, cradling the cup of tea in both hands and staring a hole into the bottom of the porcelain cup. "Mind you, I''m glad I''ve been helpful, and I don''t think I could go back knowing what I know now. I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t upset by how this all played out. I was supposed to be safe in the church, doing some light healing, sorting books in the library, and small chores, really. Now? Now I''m fighting devils and patching up goblins. I''d never even been camping before this."


    "I''m sorry you''ve gone through so much. No one would hold it against you if you walked away." She replied to Sarbie, putting a hand on her shoulder.


    "Somehow, that thought feels worse. I don''t... I don''t want to disappoint them. They''ve all placed so much faith in me. How can I possibly let them down? Every time I fumble, someone catches me. When those devils attacked me on the Audacity, Alvec intercepted blades and used every spell he could to keep me safe. From the sounds of it, he should have been focusing on that Eirinyes. Instead, he was lock-step with me, dancing around their spear tips and blasting them with blinding light. He could have been solving problems but instead chose to protect me. How could I give up if he''s willing to keep fighting? I don''t understand what he even sees in me." Melina let out a soft laugh.


    "I do." She said with a familiar certainty which left Sarbie disarmed and more confused than she had started this conversation. Sarbie let out a long sigh. "Don''t worry. I won''t spoil it for you. You can hear it from him someday. Have you thought about making him anything for Ivy Day?"


    "Not really, I don''t have access to a kitchen on the road, and it would probably be misconstrued. I mean, I wouldn''t want him to get any wrong ideas."


    "Ivy Day is for platonic friends as well. Something small and thoughtful would be fine. I would gamble that he''s cooking something up for you." Sarbie pursed her lips.


    "Would you gamble on it being a friendly or romantic gesture?" She asked.


    "Which would would you prefer?" Melina asked with a grin.


    "Forget, I asked." Sarbie insisted.


    The pair talked for a while longer before Sarbie slinked off to bed. She''d make something small for everyone. It was the best solution. She couldn''t let him give her something without returning the favor.

 96: Back to School

    The Academy of Jai-Najan was nothing compared to the sheer size and grandeur of the academy back in Sha-Laial. Naya had thought that all of the Academies were these massive buildings spread out over acres of land, with all the gold they could possibly use to pursue all sorts of crazy things, like building the kind of clockwork that Mavec walked around with.


    This, however, was a far cry from her imagination. This academy looked like a single building, no more than a squat two stories of brick and black shingled roof. A small playground was set off just a short way from the academy''s yard. She''d never seen a proper playground before. In her village, the sort of games one played were all practice for for hunting, farming, or even fighting. She remembered watching her cousins fight with sticks instead of swords. It was hard to imagine the children here; with this wooden structure, learning anything useful through play.


    Alvec took the lead with confidence. He held his hand out, indicating the group should stop as he reached the doors. "If you don''t mind, I''ll be going in first. I''ll see if they can bring the whole class outside." His hands hesitated a moment before curling around the handle. It had been many seasons since he had graduated, since these halls, which now felt so comically small and encroaching, had been his home. He pulled the door open and entered. The hallways were comfortably dark, and he gingerly stepped over the worn wooden pine floorboards. He arrived shortly at his destination peering through the door''s glass and spotting his target. A human woman with fading black hair stylishly piled into a messy low bun. She wore the robes of a headmaster, black robes with intricate golden trim. Alvec rapped upon the glass with his knuckles a few times before opening the door. The woman gave him a kind smile, exposing the crow''s feet slowly forming around her eyes.


    "Well, students, if it isn''t one of our most illustrious graduates. You''ve all heard the rumors about Alvec, the unyielding champion of Sha-Laial''s Cheese Acolytes, winners of a Festival of Blades. One of the men who faced down and killed cut-throat Crowley and foiled an infernal invasion. Meet the man behind the bard''s tales."


    "Come now, Headmistress, it isn''t fair to praise my recent exploits, not when you haven''t heard the stories from my own mouth." He said with a wide smile. "Though, I might be able to regale you with the tales while your students get to see a real-life dire wolf." The students, who looked no older than young teenagers, erupted into a chorus of cheers and questions. Alvec and the Headmaster exchanged looks, and she begrudgingly motioned towards the door.


    "Alright, let us take a break and see this dire wolf." She took the lead, and before long, the two dozen students arrived outside, finding the rest of the Cheese Acolytes waiting.


    "We can play with the wolf, right?" One of the children asked.


    "You sure can!" Naya informed them as she spoke the word, and Echo grew so large that he dwarfed the playground nearby. The children climbed all over him, aided by Naya, to reach the top of his head. They then slid down his back and landed on his fluffy tail.


    While everyone watched the children''s antics, Alvec stood next to the Headmaster. He almost longed for one of Mavec''s cigarettes. He''d heard rumors that they could calm the nerves, and at the moment, Alvec felt like nothing but a bundle of them. He was taking a risk by bringing any of this up at all. It was tough to say if this information would even keep them safe. He''d told his father all he felt he could over breakfast without opening them up to persecution by the Gold Banner. He urged him to head towards his uncles and aunts if something strange and awful happened. That, or to hide and use the gifts given to him by his infernal heritage.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Most tieflings could call up a shroud of magical darkness. It wasn''t something Alvec made a habit of doing. He was just as blind in it as others were looking towards it. That said, he hoped that Kavass''s twisting light would fail to pierce through it. "So, don''t ask me too many questions about this, but I''d like you to decline any invites to dine with Ghol of the Gold Banner Army." Alvec finally said. The Headmaster gave him a grave look.


    "You know I haven''t been invited to shit since I stood up to you''re ''grandmother'' Anelle." The Headmaster said with a smile. "Should that somehow change in the next few months, I''ll be sure to casually decline. I don''t have enough instructors here to begin with. I certainly can''t be sparing people to go gallivanting around the town with some legends of the Anarchy." She replied.


    "Did I ever say thank you for standing up to her?" Alvec asked.


    "No, but you didn''t have to. You were a child, what, ten years old at the time? None of what she did was your fault, and I entirely resent the fact that she became the chair of Conjuration in the Empire."


    "It certainly didn''t make your job or life here any easier." Alvec nodded in agreement. "You ever regret it?"


    "Not for a second. I helped train Alvec the Unyielding. Not to mention one of the bands that took down the Scourge of the Seas. I''m more than a little curious about what you''ll get up to next. It might help, too, that I like Jai-Najan. The gamblings fun on the weekends, and the children are a good mix."


    "Might I suggest a curriculum alteration as well?" Alvec asked as he watched over them. "Anything which blocks light."


    "What''s bringing this about?"


    "It''s a long story, Headmaster. I''m not sure I can do it justice without tipping my hand too much and endangering you. Suffice to say we''re working on it." Alvec replied.


    "That''s not good enough; tell me all you can."


    "Short version. The Gold may be compromised, and something ancient and nasty is trying to return. We''re trying to stop it, but there are still a lot of unknowns. All I can do is try to arm my friends and allies with ways to keep them safe."


    "Is there nothing I can do to help?" She asked.


    "Now that you mention it, there might be one thing. Could you contact the Academy at Sha-Laial and have them place Warren Alston under house arrest? We''re bringing a lawsuit to him on behalf of the Boar Eater clan of goblins. He''s accused of breach of contract. Bastards lucky I''m asking this for him. The Boar Eaters don''t really understand what breach of contract is. They were ready to make him participate in Leech combat."


    "Do I even want to know what that is?" she asked.


    "Well, it involves a bathtub full of Leeches and getting to know them far more than I''d ever like to," Alvec said with a grin.


    "I''ll message the Academy at Sha-Laial right away. They''ll be sure to place Warren Alston under house arrest until you can bring those charges against him. The Academies take the failures of their students very seriously."


    Alvec nodded along, and the pair sat silently while they watched the kids continue playing with Echo. He had shrunk back down to horse size and was bounding around the schoolyard chasing balls and returning them to the young wizards who had thrown them. Some of the younger kids were also catching rides on his back, guided by Naya. The ones having the most fun, though, were those who let the Wolf pick them up in his mouth and gently carry them around the schoolyard as he zoomed full tilt. Alvec broke into a soft laughter. Moments like this were what he truly fought for.

 97: The Madness of Bristlecone

    The return trip to Sha-Laial was still a trek. The detour through Jai-Najan had only cost them a single night''s worth of time, and Alvec seemed especially light on his feet and damn near radiant as they departed. It made Naya''s heartache. Everyone seemed to be getting a chance to see their family, yet hers still seemed so dangerously out of reach. She buried her hands into Echo''s mane as they road, giving him the best frustrated scritches she could manage.


    The path back to Sha-Laial brought them through familiar territory. The forests had begun to yield to open fields, some still overgrown since the Anarchy and Ageneon''s war. They had traveled this path the first time they had journeyed to Sha-Laial. It felt like forever ago, despite it only having been a few months. They''d saved Mel and encountered their first sleepwalking incident. They were still no closer to figuring out what that was even about.


    Screaming interrupted Naya''s reminiscing and snapped her sharply into focus. She spurred Echo on and clutched tightly at his mane. Echo sprang forward, racing out before the rest of the caravan. Only Illaria, with her heavenly speed, could keep pace with her. The two women and the horse-sized wolf arrived back at Mel''s farm. Mel and her parents stood in the wagon yard; their feet were rooted to the ground most literally as vines began to choke around them, and their very flesh was slowly being replaced by plant life. A large, gnarled creature stood before them, directing his hands at them. She had seen these same roots once before slithering away from Lom-Itoti. The dark had hidden this creature fully from sight, but now, she had a clear view. Its large gnarled tendrils gave way to a strange hybrid body. It was vaguely humanoid, with large tree-like limbs and a face composed of branches and roots in a pattern that resembled a human face.


    "BRISTLECONE!" Naya howled as she dismounted Echo, drew both blades, and dashed toward him. She didn''t even speak the words to activate the newest magics Alvec had graced her swords with; her sheer will sent electricity cackling through the blade in her right hand. The air around the scimitar in her left hand burned acrid as she brought both blades to bear against the creature. They bit in, tearing a chunk of bark from its torso. Her momentum carried her forward, stumbling past him. She screamed again, a guttural noise that spurred the rest of her allies to come running as fast as they could. Illaria wasn''t far behind her, her wakizashi in hand as she rounded the entrance to Mel''s family farm.


    "Ah, so this be Elder Bristlecone. Might we be convincing you to stop with the green sleep long enough to speak with us on the matter?" She asked.


    "Tainted children there is no hope beyond the embrace of the green. They will be saved, their bodies changed, but never broken. When the world is remade in his image, when flesh and spirit rip and contort, they will stand strong as the oak that is my flesh." The creature was practically crying as it, too, screamed its words to the group. The remainder of the group came in hot behind them.


    "Bristlecone, you rat bastard! Just stop for a moment; we just want to talk!" Mavec shouted at him. The ground shook as vine-like tendrils pierced the dusty brown soil of the wagon yard and whipped around menacingly at the party.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "You''ve failed. You''ve all failed. No one honors the old accords. Gone is the song, gone is the dance!" the spirit lamented as he directed one of the tendrils at Illaria, who brought her blade up with deft confidence, slicing deeply into it as she parried the blow harmlessly to the side. Another came for Mavec, who wasn''t as fortunate. He took the brunt of the vine whip to the face, spinning round and rolling onto the ground from the force of it.


    "Fucking rat bastard!" Mavec shouted again as he staggered to his feet and let loose a blast of electricity, which jolted the vine that had hit him, threatening to catch it on fire.


    "Bristlecone, focus!" Alvec said as he moved forward. "We don''t want to fight; just help us put an end to this. There has to be something we can still do." He quickly traced red runes of magic in the air and arced fire out towards the vines. The flame hopped from the first vine to another, and one then hopped again to a third vine. The vines writhed and withered at the flame''s touch.


    "There is nothing, you poor cursed children, that can be done. You will perish with the rest of them. I must save all that I can. If only the Emperor still danced upon the small mount, perhaps then we could still awaken my father. Bring Akrixi''s might to bear against Kavaas. What hope is there that he even knows the steps to the dance? Modernist that he is. Spiritual traitor that is Ageneon."


    "Bait no think Tree-man listening." The goblin stood upon the top of the wagon and rained down bullet after bullet on Bristlecone''s main body, scattering inch-thick shards of wood into the ground around him. Echo pounced on one of the tendrils, snapping his fangs around it and pulling it harmlessly to the ground, where the large wolf used his size to keep it still and away from his friends.


    Naya continued to let out a blood-curdling scream as she laid into him once more. Her blades were relentless, hammering down blows rapidly, each slash biting a bit deeper than the last. She felt, with her final strike, her blade slice clean through. A look of shock crossed his face.


    "What have you done, child. I do not have time for this! So many more will die because of your short-sighted tantrum." With that, his body began to retract into the very earth itself.


    "Is there truly nothing we can do?" Alvec shouted one last time.


    "Dance and sing! Praise Akrixi! Venerate upon the small mount with Aegeneon." With those final words and a pop, he disappeared again beneath the ground. Naya threw herself to the soil, instructing Echo to join her in digging.


    "You don''t just get to run away! I''m not through with you yet! Fix Lom-Itoti!" She shouted at the dirt beneath her feet. Her fingers bled as she ignored even her own safety in the name of speed. Pushing as much dirt out of the way as possible.


    "Naya, he''s gone. Come on, we can''t keep making a scene here." Mavec said as he approached her.


    Alvec approached Mel and her family, bowing his head in apology. "Please forgive her; I promise I''ll fix the damage before we go. Before that, I''ll have our cleric check you out if you don''t mind." Alvec waved Sarbie over. Mel and her parents were thrilled that a cleric of the church was attending them and graciously accepted her offer. Alvec smiled as he watched her work, breaking away from her to join Mavec, who was standing over Naya and Echo. The girl and her wolf were still digging deeply into the ground. Mavec''s arms were crossed as he stared down at Naya.


    "She won''t stop for me; you want to try?" He asked.


    "No, I say we leave her alone for now. We''ve got another theory we can follow up on." Alvec said.

 98: Silence in Archers Market

    Mavec''s brows furrowed momentarily as his mind raced to catch up with Alvec. "You''re not wrong." He said after a moment''s pause. "We need to figure out if the last abomination was a coincidence or if Kavaas was gunning for us. So we''d need to go back to the spot where we were sleepwalking and see if there was any evidence of an intruder." Mavec said.


    "Aye, but can we be leaving Naya right now?" Illaria asked as she joined the boys.


    The three of them argued about the ethics of leaving Naya to her own devices as they pursued the lead. It boring. Bait just go. He crept low and quiet as he headed off into the woods again. It didn''t take him too long to find his way back towards the section where they had been sleepwalking. Bait good tracker, get back to most places he had been without too much trouble.


    Walking through the clearing they had slept in, Bait see lots of strange things. Big monsters- VERY BIG monsters- come through and fight something else very big. Bait not sure dey intruder, but it strange if not. Scorch marks on trees make Bait think of his horny and angry wizards. Dey both shoot lightning, and dis look like lightning, but MORE lightning. Bait definitely need to tell them soon! With little more striking his curiosity, Bait ran back towards the farm. When he arrived, he found Naya sitting on the back of one of the wagons, her hands bandaged and somewhat clean. Her clothing, however, was still caked with dirt and mud from where her blood had mixed with the soil.


    He jogged over to Illaria. "Bait need Wizards to follow him. Bait, go where we slepts. See lightning and signs of big creatures. Need wizards to see, too."


    "Well, that explains why it''s been so quiet," Illaria said with a grin. "I''ll let them know. Can you lead them back there?" Illaria asked.


    "K, Bye." Bait said as he jogged over to Alvec and Mavec, who were both using spells to push the mounds of dirt back into place.


    "Wizards, follow Bait! Found things at the place we slept outside." The pair of wizards exchanged looks and followed their eccentric goblin friend into the woods. Once they arrived, Alvec let out a whistle. This was some serious magic and one seriously large monster. It was impossible for them to tell if it was an intruder, but it seemed like a safe bet.


    "This is sixth circle magic," Mavec confirmed. "Someone very powerful came through here, and if they encountered the intruder, I think they dealt with it."


    "Do you think it was Tivix? He''s head of evocation at Sha-Laial''s academy; he might be able to cast sixth circle magic." Alvec suggested.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "At this point, we can almost cast sixth circle magic, " Mavec said, smiling at his companion. "Soon we might be able to solo one of these things."


    "That would be nice. I like the implications of this here, though. Some of these trees look like they were pitted by acid. It means that Kavaas may not be exclusively targeting us. Our last pass through the fields in Tsuhomma Downs may have just been a coincidence." Alvec said.


    "Dat good." Bait nodded in agreement. "We go eat cheese?" He asked as he pointed his head back the way the trio had come. They departed and found that by the time they had returned Mel''s family had assembled some food, and finished filling in the pit that Echo and Naya had dug out of their property. The group enjoyed a meal, and discussed how Sarbie had given the family a clean bill of health. Shortly after the group departed.


    Naya road on the back of the wagon leaning against the frame. Echo slunk beside her head, downtrodden as well. He may not have been able to discuss sorrow and anger with her, but he could certainly feel it.


    The wagons came to an abrupt stop, and Illaria called out. "Friends, where be everyone? Archer''s Market does seem to be deserted."


    "Please don''t let them be sleepwalking!" Mavec exclaimed.


    "Or lets hope its not an infestation of intruders." Alvec said as he quickly donned his arcane armor.


    "I think... I hear singing?" Sarbie said as she pointed down the road to a tavern.


    Illaria narrowed her eyes and set her ears to the wind. Sarbie was right; as perplexing as this was, she was right. "Aye, to the tavern then." The group continued their trek down the road, parking both wagons outside. The sound of the violin and a strong voice reverberated through the very door. The group entered and were greeted by a sea of bodies packed tight into the building. It looked like the entire town had gathered here for some reason. Standing on the very bar counter was a halfling who they had not seen in some time. Still dressed in the richest purples and plush blacks, Cellocht, armed with a violin, led the crowd in singing a bawdy song about who the mother of Ageneon''s heir could be... with the conclusion of each chorus rejecting the notions they''d just established.


    Alvec let out a sigh of relief, not just for the lack of need to participate in any combats but also for the fact that the man had taken the bait. With any luck, they''d end this day with a powerful ally. All the more important since they needed the Emperor to dance upon the small mount.


    The group, minus Echo, who whined at the door, squeezed into the overcrowded tavern, their bodies packed tightly together as Cellocht downed a pint of ale offered to him by the barkeep. He dramatically made a satisfied sigh as he firmly slapped the pint onto the table next to him and launched into a ballad about the early days of the war, riding through the empire with both Ageneon and Ghol. The song carried on for a few minutes. Alvec''s heart sank a bit; if Ghol was compromised, it would be a hell of a task to make the Emperor see it. The man, by all accounts, was both one of his strongest confidants and also a father figure to him when his own failed him.


    When the crowds began to filter out of the tavern, Cellocht announced his impromptu concert was over, and the group made their way over to him.

 99: The Tale of the Cheese Acolytes

    "Cellocht, long time no see, think we could go talk somewhere a little quieter?" Mavec asked.


    "If it isn''t the Cheese Acolytes, winner of the Festival of Blades, and the bane of the Dread pirate Crowley! I sure know how to pick them!" He grabbed another pint and downed it after first raising it in a toast to the team.


    "Yeah, thats great and all, but we''d like to chat more privately, think you can get us a back room for a few?" Mavec asked again a bit more pointedly.


    "Who do you take me for boy, of course I can get us a backroom. Give me but a moment to go speak with the barkeep. The halfling wandered a few feet away to speak with a tall gruff human man, who handed him a key and pointed him towards a door further back in the tavern. The group followed him as he lead the way. Even Echo squeezed into the crowded tavern and into the room with them.


    It was a simple room with a few beds and chests and drawers to store personal effects. Cellocht prattled at them absentmindedly as they took in their surroundings. "He says this room is only used by staff or traveling bards. Quickly, you must recant your encounters with Crowley. I''d love to turn this into a ballad that will have your names spoken for as long as you draw breath!"


    "While that do be sounding nice Master Cellocht, I think we be having more important matters to discuss with you. Alvec, could you..." She trailed off as she did her best impersonation of casting magic by waving her hands through the air at him. Alvec chuckled and obliged her. He carefully layered spells around them. If the Gold were trying to spy on him, he''d blind their eyes, at least long enough to discuss this privately. With his spells to shield them from prying eyes and ears in place, he gave a quick thumbs up. Cellocht chuckled.


    ¡°Its an impressive layer of warding, but might I suggest one more?¡± the halfling said as he too wove an arcane spell around the group. ¡°Now, if someone could go stand next to the door and talk to us to prove its working.¡± He said as he gestured to Naya. The girl shrugged and moved to the door and began talking. No one in the party could hear a word she was saying as her mouth moved.


    "We''re good to go." Alvec confirmed as he waved Naya back over.


    "Wait! Shouldn''t we... you know, test him? One of them was at his party after all..." Naya asked as she stepped back within the confines of Cellocht¡¯s spell.


    "Ok, everyone, get out the ferrous mercury. None of us know who has the real thing, so we''re all going to have to hold it up to him. If he freaks the fuck out, we know he''s compromised." Mavec said as he pulled a flask from his clothing; everyone followed suit. The adventurers assembled and, towering over this halfling man, held their half-full vials of strange red liquid down towards him. Cellocht, to his credit, did not laugh nor ask any questions. He merely stood there, the wheels of his mind clearly turning.


    He whispered softly. "There''s a big story to tell here isn''t there? What is this all about?" Cellocht asked as he showed no visible reaction to the ferrous mercury and only curiosity at the strange group of adventurers pointing vials of liquid at him.


    "Do we think that''s a clear enough sign?" Naya asked.


    "Bait like Cellocht, give fog horn, best horn."


    "Of course, we all like Cellocht, but that don''t be meaning he''s... safe to trust with this," Illaria said.


    "Look, two of us have the real deal, if he was going to react to it, he would have already. So lets put these away and get down to business." Mavec said. The group quickly stored their vials of ferrous mercury and Alvec stepped forward.


    "You''re right Cellocht, we do have quite the story to tell you. Gods where do we even begin?" Alvec mused.


    "Ghol''s in cahoots with something evil that existed before the first emperor," Mavec said as he pulled out his package of cigarettes and handed one to Cellocht, who took it bemused.


    "I see we''re just going to dive right in," Naya said with a sigh.


    "Maybe we should back it up a little bit," Alvec said as he took a deep breath. "When we left your party, we stumbled across a man being attacked by a creature we weren''t able to identify. The man was killed by some vicious poison, and he entrusted an encrypted journal to us, along with a name Tyir."


    "Then, once we arrived in Sha-Laial, we ran aground of some trouble. That property you gave Alvec was haunted, and we ended up on a quest to track down the missing arch-wizard of divination, Vato." Illaria added.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Wizard dead, but leave prophecy and strange monster! Tongue grab me and try to squeeze Bait to death." Bait said as he pantomimed being strangled.


    "Vato said the world was ending and that he was happy to be dead rather than to live through the return of Kavaas," Naya said as a small shiver ran down her spine.


    "Fast forward a bit, and we found someone who could translate that encrypted journal. It had belonged to an imperial sentinel. He was investigating the Gold Banner and had discovered alarming things." Mavec said.


    "For instance, several men and women had met with Ghol and dined in private. Shortly after their meetings, these people, all from various positions of martial or material privilege, began to act erratically. There were two notable exceptions. A known enchanter with a frail constitution, who I speculate died as part of whatever "corruption" Kavaas spreads... and the Paladi Iskala Ralel who was killed by Ghol when she ''attacked'' him at dinner. The sentinel believed that the evidence against her was flimsy and likely fabricated. If my guess about the corruption is correct, then it explains what happened. Her divine power resisted the corruption, and she fought back."


    "That still wasn''t enough to really understand what this whole Kavaas business be, so we sunk a ship as tribute to Shoalsatta and spoke with her on the matter. Turns out this Kavaas, whatever its nature is, is some creature from space which corrupts both flesh and spirits, turning them into monsters." Illaria said.


    "We then encountered Elder Bristlecone, first of the children of Akrixi. He''s been going through the empire, placing people into the greensleep to protect them from Kavaas''s return. He placed the entire village of Lom-Itoti into it. He say''s its too late. That the only hope is to wake Akrixi." Naya said.


    "Hold on, that''s not quite right. The strange TREE-spirit said that the only hope was for the Emperor to "dance upon the small mount. Wherever the fuck that is." Mavec said.


    "So, thats about the gist of it. We''re trying to get someone to get in contact with the Emperor. Warn him about all of this and perhaps get him to go and help awaken Akrixi again so that we can thwart kavaas once more." Alvec said.


    Cellocht lit the cigarette he had been offered and took an exceedingly long drag from it as his eyes glassed over. He looked worlds away as he contemplated all that had been said. "I knew her well. The famous Paladin of Rebellion. She was a spitfire, to be sure, but I never could believe that she just up and attacked Ghol during dinner. That did always rub me the wrong way."


    "We also suspect that you were the intended target for "corruption" on your birthday. Priorities shifted the moment the sentinel broke into their long-distance communication. The whole plan would have been foiled immediately if he had made it back to report to Ageneon." Alvec added.


    "It''s taken us a while to put the pieces together, but he made a sound choice entrusting the journal to us, even if it was a case of mistaken identity," Mavec said.


    "Mistaken identity?" Cellocht asked.


    "Turns out one of my cousins works for the Red Banner Army. Tyir is kin through my infernal blood." Alvec replied.


    "A fascinating story," Cellocht said as he again looked out to the distance, a look of contemplation and confliction. "I''m sorry, this is a hard tale to swallow. In part because believing it means that I must accept a dear friend of mine is, at the very least, under the influence of a strange power... or worse. That said, what you''ve provided caught my attention. I''ll certainly pass this information along to the Emperor personally, but before that... would you like to travel into the green sleep? It just so happens that I, too, have conversed with the spirits on many occasions. Enough to know a secret song to let you slip into their spirit-blessed sleep."


    Naya''s heart skipped a beat. "Would that mean i''d be able to see those who are currently affected by the green sleep?" She asked, scared to even voice her thought.


    "The last time I used it, I met only spirits, however. I suspect there weren''t any humans for me to converse with then. So I can''t say for sure, dear Naya, but I suspect it is possible." Cellocht replied.


    Naya cast wild glances at her friends, her eyes pleading with them to agree with it. Thankfully she met no looks of disapproval. "Please, lets do this."


    "Alright, you should all lay down in the beds, and I''ll play to send you all into a dream of it," Cellocht said.


    "Not all of us," Alvec said as he reached up to his head and plucked rem from his horns. "You''ll be in charge of keeping us safe should anything go wrong. Wake us up by any means necessary should there be trouble." Alvec told him as his hands scratched behind the fox''s ears.


    "Should I also stay awake?" Sarbie asked. "There aren''t enough beds anyway."


    The words had barely left her lips before Naya grabbed her and dragged her into one of the beds. "Absolutely not. We can double bunk!"


    "I call Alvec!" Mavec said as the two wizards headed towards one of the beds. Illaria grimaced and lay on the floor.


    "BAIT GET BED TO SELF!" He roared as he jumped onto his bed and hopped on it a few times before eventually settling down. Rem launched himself onto the highest shelf he could find in the room and glared down at Cellocht as if daring him to try anything funny.


    The man picked up his instrument once more. The melody was unlike anything Naya had heard before. She was used to hearing the songs of many instruments at her harvest festivals. None ever had stirred her soul so deeply. Perhaps, a bard that he was, the very music was infused with his magical-craft. Either way, she felt her heart rate begin to slow as her eyes became too heavy to open. As excited as she was, the world began to fade black. Soon. Soon, she''d be able to see them again. If only in a dream.

 100: The Greensleep

    The place they awoke in was still the Empire of Fire and Water. The rivers and trees were a perfect replica of the fauna and waterways the group had become accustomed to traveling through. The only difference Alvec could see was that this river was simply too large and too wide. Entire chains of islands seemed to exist within this immense river''s bounds, all connected by simple wooden bridges. In the distant horizon, a strange, sickly purple haze crowded the sky. It looked a little as if the sun was setting on some alien world. As strange as that all was, an even stranger truth emerged. A pale purple light shone as Naya opened her mouth to speak.


    "What in Sarossa''s name was that?" Mavec asked as his mouth emitted the same purple light.


    "Do this be happening to all of us?" Illaria asked, her mouth also backlit with the same strange light.


    "Bait don''t know," He said, giving a toothy smile that was also tarnished by the purple light.


    "Didn''t Bristlecone say that we were all tainted?" Alvec asked, his mouth also emitting the same purple glow.


    "I''m scared to ask..." Sarbie trailed off. Her mouth wasn''t glowing.


    "Well, Sarbie''s safe, at least," Naya said as she glanced over at Echo, whose mouth was also filled with the same light.


    "So, no family over here; I guess we should be crossing these bridges here," Mavec said as he took the lead. The rest of the group followed close behind him. It didn''t take long for them to see something peculiar come into view. Stuffed animals the size of horses wielding bells on long polls strode towards them menacingly. Alvec seized up as a memory came flooding back to him of a toy he''d worn down so many times as a child that, eventually, there wasn''t any use in patching it up. It had been a griffin, a creature he found himself empathizing with, as it too lived in two worlds, not unlike his own tiefling heritage.


    Naya scarcely recognized the limping, ragged doll that walked her way. Her last scattered and fragmented memory was of its bright red hair and rough-spun clothing.


    Illaria''s was two toys strung together: a simple doll and an abacus for learning how to count. She let out a small chuckle. Of course, the spirits here would drum up such old memories. "You''ll need to give it a wooden sword, too, if we really want to keep up with the accuracy, " she said as she cautiously drew her wakizashi.


    The remaining two left little doubt in anyone''s mind as to who they belonged to. The squirrel was Mavec''s; the addition of sharp metal gears sewn into the soft, velvety plush of the toy was a dead ringer. The noise the other giant toy made made it clear that it had once belonged to Bait. The toy itself was just a rat and the bell that all the other creatures carried was replaced by a bunch of rats tied to the staff. All hanging around like a loose flail of awfulness.


    The toys marched towards the party, brandishing their staves and rat sticks menacingly. "I don''t think they want us here," Naya said as she drew her blades.


    "Too late for that; we''re already here," Alvec said as he quickly cast an array of defensive spells in preparation for a fight.


    Illaria dashed forward straight into harm''s way and launched into a series of quick flourishes and slashes at the one that had once belonged to her. Her blade scored deep cuts, bringing stuffing oozing to the surface. It retaliated against her, ignoring entirely its own plight. She brought her blade up to intercept and was grateful that she had. The force of the blow, even with her immense skill, was so great it nearly knocked her to her knees. "Do be careful; they have a nasty strike!" She shouted as a warning to the rest of her comrades.


    Bait dropped to one knee and took a deep breath, letting it slowly filter out of his lungs. He lined up his sights on the giant rat wielding a rat-stick staff. He pulled the trigger as fast as he could, reloading with his grubby green hands with practiced precision. The bullets hit their mark, and small plumes of stuffing blasted from the back of the stuffed rat. Bait stomped his feet excitedly, celebrating the good shooting before an unseen force wrapped itself around him. He tried to struggle free from it but couldn''t. A sharp tug and he found himself sailing through the air and landing into the river itself. The cold water made him howl in discomfort. Its strong current threatened to pull him into the far distance. As he struggled to swim back to shore, the giant jaws of Echo easily slipped around his waist and dug gently into his side.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The wolf dropped him unceremoniously onto the ground and stood its ground, growling at the approaching toys. The griffin advanced on Alvec, swinging with overwhelming force. The wizard rolled on the ground, ducking below the bar, which swept over his head enough to ruffle his hair. He carried forward with the momentum and sprang out of reach of the staff before he let go of a new spell. Four daggers made of mithril unsheathed themselves, pointed their blades away from him, and began to rotate around him quickly. He made sure to watch his spacing with his allies. He wouldn''t want to catch them in these whirling blades. They wouldn''t do much damage, but they served a second and arguably a more important purpose. They made it much more difficult for enemies to attack him while he was going through the somatic portions of the spells he cast. With these blades, he could safely fire off spells in close range without fearing retaliation.


    "Spirits of air, of freedom, that which shakes the sky, I call upon you to strike my foes," Naya shouted as she moved into position. A bolt of crisp blue lightning jolted into the one that was a perfect match for her childhood toy. Its straw hair caught fire under the weight of her spell. Both blades drawn, she narrowed the distance until she was upon the enemy. It swung at her, the pole striking into her ribcage. She let out a cry as she clearly heard the sound of ribs breaking under the impact. Illaria hadn''t been joking; these things were absolutely lethal. She was glad to have a Cleric with them now more than ever. Her healing would be rather tepid compared to what Sarbie could do for the group. They''d be drinking oh so many potions to get the same effect.


    Mavec sent Picora in towards the squirrel. With Alusai''s targeting system, he could quickly line up the shot. Striking not one but two of the monsters with a bolt of lightning. Their fur singed and smoked as it caught fire and snuffed out moments later. One struck Picora; the bell that slammed into her looked as if it cracked, while Piccora remained relatively unharmed. The other one that Mavec had blasted with lightning rushed towards him. It reared up on its hind legs, towering over Mavec, and brought the staff down with all its might. With a sickening sound, like an egg cracking on stone and a melon bursting open, his head was crushed in. His body slumped to the ground still as a corpse as the battle raged around him.


    Illaria took a risk, dashing forward and goading these creatures into attacking her. The abacus took a wide swing at her, but she leaped between its strings, slashing them as she moved past them. Beads came tumbling to the ground around her as she dashed toward others. Moving as swiftly as the wind across a ship''s bow, she taunted two more into attacking her. With the same practiced and purposeful movements, she slapped their weapons aside and sliced deep into them. Their bowels, full of stuffing, distended where her blade had raked across the felt.


    The one in front of Alvec swung at him again, and he brought his buckler up to intercept. He found his movements a moment too slow, and the bell smacked him in the face hard enough to send him recoiling. He could taste blood coming from his nose, clearly broken by the attack. He moved in close and let lightning arc between his fingertips. The creature tried to swing the bell in at him but found the four spinning daggers too much to overcome; with that, Alvec released the spell. The lightning overpowered the creature, and soon it was lying on the ground, flames leaping from its smoldering corpse.


    Bait crawled forward a few feet and took careful aim ahead of himself. The rat was still standing, and he planned to fix that. He unloaded several shots at the creature felling it. Naya, now in front of one of them, twirled her blades as fast as she could, slicing repeatedly into the monster before her. The creature bent its will towards her and flung her into the air. Her blades clattered onto the ground as they slipped out of her hands. She hit the ground hard and almost rolled into the water''s swift current. She heard Echo thunder over to it and, with the enthusiasm only a dog could muster, bit into the neck of the toy and shook it till its sewn-on limbs ripped from its main body and stuffing sprayed out all around him. Naya pushed herself up to see Mavec picking himself up from the ground. His hands anxiously patted his neck and face.


    He blinked repeatedly as he stood back up and took aim once more, slamming another lighting bolt into one of the creatures. It crumpled and fell, burning to the ground.


    The tide had certainly turned, and the threat these monsters represented was fading fast. In a matter of just another thirty or so seconds, the party dispatched the last of them.


    "Well, I can''t be saying I ever thought I''d fight giant stuffed animals in the shape of my childhood toys," Illaria announced with a laugh. Sarbie stood beside Alvec, gently touching his face and willing divine energy into his nose. She wanted it to heal and set properly after all. It wouldn''t do to leave him with a crooked nose. After the delicate work was done, she did the more serious work, helping heal Naya and everyone else who needed it.

 101: What Do You Remember?

    "Hey, Naya,¡± asked Alvec. ¡°Am I remembering correctly that the spirits of water are responsible for washing away Kavaas''s ilk... if we''re corrupted already, do you think drinking the river water would help purify us?"


    Naya mulled the question over for a moment. "Since we''re in a place of spirit, not flesh, I think it''s worth trying out.¡±


    "Alright, wish me luck," Alvec said as he waded waist-deep into the water, cupped his hands, and brought the water of the green sleep to his lips. Only seconds after the cool liquid had slid down his throat, his stomach ached immensely, and he found himself doubled over as he began to lose his lunch into the river. Except it wasn''t food or bile that came back up; it was a strange black liquid with a purple sheen. He clenched his fists tightly as he continued to expel whatever this was. After an uncomfortable time bent over hands on his knees, he finally felt as if he''d purged it all. He walked back towards the river shore smiling widely, and no longer could anyone see even a hint of that strange purple light. "So that sucked." He said as he waded back onto the shore.


    "That looked right unpleasant. Do we be having to do that?" Illaria asked as she watched the strange oily film roil over the top of the rushing river. It seemed to cling to the spot it had been expelled onto.


    "Yes, this is likely what Elder Bristlecone was talking about when he said we were already tainted. If we can wipe it away, we ought to." Naya said.


    "Bait no see problem with this, we drink water and den vomit cool black gunk. Vomit good, and black gunk neat!" He said with more enthusiasm than anyone else at the party could muster.


    "Of course, the goblin would want to throw up. Me. I''ll just try, I don''t know. Chewing on a stick or something. Surely, the pine of the Green Sleep will hold just as much of a healing property as the water, if not more." Mavec stated as he walked over to the nearest tree and ripped off the smallest piece he could see before slipping it into his mouth and chewing on the bark. Naya gave him no small amount of side-eye as he chewed on the stick like a beaver.


    "That''s not going to work, you know that, right?" Naya asked.


    "Nonsense, everyone knows you fight spirit infections with pine sticks," Mavec said.


    "First off, you don''t know the first thing of the spirits, Mr. I drink enough coffee to stop my heart." She looked to the rest of the group for moral support before resuming. "Spirits and what you''d call folk remedies are my specialty. I''m telling you, not once in my life has anyone ever suggested curing a single ailment by chewing on pine sticks. Hell, I don''t even think I''ve heard of a use for pine sap?"


    Illaria sighed and grabbed Alvec by the arm, pulling him back into the river with her. "You''ll be needing to hold my hair back. I''d have Bait do it, but I think the poor bugger is going to be a little too busy gulping down as much of this magic water as he can." Alvec nodded in agreement and wrapped his hands around her hair. He''d never done this before and felt both nervous and awkward as he did so.


    "Is this too tight?" he asked as he gently pulled her flaming red hair together in his hands.


    "Not in the slightest." She said before she dipped a flask into the river and then brought it to her lips. It took only a few moments for it to take effect, and she, too, was doubled over releasing this black toxin from her body. Bait stood beside them, intentionally taking a moment to force himself to stop vomiting so that he could drink more water and resume vomiting. Maybe his soul would be cleaner? Who care dough, he have da most fun.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    When the pair were done, Naya and Echo waded into the river to partake in its gifts and, well, perhaps curse. The two of them drank deeply from the river. After an unpleasant few minutes, the pair exited the river and came to stand back on the island. "Alright, Mavec, enough chewing the stick. You need to go drink the water. Your mouth is still glowing bright purple," Naya insisted.


    "Not happening, that shit made you all vomit. Vomiting is the body''s way of saying I need this toxin OUT of me. So, I''m not too interested in making me drink something that will make me vomit. Also, who is to say that glowing is bad? I mean, the gunk you all vomited up is this oil-slicked black. Who''s to say that stuff wasn''t in the water?" Mavec asked as he backed away from Naya. She tilted an eyebrow in confusion and glanced at Alvec. His voice rang out in her head.


    "Yes?" He asked.


    "Do you think Mavec is acting... strange even for Mavec?" Naya asked.


    "More than a little," Alvec replied.


    "Think he somehow was fully corrupted?" Naya asked.


    "I guess it''s possible. We don''t know how Kavaas infects people. The only common denominator we have is that we were all exposed to sleepwalking, and Sarbie wasn''t." Alvec responded.


    "Shall I have Echo dunk him in?'' Naya asked, trying not to let a grin spread across her face.


    "Do it; we can''t take any chances," Alvec replied.


    "Echo, toss him in," Naya said. The wolf tilted its head to the side with mild confusion as it tilted its ears to the side. Naya nodded confirmation, and Echo lunged at Mavec. He bit down around the young man''s neck and snagged his shirt in his massive jaws. He pulled hard, and Mavec found himself dragged across the ground and into the water. Despite his efforts to keep his head above water, he soon found two hands pushing him down in addition to Echo''s sturdy paw pressing down on his back. Water flooded into his mouth, and the choice to swallow was reflexive. He half choked on it as it went down, burning his throat and lungs. The pressure holding him down rapidly released him as his back seized. He came up from under the water, releasing the same black liquid.


    When he finally coughed up the last bits of water and whatever this gunk coming out of him was, he stumbled to the shoreline. "What the fuck just happened? Where did those giant stuffed animals go?" Mavec asked, looking at his companions.


    "We be finished fighting Mavec. You were slinging those lightning bolts of yours and everything; do you not be remembering?" Illaria asked.


    "Look, the last thing I remember was one of them taking a swing at me. I think they hit based on the headache." Mavec said as he moved his hand to his head. "That or it was the vomiting. What the fuck was up with that too?" He asked before turning to Sarbie. "Hey, you know any spells to help dim a headache or dull pain?"


    Sarbie frowned and shook her head. "Sorry, we mostly focus on healing the flesh and not as much on pain reduction. I know some herbal remedies that I might be able to make for you, but I think we''ll need to wait until we wake up for that."


    "Ugh, ok, everyone, just keep your voices down, or I think I''ll throw up again." He said as he touched his forehead, covering his eyes.


    "Do you remember us dragging you into the water?" Naya asked.


    "You did what?"


    "You were chewing on a pine stick and refused to drink the water to purify you," Naya said.


    "Ok, half of that sounds like me, and it wasn''t the stick part. God, is that why my mouth tastes like pine, dirt, and vomit? Thanks, I guess?" He said, waving his hands dismissively.


    "We should probably get moving. We don''t know if any other guardians will be here to give us trouble. I''m sure Naya would like to find her family if possible." Alvec said.

 102: The Blessing of Ornral

    Before they could even begin to step away from the river, the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently as the river around them surged wildly. Ornral, the spirit of the river, swept through, his fangs grabbing the masses of black oil still floating upon the surface of the river. It dragged the globs beneath the river rush from where they did not re-emerge. Ornral, however, returned towering above them, mouth slightly open, tongue dancing through the sky. Naya drew both of her blades and stood to face him. A normal snake would have been hard enough to read, but Ornral was composed entirely of the river''s waters given shape. His features were, as such, even harder to discern.


    Standing beneath him, no one uttered a word. A great spirit like Ornral left them all speechless. The snake crept its head closer to Naya. The girl from Lom-Itoti steeled herself and held firmly. He had done nothing aggressive as of yet, but she needed to see her family. If Ornral wanted to stop her, she''d fight even him. The spirit opened its mouth wide, fully exposing its fangs. It moved with purpose as it gently clinked its giant fangs against her blades. The steel shuddered at the spirit''s touch and shattered.


    Naya ground her heels into the dirt, refusing to bend even an inch more to the spirit. It hissed at her, its breath pouring out like a roiling steam. She raised an arm to shield her eyes but stood fast before the great spirit. With a sound like rain downpouring, Ornral rejoined the river and carried on, leaving the Cheese Acolytes alone on the shores of the green sleep. When the steam cleared, Naya let out a gasp. The blades he had shattered, heirlooms handed down to her by her father, were transformed into something entirely different. Each scimitar was now clearly made of fangs fashioned into blades.


    "I think we passed," Naya said, holding the twin blades aloft. Alvec walked over to them and took a look. Praying that Ornral hadn''t just made a lot more work for him. He had heavily enchanted both of Naya''s blades for her. Electricity, acid, and speed enchantments would not be cheap to replace. He cocked his head to the side as he began to examine them properly. It looked like the spells were still there. It was as if the steal of the blades had simply been transformed, despite the appearance that it had been shattered. The only part of his spell craft that looked undone was the final step, which formally joined the spell to its vessel. Likely because the nature of the vessel had been transformed. He took a few moments tweaking the spell till angry red runes flared into life, floating just over the bony blades. Satisfied with his work, he took a step back, nodding to her.


    "Guess you did, oh spirit-speaker," Alvec said with a nod. "Your blades are back to functioning. No loss of spell power for you today."


    "Good, now that Ornral is gone, we should get moving," Naya said as she sheathed the blades and picked a direction to wander in.


    The group passed over several bridges and came face to face with multiple groups of mostly humans who had set up makeshift shelters on the islands. Many of the inhabitants were weary about a small but heavily armed group being brought into the Green Sleep. Most refused to have more than the slightest conversation. It took a combination of Illaria''s flare and Sarbie''s calming presence to convince them to point us in the right direction. Each island seemed to be a village or a family, each cut off from the other by the strange guardians they had fought or by their own fears and prejudices. Either way, finding the inhabitants of Lom-Itoti took far longer than Naya had hoped. As they searched from island to island, the pale purple light on the horizon never wavered, as if it was stuck in some strange forever dawn.


    Eventually, Naya ran across a familiar face. A man was working on a small garden beside the river''s edge. She''d known him as one of the farmers from her village. His grandson had danced with her at the last harvest festival. She dashed over to him, trying desperately to remember his name. It felt like trying to recall a fact from a past life. In reality, it had only been about eight months since she had fled from the deserted village of Lom Itoti. The name finally sparked across her tongue as she reached him.


    "Salvor!" She cried out. "Where''s my family? Are they here with you?" The old man took a moment to study her squinting his eyes and causing the crows feat wrinkles to deepen into craters on his face.


    "Well, I''ll be, " he said as he straightened up. Your parents have been worried sick about you. Everyone else made it here, but you didn''t. What happened that night, and how are you here now?"


    "I''m sure my parents will have the same questions, so bring me to them first, and I''ll answer both of those."


    He gave a soft laugh. "As straightforward as ever. I see the wisdom in that. Let''s go. Jarlo and Dina have feared you might be lost forever to them, so we shouldn''t let them think that for a moment longer." The man led the way to an encampment of tents and a small wooden cabin. Naya broke into a sprint the second she saw them, throwing her arms cleanly around her mother. Tears streamed down her face as she buried it into the crook of her mother''s neck. The party stayed back a ways, giving them the space they needed for their reunion. When Naya finally pulled away from her mother, still holding onto her arms in a half embrace, she saw now that Dina seemed smaller than her memories of her.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "You''ve grown a little sprout. Tell me, have you been well?" Naya nodded wordlessly as she finally let go of her mother and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Are those your friends?"


    "Yes, they''ve been trying to help me find you!"


    "Certainly is mixed company you keep. I haven''t seen a goblin or a tiefling since that one year we took a few carts of furs to the nearest Jai."


    "They''re... they''re something else, alright. Alvec''s the tiefling. He''s a wizard, and while he does some of the stupidest shit I''ve ever seen, he''s got a kind heart and a lot more courage than you''d expect from a big-city scholar. The goblin''s name is Bait. He''s part of the Blue Banner Army, believe it or not. Probably the deadliest person I know."


    "And the others?" She asked.


    "No more answers till I get a hug, too." Naya''s father said as he cut in, wrapping his arms around his daughter. He was of average height, and his build reflected that this man worked his days in the fields and forests. His arms were still thick as tree trunks, and Naya could only imagine how strong he was. She was glad to see that he didn''t look to have faded one bit this time.


    "You''re both alright? Right?" Naya asked.


    "We''re as fit as a fiddle." Her father replied. "Never been better... well, ignoring the part where our physical bodies are plants back home." He replied.


    "You know?" Naya asked.


    "The child of Akrixi who brought us into the green sleep explained it all to us. His magic preserves our bodies while our souls and essence are kept safely here in the Green Sleep, beyond the reach of something he called Kavaas. He said he''d be bringing more people here. We hoped you''d be among them."


    "Bristlecone didn''t bring me here," Naya confessed as she crossed a hand over her stomach and grabbed her arm. "I''m only here temporarily. We don''t know how much time we even have left."


    "What are you saying?" Her father asked as a frown spread across his face.


    "We''ve got to go back. We''ve got to find a way to get the Emperor to dance on the small mount so that we can stop Kavaas and bring you home for real. so we can hug in more than just dreams." Naya said as she stepped back from her parents and took a firm stance as if expecting them to try to bowl her over. Her father simply smiled.


    "I''m proud of you, little sprout. I''ve always thought you could do anything you wanted to. Never imagined it would be trying to save the Empire though. So please, just be careful. And you lot do your damned best to keep her alive." he said as he gently shook a fist towards the rest of the group.


    Sarbie immediately ducked into a bow and shouted back, "Yes, sir, I''ll do my best." Everyone but Bait burst into laughter.


    "We know you will," Alvec said. "She has my shield, too." He let his magic flair to life around him.


    "Aye, she can most certainly be counting upon my steel as well," Illaria said as she drew her blades and arced it high above her head.


    "Bait promise to shoot things other den Naya. K."


    Mavec merely shrugged. Not everyone here felt the urge to assure these country folk that their daughter was in good hands. Echo marched beside Naya and took a seat before gently lowering himself onto the ground.


    "I really am in good hands, Dad." She said. "I hope it won''t be long. We''ve just spoken with the Emperor''s favorite bard. Cellocht. Hopefully, he''ll have us as an audience with him soon!"


    "We''ll be praying to the spirits for you, " her mother said before placing a hand on Naya''s shoulder. So, how do you exit the Green Sleep?"


    "Likely the same way we entered it," Alvec replied.


    "Could it be that easy?" Naya asked?


    "It seems like the sort of bullshit the spirits would cook up. I guess we all just settle down and go to sleep here." Mavec said as he glanced around. "You wouldn''t happen to have some beds? My head already kills; the last thing I need is to have my back hurt, too."


    "Would your back be hurting? Your body is already actually asleep in Archer''s Market. With Rem Standing guard with Cellocht.¡± Illaria reminded him.


    "Look, this is spirit bullshit, I''ve no idea how it works. So maybe?" Mavec replied.


    "We can offer you all safe places to rest your heads." Her father replied. Naya''s mother guided her into a small tent where a makeshift bed awaited her. It was far from the best bed she''d ever had. It couldn''t hold a flame to her room in the tower, and yet, with her mother sitting beside her, stroking her head, she''d choose to sleep here every night. Echo lay with her, resting his large head next to hers. She absentmindedly petted him as she let herself drift into sleep.


    The group awoke, and Naya wasted no time rising to her feet and drawing both of her blades. It had been more than a dream; they were, in fact, still the same fangs of Ornral she had received in the Green Sleep.


    Cellocht applauded. "I see your trip into the Green Sleep was not without fruit. Did you discover anything else?" He asked.


    Alvec shook his head from left to right. "Nothing more than that we were to some degree compromised. We were able to get purified by the river waters, but that doesn''t give us any new information."


    "I see. Well then, I best be off to meet with Ageneon. We will be in touch as soon as I can, " he said, giving the group a deep bow. May your travels be safe and worth recording." Cellocht left the room, rejoining the party still raging in the tavern. The rest of the party followed suit soon, heading back to their home in Sha-Laial.

 103: Family Matters

    The tower and its tall walls came into sight as the group walked down Scythefell Street. A blue-skinned tiefling with ram''s horns vaulted over the walls and ran by chance towards the group. Innilia came to a quick stop in front of Alvec. "Boss! I''m leaving this up to you! Good luck!" She said as she gave him an appreciative clasping of her hands together and a bow before breaking into a dead sprint away from the compound.


    "What do you be thinking that was about?" Illaria asked as she shot Alvec an inquisitive look.


    "Won''t be waiting long for an answer," Mavec said as he nodded his head in the direction of the main gate where a blue-skinned Tiefling who looked to be a good twenty years older than Alvec exited the compound, rubbing both hands at the base of his horns a look of irritation and exhaustion plastered across his face. Like Alvec''s and Inilia''s, his horns spiraled like a goat. The manner of his dress made it clear that this man was well off. Inillia had told them that she had worked for her father''s business, and it was clear that she came from an educated family. Alvec grimaced; she''d clearly omitted the part about how wealthy they were. He''d assumed that she''d been roughly on the same level as he was, but the heavy-duty clothing, with rich blacks and reds and well-polished boots, indicated otherwise. More telling, perhaps than that, was how well-tailored the clothing was. His shirt, blazer, and pants were all perfectly tapered to him and in the latest styles of the Empire.


    The woman following just a few feet behind him was also a tiefling, though her skin was a near onyx black, with short pearl white horns jutting from her head. Her clothing was equally as impressive, a dress with intricate white lace adorned by a shawl of azure blue fabric. Alvec took a deep breath and stepped forward to take the lead. Hiring Inilia had been his choice; if he''d earned the ire of her wealthy parents, he''d just have to bear the brunt of their frustrations. He adjusted his coat quickly, partially exposing the golden lining beneath the blue overcoat.


    "Well, this is a delightful surprise!" He said as he waved to the pair of tieflings. "You both must be Inillia''s parents. Alvec "Snaptail" Reynore, at your service." He placed extra emphasis on his last name. As he stepped within about ten feet of the pair, he dropped into a deep bow. A look of shock and surprise crossed the man''s brow as it furrowed, and he tried to process the information and situation unfolding.


    "Ah, Master Reynore. You are my daughter''s employer, correct?" He asked as he focused on assessing the tiefling in front of him.


    "Yes, I am," Alvec replied. The man nodded along with Alvec''s affirmation before looking at his wife for approval. The woman nodded back to him.


    "We''d like to ask you to dismiss our daughter from your service." He said.


    "Um, no?" Naya replied.


    "Listen, our daughter is young and naive. Chasing such a fleeting dream instead of making a stable life for herself." The woman presumed to be her mother said.


    "Surely you know the uphill battle she''ll be facing, and unlike you, she has no name related to her chosen field to lean back on." The man said, bowing his head slightly.


    "I''m usually pretty tight-lipped about the Reynore part," Alvec said as a smirk crossed his face. He understood now why he''d need some luck to deal with them. They clearly loved their daughter and wanted what was best for her, but they had very different ideas about what that meant. "Around Sha-Laial, they know me by another name. Alvec the Unyielding. Your daughter has been a valuable employee, running our shop in our absence. I''ve no intention of letting her out of my employ while she uses her talents to garner a name for herself."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "She doesn''t belong in these dingy taverns belting out bawdy tunes." Her father insisted.


    "That''s her decision to make. If she doesn''t like working for me, she can leave anytime. However, she''s done nothing wrong, and I won''t be relieving her of duty because her parents asked me to." Alvec responded.


    "She doesn''t know what she''s doing, and your patronage is enabling her behavior. Without financial support, she''d have no choice but to return home." Her mother said as she pushed past her husband and stomped up to Alvec, who met her fierce gaze.


    "Do you really think your daughter''s ambition is that weak? If I weren''t funding her, she''d be doing the same thing, but under god knows what circumstances. We all know how bad things can get for us without friends and allies. How easily would the worst of our society be able to prey upon a young, determined girl if she didn''t have someone in her corner who was genuinely helping and backing her? Her association with me means no one in Sha-Laial will risk giving her any sort of unsavory deals. For fear that a giant wolf and several pissed-off adventurers will come kick in the door."


    Her father rubbed at the base of his horns again. "Honey, I think he''s right. We''ve tried to get her to play the proper shows at venues we approve of, and all it seems to do is bore her. She''s got plenty of talent, no denying that, and while it''s not what we want, perhaps Alvec raises a good point. I can''t think of a safer way for her to keep pursuing her dreams than while employed by the Cheese Acolytes. You will keep her safe?" He asked pointedly.


    "Aye, aye, we take care of all of our friends and staff.


    If anyone so much as is looking at her the wrong way, I''ll be acquainting them with the floor." Illaria said. She''s under the protection of two members of the Blue Banner Army, two arcane academy graduates, and a girl who tamed a direwolf. I can''t be thinking anyone be stupid enough to be giving her trouble." Illaria boasted as she stepped forward to help put an end to this conversation.


    Her mother looked Illaria over carefully and let out a sigh. "I suppose we have heard many good things about the lot of you. I guess it wouldn''t be unreasonable to leave our daughter in your care."


    "Then it''s settled," Alvec said with a smile, bowing again. "Perhaps you could return here tomorrow, and we could have some tea with Inellia? Our maid, Sorali, would be delighted to serve us. She''s perhaps used to hosting fancier companies than we''ve been able to invite here since beginning her employment." Alvec said.


    "That would be nice; perhaps we can arrange that," Her father said as he returned a polite bow and looped an arm around his wife, gently pulling her away from the group.


    "Well, that was... interesting," Naya said.


    "Yeah, I don''t get the fuss either," Mavec said.


    "Bait no wait any longer. CHEESE!" He sprinted away from the group. It had been a while; surely his cheese, nurtured and aged as it was, would be ready for his consumption. His little feet thawped against the ground as he raced to the cheese forge. Perhaps calling it a forge was a misnomer, but it felt like one. This was where Bait make cheese, he take idea and ingredients and make them real! It a forge, just like one make gun in, except cheese.


    He found his glass container and eagerly pried it open to be hit with a marvelous stench, like feet on a roasting day. Excited, he brought out his cheese knives and quickly cut a thin slice from his first cheese. As much as Bait want to enjoy all of it himself, he know he need to save some for Ben. Master Ben need to see result of first batch of cheese, so that he may impart more Cheese wisdom onto Bait. Tell him how he might do things better on his second batch. He hate having to be sponsible, but Bait never become cheese Emperor if Bait have inferior cheese. Ben help. The rest of the group found him as he placed the first taste of the cheese into his mouth. He screamed in delight. "IT CREAMY AND TASTE LIKE FEET!"

 104: Professional Courtesy

    Mavec furrowed his brow at the screechy, gleeful noises emanating from the cheese forge. "That sounds bad, but he seems happy. So I''m just going to say congrats, Bait." He said as he slumped, his shoulders exasperated. "Now, since we have that out of the way, can we get on to the Academy? We need to get that formula back from Warren as soon as possible."


    "Hold on, isn''t there something we need to do here?" Naya asked.


    "If I do be remembering correctly our dear maid Sorali used to work for one of the names in the encrypted journal. Perhaps we can learn something from here if we be asking nicely," Illaria said.


    "A solid plan, not to mention, we''ll need to speak with our lawyers first before we head to the Academy. If you want to go do that, Mavec, we''ll take care of things here." Alvec assured him.


    "Aye, not to mention we do be needing some time to get my folks settled in at the boarding house," Illaria said.


    "I''d also like to go home and visit my parents," Sarbie chimed in. "That is if we don''t think I''ll be needed for a little while."


    "We have been attacked before in Sha-Laial, but I think we can split our tasks a bit," Alvec said as he briefly settled on a division of tasks. "Rem, you''ll go with Sarbie. Since I can mystically sense if he''s in any danger, and he can sense if I am, it''s the safest for both of us. Illaria, you''ll just be across the street; take Echo so you have someone to help you haul anything you need moved to the door. Mavec, you''re also not leaving the street, so you go take care of briefing the lawyers on what we''re looking to accomplish with this meeting while Naya and I try to get some information out of Sorali. Maybe she can shed some more light onto what exactly is happening to those who meet with Ghol." Alvec said as he gave the group a curt nod and spun on his heels, heading into the tower.


    Naya, Alvec and Sorali.


    The tower was immaculately clean. Something that came as no surprise to either of them. After all, their maid had little cleaning beyond upkeep when the Cheese Acolytes were away for an extended trip. It had been weeks between the travel to Ac-Aziza, the events there, and their travel homeward. The wizard and the huntress crept through the house with an air of uncertainty clinging to them. They didn''t actually know where Sorali would be this time of day. It was entirely possible she wouldn''t even be in the building with how little there was to do here. Finding the hearth and kitchen empty, the pair ascended the stairs. Their personal rooms also looked to have been clear of company. Alvec thanked his stars that his efforts to negate the stink of Bait''s room still seemed to be holding strong. The pair took the final set of stairs to the top room. Upon entering, they found Sorali, her bright red hair tucked up into a ponytail, polishing the glass display case Alvec had placed the remains of the six strengths in.


    She still wore the traditional maid''s uniform; she could wear what she wanted, but she clung to that old outfit. Naya dashed forward and threw both arms around her, bringing her into a wild bear hug that nearly lifted the other woman off the ground.


    "Master Naya, it''s a pleasure to see you again. Master Alvec, welcome back as well." Sorali said a moment after Naya released her. Sorali straightened her apron out and gave them a bright, cheerful smile. "I''ve heard some pretty outlandish tales of your adventures from the bards. How much of it is true?" She asked as her eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Most of it!" Naya practically shouted. "We foiled an infernal invasion and cut off Crowley''s hand. Hell, he may even be dead for all we know."


    "I wouldn''t count on it. The bastard won''t die that easily." Alvec said.


    "OH! And let''s not forget that we also found Alusai''s grave and several of his last creations." Naya blurted out. Alvec rolled his eyes.


    "The public doesn''t exactly know about that bit, and we''re going to keep it that way for now, right Sorali?" Alvec asked while smiling wide, displaying his canines just a little more than he usually would.


    "Absolutely, master Alvec, wouldn''t dream of mentioning that to any bards. Not even Inillia, you have my word." She said.


    "Speaking of confidentiality, I do actually have some questions for you about your previous employer," Alvec stated.


    The woman tensed up at his words. "I really can''t talk about my services prior to my employment here; it would be unbecoming."


    "Yeah, but Sorali, it''s really important," Naya said as she clasped both hands together and faced her. "Fate of the Empire and all that! I swear."


    "She''s not bluffing; it is a matter of grave importance," Alvec confirmed.


    "May I ask how? I was just a chambermaid... I literally was there to empty the lord''s pots; it was a far less glamorous position than dusting this tower."


    "It''s difficult for us to answer that," Naya said as she frowned at their maid. "I''m worried saying too much could put you in danger."


    "I''m with Naya on this; too much info right now could be dangerous. Let''s just say it''s related to the infernal invasion plans we foiled and call it a day. Is that a good enough reason to share some information with us?" Alvec said. It was a lie, through and through. The only shred of truth to the words was that it had been in a healer''s tent just after the battle with Crowley that they had learned something of the nature of this threat.


    Sorali nodded silently in agreement. "If it''s that serious, then I think I can answer a few questions, so long as you swear you''ll never repeat where you learned the information from. I don''t think anyone knows I work for you yet." Sorali said, extending her hand and placing her pinky finger out. Naya swiftly looped her pinky around Sorali''s.


    "I swear by the spirits, my life, and Echo''s that we''ll be true to our word and speak not of this to anyone else," Naya said.


    "I swear on my name, my honor, and my very magic that I''ll say nothing of your involvement," Alvec said solemnly.


    "Alright, what is that you want to be knowing?"


    "We know that Lord TaeOl had a meeting with Ghol of the Gold Banner, after he returned did he start acting strange in anyway?" Alvec asked.


    Sorali pursed her lips together, her usual joyful demeanor replaced by a pensive scowl. "I told you I was his chambermaid. Well, that was sort of a lie. I was supposed to be emptying his personal chamber pots in one of his workshops and private rooms. The thing is, though, I never had to. I don''t know if he was just extremely constipated, but in all the months I worked for him, he never once left anything for me to clean up. I don''t think I ever saw him eat, either. It was... worrying. I tried asking about it, but people thought I was just making up stories. So, eventually, I decided to leave. Coincidentally, that happened right around the same time they announced staff layoffs anyway."


    "So are you suggesting the man never shat? Like some sort of strange monster?" Naya asked.


    "No, I''d never call any of my employers strange or monsters," Sorali said, waving her hands. "It was probably nothing; he must have been doing it somewhere, right?" Sorali asked.


    "I''m not sure he was," Alvec replied as he pulled a chair out and sat down at it. "Naya, if my theory is right, then it''s plausible their physiology could have been altered enough to cause such a strange situation."


    "I mean, you saw what it was doing to us before we broke free. Illaria''s hair was fusing into a fin."


    "What are you both talking about?" Sorali asked.


    "Secrets, forget you heard anything," Alvec said with a smile.


    "That''s going to be a hard sentence to forget." She replied back. Alvec nodded in agreement.


    "Is there anything else that stood out to you?" Naya asked.


    "Well, his wife had a cat, but he forced one of his servants to get rid of it. Thankfully that just meant that the servant adopted it, and I remember him hiring a team of hunters to kill off any Sparrows or Owls on the property. Said he couldn''t stand the noise." Sorali said. "Is that the sort of strange you were thinking of?" She asked.


    "Oh, he was 100% affected. Those are the creatures that represent the three sisters. Not sure why he hated them so much, but trying to get rid of them doesn''t bode well." Naya said.

 105: Errands

    Illaria and her folks


    Illaria walked across the lawn to the porch of the boarding house. Edis sat upon a rocking chair, gently rocking himself back and forth. He looked more tired than the last time she had seen him. Perhaps he had been spending too much time pruning their fairly well-manicured lawn.


    "Edis, I do be having a question for you." Illaria sang to him as she quickly took the dark gray steps up to him.


    "Oh Illaria! You''ve really done the banners proud. Back in my day with the Green Banner, I''d gladly have gone to war with you. To think you bested Crowley, that Pirate¡¯s been a scourge to the Empire for nearly as long as I can remember, and I can remember a long way back. They said you spilled his intestines all over the deck and that he was hung by them when you kicked him overboard. Is that true?" The old man asked as he did little to move himself except bounce his chair back and forth.


    "I see we both be having questions for each other," Illaria stated. "I took his hand, not his intestines. For all we know, the bastard may still be alive. He fell overboard, but that doesn''t mean he died." Illaria said, leaving out the bit where he had clearly had infernal assistance and that the magic could have sheltered him or whisked him away to somewhere far safer than that battlefield.


    "Ah, not quite as exciting, but was it at least on a flying boat like the rumors say?" Edis asked.


    "The bards do be getting that right. We clashed blades upon a flying ship named The Audacity Six."


    "That sounds fascinating; I''ve never been on a flying ship before. Now, come tell me, what was it you wanted to ask me?" He asked as he leaned forward and opened his eyes a bit wider to view her.


    "My Mom and Pa were wondering if they could be renting a room here at your boarding house? They be feeling it too much of a burden to be staying with me in the tower. I tried to talk them into it till the wind left my sails, but they wouldn''t budge."


    "Oh, absolutely! We have space for them. They can start moving in right away, deary; we''ll sort out the price later." He said as he pulled out a key and stood up gingerly. He gently pressed the key into her hands, giving her a warm smile.


    "Do you be alright, Edis? You didn''t be seeming to move so stiffly at the block party." Illaria commented as the iron key in her hand felt heavy in her palms for something so small.


    "Aye, well, you see, Illaria. Your friend Hoc asked me to assist him with some of his training. So I''ve been going out into the woods around Sha-Laial with him and teaching him some of the ol'' Green Banner tricks. So I''m just a bit sore. I''m not sure who''s more upset about it, though, my wife or the church. Boys getting too strong too quickly, according to his superiors."


    "It be sounding like you both better take it a little bit slower then. Green Banner training is no doubt helpful to him, but lets not be getting him expelled from the church or the like." Illaria replied. With Echo''s help, she and her parents easily moved in what meager possessions they had acquired for them. Much to Illaria''s delight, the boarding house room came partially furnished. Meaning they wouldn''t need to haul every luxury her parents deserved here for their comfort. A solid bed and worn and used nightstands were more than a good enough start. She lingered over long with the pair as they enjoyed some hot tea as the sun''s golden rays cast a comforting glow throughout the room.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Illaria took a deep breath. It had been such a long time since she had felt this weightless. As if she could float away from everything. Her parents were safe, and she could go anywhere and do anything. She''d go to Alvec and give him the news about Hoc getting into trouble, then visit the tavern. It was time to knock back a glass and give her praise to the god of travelers.


    Mavec


    Mavec slammed the door open with passion and purpose as he strode into the law firm once more. "KROG, you here?" He asked as he pushed his way through the cramped hallway toward a slightly more accommodating kitchen. A few moments later, the orc man in a charcoal gray suit pushed his way into the room from the opposite direction.


    "Mavec, what brings you here today? The issue with the taxes should be settled. You wouldn''t have more business for us, would you?"


    Mavec snapped his fingers and placed a hand on his chest. "We''re your best clients; of course, I''ve got more work for you."


    "What do you have going on? Nothing with the Gold Banner this time, right?" he asked as he ran a large hand through his hair.


    "No, as far as we know, we won''t be having any dealings with them," Mavec replied, lying as best he could.


    "Then who are you pointing us at this time?" He asked.


    "Oh, just Warren Alston. We''re bringing a lawsuit for breach of contract on behalf of the boar eater tribe of goblins. He was supposed to find their god-queen Dogmother but never presented them with the information. We have his bite marks on a piece of leather proving he signed the contract with Boogie and Boozie, the heads of the tribe."


    Krog nodded along as if any of it made sense to him. "Alright, we can do that. Does the Academy know his whereabouts? I can imagine serving a wizard papers may be difficult if he isn''t already located and in some way restrained."


    "Don''t worry; we saw to that already. The Academy has him under house arrest. We came to you as soon as we got back into town."


    "Alright, we''ll plan to head there tomorrow and resolve this. Are there any other surprises we should be anticipating?''" Krog asked.


    "Yeah, actually. Even more important than helping the goblins... we need to know what happened to something he stole. Can you promise not to tell anyone?" Mavec said, leaning closer.


    "And betray the trust of our best clients? Of course not. I won''t tell anyone outside of my business partners."


    "That''s fair, Krog. Alright, we found Alusai''s final resting place. He built a facility in the hills in the Tsuhomma Downs. Alston also found it and stole a pick of formulae. We need it back immediately. There''s a specific recipe we must get our hands on immediately for the defense of the Empire."


    "That is a fascinating story, but what exactly do we need to be defended against?" Krog asked as he tilted his head at him. "More infernal plots?"


    Mavec smiled wide, the light not quite reaching his eyes. "I wish it were that simple. I''d take an army of Devils over whatever the fuck Kavaas is. The foul light. He''s some pre-historic threat that was defeated by the first Emperor and Akrixi." Mavec explained the rest passively. All the crazy bits of information that had led them to his moment and why it was imperative that they acquire the method to make ferrous mercury.


    "By Kushang, we''ll convince him to hand it over. Perhaps we can offer to clean up the mess with the goblins. Perhaps that will be enough to sway him to hand over that information to you." Krog said.


    "We can only hope. Tomorrow then," Mavec said. Krog nodded in agreement, and the two went their separate way to prepare.

 106: Plots and Plans

    Sarbie


    Home had never looked so appealing. She practically sprinted through the doors and into her mother''s arms. She hugged her tight, squeezing as hard as her thin arms would let her. All the while, her mother stroked her hair and pulled her closer. It had only been a few weeks, but it was the longest time the pair had spent apart.


    "When will Dad be home?" Sarbie asked.


    "Soon, I''m sure." Her mother replied. The two gently broke their embrace and took seats at the kitchen table.


    "So, what can you tell me? I know you were very sparse on details when you left. Is that still the case?" Her mother asked.


    "Probably more true now than when I left!" Sarbie scoffed. "But I''ll try to answer what I can."


    "So first, let''s address the rumors. Lots of the folks around your age have been gossiping that the real reason you left was because a certain tiefling boy swept you off your feet. Moria says she saw you dancing with the unyielding at the festival of blades. So, is there any truth behind that young lady?" Her mother asked with a teasing smile. A flush crept up her face as she recalled their first dance, one which only intensified as her memories drifted back to the moments before they spoke with Shoalsatta. The way his hands had so naturally rested upon the small of her back sent a small shiver up her spine.


    "The part about me dancing with him is true." She admitted hesitantly. "Alvec had been dancing with Naya, but for some reason, he insisted that Hoc and her should dance, and before I knew it, I was talked into joining him as well."


    "So the whole eloping thing isn''t real? I mean, I don''t see a ring of, gold, silver, or platinum. Those would be in line with Kushang''s traditions after all."


    "Mom, did you really think I ran off and got married?!"


    "No." She answered with a smile as she closed her eyes and tilted her head. "But when in your life, my little bookworm, have I ever had the chance to even ask you about a possible love life."


    "That''s not fair, Mom."


    "With that out of the way, what can you tell me?" She asked.


    "I''m going to leave out names and details, but I think I can sum up what''s going on." Sarbie did her best to fill her mother in. Ancient threats, strange beasts, infernal plots, and everything in between. She made sure to sprinkle in some of the best moments into her explanations. She couldn''t have her mother thinking that her new friends hadn''t been kind to her, and the nights she''d spent learning card games with Alvec were a surprisingly bright spot to an otherwise grim story. Even better, perhaps, was meeting his own mother. It was still hard to wrap her head around how a card shark had devoted her life to Kushang and settled down. She couldn''t help but grin ear to ear as she spoke about that part.


    "So you get to meet his parents, and he hasn''t met yours; that hardly seems fair. When can we have him over?" Her mother asked.


    "Mom, we''re not dating." Sarbie insisted again.


    "Well, you''ll want to tell your friend Hoc that." A voice from the doorway came. Her father was covered in dirt and sawdust, but even so, he was a sight for sore eyes. She nearly knocked the chair over as she vaulted over to hug her father. It was her turn to be squeezed as he lifted her clean off the floor and spun her around twice before setting her down.


    "Have you been safe?" He asked.


    "As safe as I can be." She replied honestly. "My magic has made sure that none of the wounds I suffered left a mark. In one of our last fights, some devils did try to kill me. I took a spear or two, but Alvec kept them off from me as best he could."


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    "Oh, how''d he do that?" Her father asked, giving her a concerned look.


    "He blasted them with this really bright flash of light and then cast some sort of spell which seemed to slow their weapons as they swung towards me. That''s also not including the time he wrapped his tail around my waist and pulled me to safety. I was in good hands." Sarbie confirmed.


    "Well, guess I owe the hero of Rust Hill a more personal thank you," he said with a smile. A slight clattering of dishes caught all of their attention. A fox stood awkwardly in the open window. It looked directly at Sarbie and yipped.


    "Rem, what are you doing here?" She asked. "I thought I asked you to wait outside." The fox yipped in response, hopped down from the counter, and curled up on the floor in a neat little ball. Sarbie let out a small sigh.


    "Mom, Dad, this is Remington. Also known as Rem. He''s Alvec''s familiar. He may look like a regular fox, but I assure you, he is devilishly smart and generally very pleasant company to keep. I know they can''t "talk" at a distance, but I think Rem can share how he''s feeling with Alvec so long as they aren''t too far apart." Rem seemed to yip in agreement. "When we split up, for our protection, we decided to make sure that everyone had at least one person with them in case there was any sort of trouble. I think Alvec can feel when Rem''s in distress." Sarbie said as she took a seat and beckoned Rem to come to her. The fox uncurled himself, obediently trotted over to her, and hopped up on her lap, where he curled back up, and her hands absentmindedly petted him.


    "Dad, you were saying something about Hoc?" Sarbie asked.


    "He hasn''t been taking your sudden departure well. Hells, none of us did. Your mom and I have been worried sick, especially when the only news we''ve gotten is through bards and the church on occasion. I''m sure there were reasons you couldn''t write, but there were so many rumors in the places we knew you were heading. Then, to find out that you were at the heart of the fight against Crowley, I just about passed out when I heard that. I still can''t believe my little homebody went and fought pirates."


    "I know, it''s really hard even for me to accept, and I lived it," Sarbie said with a chuckle. "Should I make time to go see Hoc right away?"


    "As if we''d let you, we''ll have a nice dinner first." Her father replied. "You can see him after that."


    "Can I ask what he''s been doing to make you so worried?" Sarbie asked.


    "Other than stopping in every few days to ask if we''ve heard anything about you? I heard that he got quite the scolding from his superiors, something about gaining too much strength too quickly. I didn''t really catch the details if we''re being honest." Her father admitted. Sarbie frowned; policies from Ageneon enforced how powerful the church was allowed to be. Growing beyond those limits too quickly could invite penalties from the state. Something each branch of the church of Kushang would want to avoid no matter the cost. She was sure that Hoc would hate that, especially because her leaving to live his dream had to sting.


    "Soon as dinner is done, I''ll go find him."


    Alvec and Naya


    The pair of adventurers sat outside the tower, enjoying the fresh air. "So he doesn''t shit. Is that really all that strange?" Naya asked.


    "Yeah, I mean, name anything living that doesn''t?" Alvec responded.


    Naya furrowed her brow for a moment. "Can''t say I know of anything alive that doesn''t shit."


    "Then I think it''s safe to say that her previous master was absolutely infected by whatever it is that Kavaas does to people. I still like my theory that the enchanter didn''t survive whatever mutation process is initiated by Kavaas and that the paladin survived because of her holy prowess."


    "It''s a good theory." Naya agreed as she noticed Illaria''s black cat Jinx stalking up on them with a peculiar focus. It sat down in front of the two adventurers and spoke in a voice not its own.


    "I have information for you," Jinx said. The pair of adventurers raised an eyebrow to the talking cat.


    "Jinx, since when can you talk?" Naya asked.


    "It''s clearly not Jinx," Alvec responded as he quickly pondered who it could be. "Seems too put together to be Bristlecone, so that would make you LuCol." Alvec guessed.


    "Right, you are." The cat said as it brought a paw to its mouth and gently groomed itself.


    "What do you have to report? Movement from the one you were watching?" Alvec asked.


    "No, they''ve been fairly stationary. However, Tyir, Iridel, and I believe we have discovered what your grandmother wants either of you for. We''re all aware now that the Hells, that Shattered Facet, tried to drag itself into our facet during the Anarchy. Well, this ritual she''s looking for requires the sacrifice of a tiefling who is beloved. It allows a section of our facet to be dragged into the shattered facet instead. It''s been used once in the Empire''s long history. A long time ago there was a Dracolich causing immense trouble for the Empire. An accord was struck, and it was brought down into the hells to be eliminated."


    "So what do we do with this information?" Naya asked.


    "Simply put, make sure Alvec is protected at all times," LuCol said as he cut the connection, leaving Jinx grooming herself in front of the two adventurers.


    "So, looks like we''ll be using the buddy system from here on out," Naya said as she chuckled a bit. Alvec let out a sigh and placed a hand on his forehead.

 107: The Gift of Dahn Daluzi

    Illaria


    The bar was crowded, and the good mood she was in seemed to be shared by the whole of the city. The air was thick with the scent of meats and cheeses and beer. So much beer. She walked up to the bar counter and found herself facing Bait''s nemesis, the muscle angel. He looked much the way he had the last time she had been in Sha-Laial, which shouldn''t have been surprising to her, but the world felt new.


    Her world felt like it had bloomed. Today was the end of a new beginning. "I''ll take a shot of the best thing you have." She said as she plucked several golden coins from her purse and set them on the counter. The man grinned ear to ear.


    "So I take it the bards are right about you killing that dastard Crowley. Did you manage to find your folks?" he asked.


    "Aye, they''re alive and here with me on Scythefell Street." She said.


    "Well, then, celebrations are absolutely in order. Hold on one second." He said as he opened up a locked cabinet and pondered the choices in front of him. Eventually, the man plucked out a fancy glass bottle with twisting glass. The topper was a solid metal dragon''s head. "Dwarves say this will put hair on your chest. Granted, I don''t think it''s true." He pulled a small shot glass out and poured the amber liquid into the glass before handing it to her. Before the bartender could recap the bottle, a man with long dark hair and a long but well-groomed beard placed five of his own gold on the table.


    "A shot for me, too, if you wouldn''t mind." He stood taller than Illaria, much to her own surprise. His clothing was well worn but clearly once cut from the finest dyed wools of jade and cerulean that could be bought. The muscle-angel grabbed out another shot glass and filled it before sliding it to the newcomer. The man grabbed the shot and brought it to the sky. "Everyone, quickly, a toast to Illaria, to Ageneon, and to the long life of the Empire itself!" He said before stomping once on the floor and downing his shot. He did an over-exaggerated sigh and waved his hands for people to follow suit. Several voices rang out the same little chant that the man had said. Praising Illaria, Ageneon, and the Empire. When the cheers subsided, the man clapped her on the back and laughed. "You did this country a great service. I''d like to give you a gift if you wouldn''t be minding?" He said as he pulled a drinking flask from his side and placed it on the counter. The flask looked to be of fine craftsmanship and made from sturdy metal with a solid round sphere of glass and steel for a topper.


    "Why would you be gifting me this?" Illaria asked.


    "Well, you see, I hate all tyrants, even small ones like that there, Crowley. To have the seas be free again is a delight. The warm yellow sun over salt-soaked wind and cerulean waves. Free from the threat of enslavement, murder, and plundering. What better service could any of us ask of you, Illaria? We can ignore your own motivations too. Sure, you had something to gain, but it''s very probable that fighting him the way you did actually made your job harder, not easier. So you deserve a reward for sticking it out and bringing the bastard to justice at the point of your blade." Illaria gave him a quizzical look. Not many of the lay folk knew her reasons for being on that boat in the first place. Sure, the bards had done a good job of making it well-known what she had done, but few had even known she had family in need of rescuing. Something about the man made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.


    It was an odd feeling, for it wasn''t in fear or any such thing. If anything, she felt calm around him. "Is there anything in it?" She asked as she gently sloshed the flask.


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    "Only a liquor so fine that it''ll make that wonderful drink you just had seem as if it were nothing better than cat piss." The man said, smiling at her. "Better yet, it never seems to run dry, no matter how much I drink."


    As the words washed over her, an idea began to take hold of her. This man might not be as he appeared. Something much more than just a mere traveler. No, he might just very well be the God of Travelers. Dahn-Deluzi himself. It wasn''t unheard of for him to come and walk among mortals. Granted, in the post-war recovery, sightings of him in the flesh were said to be incredibly rare. Perhaps this was an omen for a brighter future for his worshipers. She''d have to have Alvec take a look at this and see if it was, in fact, divinely powered.


    "Well, I offer you my thanks and a quick prayer. To Dahn-Deluzi and the much safer roads of the Empire." Illaria said.


    The man simply grinned at her before leaving on one final cryptic note. "May it serve you well; with Crowley''s defeat, the Empire still faces many threats.¡±


    Too intrigued by the flask she had been given, Illaria headed out and returned to the tower, where she found Alvec and Naya sitting outside. Alvec had his head buried in a book, and Naya and Echo looked like they were both on high alert. "What do we be waiting so intently for?" Illaria asked.


    "Oh! Illaria, we now know what Alvec''s grandmother wanted him for. We need to make sure that he doesn''t come under attack at any point, or else part of our realm will be dragged into the shattered facet." Naya repeated cheerily.


    "That does not be sounding good. Are we using the buddy system from now on? If so, perhaps he is talking Mavec into bunking with him for a while. Or perhaps he''d like a certain denizen of Sha-Laial to keep tabs on him overnight." Illaria implied playfully.


    "I don''t need a babysitter. Especially since I''m literally here in my tower. We''ve got gargoyles keeping watch anyway. So we really can relax while I''m in the tower." Alvec replied.


    "Fair enough unyielding. Might I be having your help with a project however?" She asked as she set the flask down in front of him. "I''d like to be knowing if this is enchanted."


    Alvec snapped the book he was reading shut and set it down. The flask was definitely magic; it took barely a second for him to register the familiar pulse of divine power emanating from it. The nature of the enchantment was far harder to work out. Studying the magics woven into it, he came to a few conclusions. "It''s an interesting item you brought me; where did you get it?" He asked.


    "I suspect a god gave it to me for defeating Crowley," Illaria replied.


    "Sounds about right; the first part of it is easy enough to read, a divine blessing that causes the flask to never fully empty and, better yet, to refill each dawn. The slightly more nebulous one, however, is the effect the liquid has. It reminds me of the spells I inscribed into Naya''s blades, the ones that let her cut deeper on occasion. More so than that, it looks like it can confer even more opportunity for crippling strikes. Drink it once, I think to make more opportunities for crippling strikes; drink twice to make the blows more dangerous." Alvec confirmed.


    "Then I choose to believe that it was Dahn-Daluzi that I just met at the bar," Illaria said with a smile. She offered silent praise to the god of travelers for his generosity. "By the way, I do be thinking we have a problem. Edis told me that he''s been training Hoc and that the church is rather upset with him for how fast he''s been progressing." Illaria stated.


    Alvec frowned. It was clear to anyone with a pulse that the boy was smitten with Sarbie, and no doubt her leaving on an adventure with the cheese acolytes had spurred him into getting stronger himself. Maybe he was hoping to take her place? Losing an ally in the church right now, especially one at the church that had the closest proximity to their own residence, boded poorly. They''d want to make sure that Hoc stayed with the church for the time being. After all, if the Gold Banner was corrupt, they''d want all the help they could get. "Let''s go visit him. Maybe we can talk him down a bit." Alvec suggested.


    "Sounds delicate," Mavec said as he came walking into sight. "I hate it on principal, but I''ll come along. I heard someone say buddy system? What did I miss?"


    Naya excitedly recapped the story of the Draco-lich and the devils. The color drained from his face as Naya offered up more and more exposition.


    "Buddy system it is," Mavec confirmed.

 108: A Duel Amongst the Trees

    The group, sans Bait, departed to the church, hoping to find Hoc. The outside of the church still shone with the same level of polish that it had during the Festival of Blades. The wear and tear of general life had not yet worn thin the lacquers and polishing that preceded the legendary event. It didn''t take long for Hoc to come into sight; the boy was much the same way they had left him. It had only been about a month since they had last laid eyes on him. His soft blonde hair seemed to have darkened a smidge, and while still as baby-faced as ever, it looked as if he had put on a little bulk in the time they had been apart. To Naya, it looked as if he had perhaps grown a bit taller as well.


    "Hoc," Alvec said loudly in greeting.


    The boy''s demeanor had changed. Rather than the energetic greetings that Alvec was so fond of, he received only a scowl in response. "Are you guys back here for good now?" He asked bluntly.


    "There be no way to be knowing that for certain," Illaria responded.


    "Currently, we''re planning to help the goblins find god," Naya replied.


    "Their god, to be specific. They call her Dogmother. I''d rather we stay home." Mavec replied.


    "And where''s Sarbie?" He asked pointedly.


    "She went to visit her family," Alvec replied.


    "Well, then, I guess you ought to go find her then. She''ll be more useful to you, I guess." He said.


    "Actually, we were hoping to speak with you for a little bit," Illaria said as she smiled and stepped forward. "We''ve heard some rumors from a friend you''ve been butting heads with the elders of the church." The corner of his mouth flinched up at the words.


    "I''m getting stronger; it shouldn''t be such a big deal. I''m getting stronger for the sake of the church; they should stop complaining and just appreciate it. I''ve almost mastered everything I need to in order to become an honorary member of the Six Strengths. You''d think they''d be excited, but it''s all lecture, lecture, lecture." Hoc said as he waved his arms around, exasperated. Other members of the church seemed to pause while listening as his voice rose.


    "I don''t think it''s that simple, Hoc," Mavec said. "There are rules, and as much as they may be in desperate need of a rewrite and revision, we have to abide by them while they are in effect. Believe it or not, Ageneon seems to know what he''s doing." Mavec said. "I really doubted the whole citizenship for goblins being a smart idea, and you know what, they''re actually pretty good once you get past the whole rat sticks."


    "Yeah, well, he missed the mark with this one," Hoc said. "If you don''t mind me, I''ve got some training to do." The boy brushed past the group and headed for the exit.


    "So, that went about as well as we could be expecting it to," Illaria said.


    "Yeah, tell me about it," Alvec said as he brought his fingers to his chin. "I''d like to go talk to Sarbie about this. I think she deserves to be warned that Hoc is in a mood."


    "You mean being a dick," Naya shouted.


    "Hey, maybe we don''t go cussing out a member of the church in their church," Mavec said, looking at Naya as if she had three heads.


    "I''m going after him if he won''t listen to sense; maybe I can beat some into him," Naya said as she dashed after him.


    Naya and Hoc, the outskirts of Sha-Laial


    It wasn''t hard for Naya to catch up to Hoc, but his focus was singular as he walked. She found herself hanging back far enough where she could simply observe the boy. He led her straight out of town into the woods. Even with the training he''d received from Edis, she found herself easily able to track him down. She stuck to the foliage and watched him train. The boy who used to break wooden swords seemed to have no problem swinging around the ax that Alvec had left for him.


    His swing was well practiced, but it was clear to Naya he hadn''t had any real practical experience. He''d win a competition for sure but would lose a fight with how rigid his movements were. She took a deep breath and pushed her way through the tree line. "Hey, are you going to stop being a dick already?" Naya shouted at him.


    "Why the hells did you follow me?" He asked.


    "Because you''re our friend, and your acting like we took a shit in your coffee and made you drink it. What the hells happened?" Naya asked.


    "It''s simple; you took Sarbie and left me here to rot. My best friend, who''s a defenseless little bookworm, gets to go on an adventure and have her life endangered every step of the way, and I just have to deal with it? Wait here and get strong, Hoc. That''s the best advice you were able to give when you left. What a load of bullshit. I should be out there in the field, not stuck here alone. I bet I''m stronger than you." Hoc proclaimed, puffing his chest out.


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    Naya smirked. "Think so?"


    "Absolutely, I could wipe the floor with you."


    "Big words, you ready to put them to the test?" She asked.


    "Any time, any place." He said.


    "Right here, and right now. I''ll have you eating crow."


    "So you''re going to fight me right now with all of that magical gear as if it''s not a huge advantage?" He asked.


    "Give me a few moments; I''ll take the gear off if it means I get to say I beat you fair and square." She said as she quickly undid the magical belt Alvec had made for her. Hoc stammered for a moment and spun away as a blush crept up his face. Naya, not paying any mind, took both her blades and followed through with the process Alvec had taught her to de-power her blades. Content that the enchantments were nullified, she grabbed a piece of rope and used it as a makeshift belt. "There, this is fair enough," Naya said. The swords are dormant right now, and I''ve removed the belt that made me more agile. We''re as closely matched as we can get. In terms of items."


    "Alright, what are the rules to this?" he asked.


    "First one to go down loses. You and I can both heal, so if we knock the other down, we vow to bring them back up. Understood?"


    "I swear it," Hoc said. A smile twisted over his face. "Let''s make it interesting; if I win, you stay in Sha-Laial, and I take your place."


    "No deal," Naya said, a steal in her voice harsh enough that Hoc took a step back and studied her for a moment.


    "If you win, I''ll talk to the group about bringing you along as well. If I win, you have to apologize for acting like a dick."


    "Fair enough," Hoc said.


    Naya took a stance, both blades out and ready. Hoc raised the ax and a shield. The two of them nodded to each other and began their fight. Hoc found himself immediately on his back heel, reeling back under the lightning-fast twin assault of Naya''s whirlwind of steal. She had crossed the gap of 20 feet between them in the blink of an eye. Neither blade bit into him as his shield managed to catch each blade. This fight would be easy enough, though. Without her familiar Echo, Naya likely wasn''t all that big of a threat, and he had the power of Kushang on his side. He reached out with divine power and tried to bring her might onto her. She was part of the problem. She had stolen away Sarbie. Clearly, she was evil. Despite his conviction, the holy light flickered and faded out on his ax before it could even swing down onto her.


    Naya twisted out of the way; her eyes had changed from their usual brown to an amber color, and the pupils, usually small black pools, were elongated ovals not dissimilar to cats. She came in swinging again, her blades finding purchase on him. To Naya, the boy might as well be standing still; the heavy armor he wore may be protecting him from her strikes, but it was also slowing him down considerably. None of her hits seemed to do much, even as she spun the blades into his joints as he faltered and overextended. A slash to the knee knocked him to the ground, where she quickly followed up with a blade raking across his face and neck. Blood oozed up and welled where her blade had drawn across his face.


    Were it not for her own healing magic, she was certain that she would have left him with a nasty scar or perhaps even killed him had the blades been fully powered as they normally were.


    The pair continued their blade dance. Hoc failed to land any solid hits, and Naya slowly whittled him down, punishing him for the few mistakes he made. Eventually, he fell to the ground, panting hard. Barely conscious, he slammed his fist into the ground and cursed it all.


    "Do you yield?" Naya asked as she circled around him cautiously. She could see him still attacking; if Alvec were brought so low, he would no doubt throw dirt or mud at her to blind her and then cast a spell while she recovered. Illaria would resplendently rise and launch into some perfectly executed sword strikes. Hoc, however, she couldn''t say she knew the boy well enough to understand the way he''d deal with his defeat. Maybe he''d be more gracious in accepting it than most of her party would. After all, he hardly lost anything for losing, and he''d fought well enough that she''d recommend bringing him along as well to the party.


    He pounded the ground again before resting his hands on his chest. A golden and silver light flushed over him, and he stood back up, looking ready to go another round. He swung at her quickly, trying to take advantage of the indecision about the state of their duel. Naya caught the ax with both of her blades and placed it into a bind, from which she forced the ax low and counter-attacked, slashing him twice before he could respond. Once more, he took a knee, and Naya held her ground, sword poised and ready to strike. She felt a lot like a viper as she wielded these blades.


    "I yield. It''s clear we''re just going to have the same result, even if I do heal myself again and again." He said.


    "Alright, are you ready to apologize for being a dick?" She asked.


    "No, but a deal, is a deal. I''m sorry." He said to her.


    "Look, I''ll talk to the group about it; maybe we can bring you along too. There is enough space for you, that''s for sure. I can''t see why Alvec or the others would say no." Naya mused.


    "Oh, you can''t think of any reason?" Hoc asked.


    "Are you implying something?" Naya asked.


    "There are a lot of rumors about him, and Sarbie is all I''m saying."


    "Look, we''re fighting to save the damned world; I don''t think either one of them is properly thinking about a romance... and even if they were. Why do you care? She''s not your lover." Naya said.


    "Yeah, but she should be?"


    "But she isn''t, and you don''t get to decide that. Sure, you''ve been friends forever, but that''s it, Hoc. Friends. And honestly, you''re a pretty shitty one if you''ve just been silently projecting your feelings onto her without asking if she feels the same. So either man up or shut up, and stop sulking already."


    "You make that sound easy." Hoc shot back at her.


    "It isn''t, but if you really are a good friend, you''ll suck it up and do it anyway. Come on, I thought you were a pretty great guy, but you''re kinda shattering that illusion." Naya said. The boy''s face hardened for a moment as her words hit home. He remained quiet for several moments as the air between them was thick with tension.


    "I have been kinda shitty, haven''t I?" He said.


    "Had you never considered that?" She asked.


    "No, I was so upset I haven''t really thought about anything else." He admitted.


    "Well, start thinking and start talking honestly and openly. That''s the only way you''ll undo any damage you''ve done." Naya said as she gathered up and re-equipped her enchanted equipment. "If you don''t mind, I''ll be heading back now. You go make peace with everyone else when you''re ready, friend." She deftly moved through the trees back towards the city of Sha-laial.

 109: Home Is Where The Heart Is

    "It''s this way, I think," Alvec said as he guided the other two through the streets.


    "Are you sure we really need to do this? Hoc isn''t our concern, really. We can just let him burn those bridges. Might even cover for us a bit more if he did." Mavec said.


    "Don''t be saying that," Illaria said as she struggled to move as slowly as the two wizards did. Her gait was much longer than either of theirs


    . "We could use more allies here in Sha-Laial. It gives us a place to run to other than the Blue Banner." Illaria stated.


    "Do we even know where Sarbie lives, though?" Mavec asked.


    "Nope, but I can sense Rem." Alvec reminded him as he swiftly cut down a side street. "And we know it''s not too far from the church. She''s local. As is Hoc." The sun was already hanging low in the sky at this point, casting everything in golden red light. He paused in front of a particular house. He couldn''t be 100% sure that this was the one, but he could feel a gentle sense of comfort nearby. Rem was happy, hopefully receiving some gentle scritches or the like.


    "This it? Looks about how I imagined." Mavec said.


    "Well, what do we be waiting for? Illaria said as she brushed past her friends and knocked on the door forcefully. There was some soft murmuring from inside before a man a smidge shorter than Illaria opened the door. He was a well-muscled man whose hands were rough. No doubt his vocation used them often. "Hello, I''m Illaria, and we were hoping this might be the residence of a certain cleric of Kushang by the name of Sarbie? Would we be correct in thinking so?"


    The man pursed his lips and nodded yes. "That must make you Illaria." The man said. "Come on in." He said as he stepped away from the doorway.


    "We don''t have to come in; our conversation should take but a moment. I really wouldn''t want to intrude." Alvec said as he stepped out from Illaria''s shadow.


    "To be honest, I didn''t even want to come, but Alvec''s using the buddy system until further notice per the Blue Banner Armies instructions," Mavec said with a sigh. The man''s facial expression changed to a smile as they gently reached out and wrapped an arm around Illaria''s shoulder, tugging her gently into the house.


    "Nonsense, we''d be poor hosts if we didn''t invite our daughter''s friends in." The man said.


    Mavec stepped back quickly. "Ok, well, that''s nice, but I''m going to go back to the tower. I''m two coffees short of having the energy for this. Illaria, he''s your responsibility now. Take care of Sarbie''s father." Mavec took a few quick steps backward and kept on moving. Illaria looked behind her and scowled at Mavec. She caught herself doing so and quickly shrugged at Alvec.


    "You do be knowing that look wasn''t meant for you right?" She asked. Alvec gave a soft smile in response.


    "I assumed you just hated him shirking his duties," Alvec replied.


    "Damn straight, keeping you safe keeps the empire safe right now, so I''ll be damned if I take three steps out of your sight."


    "Relax, Illaria, we''re in Sha-Laial, and I''m no slouch with combat or spellcraft. It''s very unlikely they''ll manage to ambush us."


    "Very well then, I do be supposing we can afford to stop here and relax a while," Illaria said. The pair followed the man into a small kitchen where Sarbie and a woman who looked like her but was twenty years older both sat. Rem was perched on Sarbie''s lap and, surely enough, receiving an absent-minded scratch.


    Her father, upon entering the kitchen, gestured widely at their two guests. "Sarbie, look who we have here." He was grinning ear to ear and raised his eyebrows before lightly pointing to both of the adventurers.


    "Illaria, Alvec?" Sarbie questioned as she squinted at them. "I wasn''t expecting company." She said as she scooped up Rem and pointed them in their direction. "Rem, what do you think?"


    Alvec and Illaria laughed. The fox delightedly chirped at them. Only Alvec understood his meaning. Alvec chirped back to him. It was a new sensation for him. Using his magic to shape the sounds leaving his mouth. Turning the common tongue into the speech of a fox. "He said it''s us and questioned why you''re not used to our scents yet. I don''t think he understands we don''t perceive the world the same way he does."


    "Kudos to you, though, Sarbie; that be just the sort of thing you should be doing if we drop in unexpectedly," Illaria said.


    "Our cleric has grown pretty world-wise, aye?" Alvec asked.


    "Aye, though, we best be getting to the reason we came here. Do you wish to speak with her in private?" Illaria asked.


    Alvec shot her a look. "I''m not sure it would be the most appropriate to speak in private, though it is a bit sensitive of a topic," Alvec replied.


    Sarbie let out a soft groan. "It''s Hoc, isn''t it?" She asked.


    Alvec sheepishly raised a hand behind his head and ruffled his own curly hair. "Yeah, it is. I take it someone''s already mentioned the uh... issues he''s having with the church right now?" Alvec asked.


    "Yeah, my parents and I just got done sharing what we''ve been up to." She quickly waved her arms. "Don''t worry, I kept things VERY vague for their safety. They just know that we''re currently looking into something VERY important and that if anyone, no matter who comes to ask them questions, they aren''t to tell them anything more than to look for us at the tower."


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    Alvec nodded in agreement with her word choice. It was true and also useless. If the Gold came here, they''d get no real information. "Might I add a cryptic sentence to what you''ve said?" Alvec asked.


    "Be my guest; you had to tell your family stuff when we met them, so I figure you''re already an expert," Sarbie said.


    "If you see a purple glow on the horizon, please seek shelter at the church or perhaps our tower. Whichever is closer." Alvec said.


    "Ah, yeah, that''s a good point," Sarbie said.


    "Well, you certainly weren''t kidding about the cryptic part there were you, Alvec." Her father stated. "Now, I believe you had something to share about our daughter''s friend Hoc?" He asked.


    "Well, since you seem to be in the loop anyway, I guess we can just talk openly. We went to the church to visit him after Eddis told us that he was getting himself in trouble for learning too quickly. Apparently, he''s been training with Eddis in the ways of the Green Banner Army and also training under the ghost of the sixth strength, Nath. His attitude also left a lot to be desired. I''m pretty sure he''s not in a good way. I figured I''d give you a warning in case you ran into him on your own. He did not take your absence, or his getting left behind well at all."


    "You can be saying that again," Illaria stated. "He was a right tool. Naya chased after him while we came straight here. Here''s hoping she gave him a stern talking to."


    Alvec snorted; he couldn''t imagine Naya giving a lecture of any sort. "Nah, she probably challenged him to a fight or something. Seems more her style than verbally giving him what for." Alvec said. Sarbie and Illaria both broke into a small fit of laughter. It was hard to imagine Naya talking it out, but duking it out was, in fact, easy to believe.


    "Do you want me to talk to him?" Sarbie asked while her face pursed in a please don''t ask me to.


    "Look, I''m sure all the rumors he''s been hearing haven''t helped his ego one bit." Her father said.


    "Do I dare ask what the rumors be saying?" Illaria asked.


    Sarbie''s mother let out a small chuckle before answering. "Oh, just that she ran off with a certain tiefling she''d been seen dancing and enjoying a meal at the festival with. Something perhaps about eloping." Ilaria slightly regretted having asked. She watched as Alvec shyly twisted away from Sarbie, a flush creeping up his face. She almost wished the boy had toughed out the embarrassment; perhaps then he''d have seen how much Sarbie''s face had flushed as well. The two of them hardly needed a push, just more time, so she''d let them coyly dance around that for a moment.


    "You two don''t be believing the rumors, do you?" Illaria asked.


    "No." both of her parents spoke in unison.


    "Well, that''s a relief. I don''t think I could handle the embarrassment of explaining the whole situation." Alvec said.


    "Our daughter isn''t the type to run off and make rash decisions like that. Whatever the reason she left, I''m sure that it will be fully explained as soon as it''s safe to do so." Her father said.


    "Also, she''s never really talked much about boys. Honestly, the way she talked about you was about the most I''ve ever heard her talk about any boy, and I think that''s mostly because her father and I kept asking her questions. We wanted to know a bit about the boy she was hanging out with."


    "Mom, really?" Sarbie asked.


    "It sounds like I owe you a thanks as well." Her father said, extending a hand to Alvec. "She sung your praises about how you spared no expense to keep her protected. Thank you for protecting my little bookworm." Alvec shook his hand firmly.


    "I''m sure our favorite bookworm also left out all the times she saved us. She''s got a nasty habit of leaving out all of the actions she took that made her look like a saint." Alvec said.


    "The time that devil kept stomping on Bait''s skull, she dove right in to heal him even though it placed her within striking distance," Illaria stated. "I owe my best friend''s life to you. Also, don''t you dare be telling him I said that." Illaria said.


    "How about when we were in Alusai''s tomb, and the repeating guns were aimed at me? I''m certain even with my spellcraft, I wouldn''t have survived that many attacks if it hadn''t been for her healing me. We literally couldn''t have done any of this without her." Alvec said, grinning ear to ear. "Making friends with her has been one of the best decisions of my life. I''m glad we ended up here in Sha-Laial."


    The sound of heavy pounding on the door was an unpleasant punctuation to his words. "Hey, it''s Hoc; I need to talk with Sarbie. Can I come in?" Came the boy''s voice.


    Glancing over to her, it was easy to see that this was the absolute worst way this situation could resolve. "Let me know if you want to disappear," Alvec said as he pointed out the lit candle. "I''m sure Illaria could bluff him away while you just sat there invisibly," Alvec whispered. The question, the presentation of a choice, snapped her out of her dread for this moment.


    "No, I don''t think I can run away." She said.


    "I can go talk to him instead. I can''t guarantee he won''t throw hands, but I promise not to use any offensive magic. I swear by my magic. I can tell him those rumors aren''t true."


    "No!" She replied more sharply. "This is between Hoc and I. It has nothing to do with us. So, I''m going to set this straight. One way or another. You two just stay here and chat with my parents." Sarbie stood up and bowed politely before heading to answer the door.


    "So, might there be just a shadow of truth in them rumors?" Illaria asked Alvec pointedly.


    "Look, Illaria, you know the stakes. We can''t afford to be distracted right now." Alvec said, trying to brush off the question. "And is now really the time to ask such things?"


    "Oh, I do be thinking it is. I''m sure your mother asked her similar questions, its not fair for you to be getting away without answering them." Illaria replied.


    Alvec cleared his throat slightly. "To be clear, there isn''t anything happening now."


    "Are you saying there might be down the line?" Her mother asked.


    "Well, I don''t know. I''m not going to breathe life into words not yet spoken. But I will say that I certainly enjoy her company and wouldn''t mind getting to know her better after this adventure wraps up however it does." Alvec replied.


    "Now be sure to be telling her that as soon as you can," Illaria said. "Just not tonight. Whatever their conversation is, we don''t need to be adding any more stress to it." Illaria said. Alvec nodded. Her father stepped in front of him real quick, sizing him up once more.


    "You certainly are a lot smaller than what the bards from Rust Hill said, but I see it in you. There''s a steal to you. I saw a bit of your fight with the Red Banner. You don''t give up easily, that''s for sure. Just remember to be respectful, and I think you''ll get where you''re going. I don''t think my daughter ever would have gone out on a limb for you in the first place if it wasn''t the right thing to do. If she didn''t feel like she could trust you." The man clapped him on the back and went about fetching a drink.

 110: The Path Not Taken

    Sarbie opened the door, acutely aware of how alone she felt doing this. She''d talked a big game, but she was already regretting not accepting any of Alvec''s offers of support. Her left hand flittered over the vial of alchemist fire in her pocket. It would only sting a little, and she''d just disappear in a puff of smoke and an illusion likely strong enough to trick Hoc. Granted, she could see him swearing vengeance against devils as a result.


    No, if she wanted to clear the air and also put to bed whatever feelings were driving him to act like such a tool, she''d need to face him head-on. Hell, she''d faced devils; surely talking to one of her best friends couldn''t be all that hard.


    "Hey Hoc, I see you heard I made it back safe and sound." She said as she pushed her way outside and pulled the door shut behind her. The sun, at this point, had settled behind the hills, and only the last bits of light illuminated the boy in silhouette.


    "Yeah, I came over as soon as I could." He said. "How was it, being out of the city with a group of adventurers."


    "Honestly? Terrifying, I''ll have to tell you all about the giant newts. I''m pretty sure they nearly ate Bait and Mavec." She said.


    "I''m sorry. It shouldn''t have ever been you. If I''d been stronger, if I''d been more useful, then you would have been here safe in Sha-Laial the entire time. This is my fault."


    "No, it isn''t."


    "What do you mean? They said I wasn''t good enough. Had I been, you wouldn''t have needed to leave." Hoc said.


    "I don''t think they ever said that. They said they needed a healer. You''re many things Hoc, but you aren''t a healer. I''ve been treating your skinned knees since we were kids. It had to be me, and honestly... I think it was a good thing for me. Don''t tell them that. I still get a few perks for complaining about the conditions."


    "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He asked. "Because it doesn''t. I just feel like I should have been there to protect you."


    "Look, I''ve been accosted by giant newts, shot at by pirates, stabbed by devils, and assaulted by a war mech made by one of the archwizards. I don''t think you''d have been able to keep me any safer than they did. I can''t count the times Alvec threw himself in harm''s way for me. When a boat capsized, Echo dove in after me without hesitation. Every one of them did their best to keep me safe. It''s ok, Hoc."


    "But I let you down. I failed you."


    "You didn''t. It''s ok, really, I''m where I''m supposed to be. Kushang surely approves, or else I wouldn''t feel like my own magic has grown stronger. She''s supporting me even now, so you promise me right now that you''re going to go sort things out with the church. Right?"


    "Ah, so you heard about that?" He asked.


    "My parents are both members of the congregation; I''ve heard the rumors about you..." She paused for a moment, unsure how to bring up the next part. "And the rumors about me. They say I ran off and eloped with Alvec, all because someone saw us dance at the festival."


    "Yeah, it''s not like you guys did that, right?"


    "I don''t know, we did share another dance as we sank a boat to the spirit Shoalsatta. I''ll have to ask Naya if that means we''re married. Though, would that mean we''re in a polycule? That just won''t work: I can''t with Mavec."


    "You''re joking, right?" He asked.


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    "Even if I weren''t, I don''t care what the spirits say. Only my commitments and vows made in the presence of Kushang matter to me, and I''ve made none of those yet." She paused for a long moment. "But someday I might. I can certainly think of worse partners than Alvec. The rumors are easy enough to fake; we''re both bookworms who''d rather be home than on the road. He''s just more adventurous than I am. I ENTIRELY blame his mother. That woman is frightening."


    "Can you think of better partners?" Hoc asked.


    "No, I''ve got a lot of people in my life who I love dearly, but there are a lot of different loves. Familial, romantic, platonic. I''m blessed to have people who fall into each of those categories. You''ve been my best friend all my life, Hoc. You''ll always be someone close to me, but I see you like family. I''ll cheer for you, and I''ll do my best to support you, but it''s hard to see you as anything beyond that." her words lingered in the air heavy for a long time as an uncomfortable silence thickened over them. She regretted she hadn''t done this earlier. She''d known for a long time that he''d had a thing for her. Yet she''d never had the courage to tell him she didn''t see him the same way. Part of it was denial, she supposed. How could she, with her small ambitions and humble desires, ever stand side by side with someone who wanted to be a living legend, who wanted people to know his name and all of his deeds.


    "I always saw you by my side whenever I imagined my future." He said.


    "And I will be, but I don''t think it''s going to be the way you imagined." She said.


    "I see. I, uh. I''m going to head out if you don''t mind. I''ve got a lot of thinking to do." Hoc said as he walked slowly down the road.


    "Tomorrow''s Ivy day! Expect something before sunset!" She shouted after him. "I can''t leave my best friend out from my ivy day! And don''t forget! Play nice with the church, even if it means slowing down a smidge." Sarbie let out a sigh. It hadn''t gone as badly as she had hoped, but she could tell Hoc was still dejected. She couldn''t blame him. The truth she''d spoken certainly hurt. She let herself back into the house to see Alvec had broken out a set of cards and coaxed them all into a spirited game. A few copper pieces were pooled in front of each of the players.


    She walked up behind him and peered at his hand. "I''ve got a bad hand; I''ll fold," Alvec said as he placed his cards down. She snickered a bit. He''d likely have cleaned them all out if he was playing seriously, but like he''d done for her, he was cheating in order to lose again. Well, maybe cheating was the wrong word this time, but he was lying to let them win.


    "Shall I join you for a hand?" She asked.


    "Ah, welcome back. Is everything okay?" Alvec asked.


    "No, but it will be," Sarbie assured him.


    "Well, then perhaps we should get going. We''re heading to the Academy first thing in the morning. Mavec and Bait are spearheading the goblin''s lawsuit for breach of contract after all. I''ll be with them to provide additional spellcraft expertise in case Warren tries to wriggle out of this somehow. Afterward, though, I was hoping I might be able to stop by. I think I just had a great idea for an Ivy Day gift for you. And no, doubt worry, it won''t be nearly as expensive as the cloak." Alvec insisted as he made his way for the door.


    "How much is the cloak?" her mother asked.


    "We''re not going to be answering that," Sarbie stated before anyone else could spill the number to her. "Suffice to say it was much more than I was comfortable accepting, even if it was a hand-me-down magical item."


    Illaria spun round and grinned at Sarbie. "Let''s just say the price tag on Alvec''s crafts is high enough to make the nobles on the other side of the river blush. There might not be a diamond ring in this city that is more expensive than his work. He''s a damned prodigy with his enchanting. Made me the enchantments on the blade that helped defeat cutthroat Crowley. Couldn''t ask for any better."


    "Illaria!" Sarbie shouted, exasperated.


    "I''ll be expecting some small trinkets for Ivy Day as well. I''ll swing by with Alvec tomorrow night. After all, if we be forgetting to mention. He''s currently restricted to using the buddy system. LuCol found out why his grandmother was trying to capture him. Some infernal plot to bring some of our world to the shattered facet. Involves sacrificing him too, so I''ve got a right lot to say about that." Illaria patted the handle of her blade. "I be imagining that you might as well. So you''re welcome to come stay at the tower." Illaria suggested.


    "Or, you can just hold onto Rem. He''ll know if I''m in trouble and should be able to sniff me out." Alvec said before walking over to the fox and giving him some pets. "He likes you a lot. He won''t mind hanging out with you."


    The pair of adventurers returned to the tower, where they called it an early night.

 111: Order In The Court

    It was still early when the lawyers arrived. All three of them stood at the doorway in well-pressed suits. The halflings Abul and Feng had opted for a nice brown tweed pattern, while Krog wore a crisp charcoal gray suit. The adventurers, for their part, had cleaned up a little. Alvec made no attempt to control his hair, which was still sheepish and curly. Instead, he had opted just to make sure that the buttons on his clothing were polished and that some of the fading colors had been restored to his outfit.


    Illaria and Naya were both wearing their usual gear, but like Alvec, they had made a point of cleaning themselves up by combing their hair extra and polishing any bits of metal on their gear. Bait and Mavec had gone through no efforts to clean up. Mavec looked like he had freshly rolled out of bed, and Bait... well, Bait had goopy cheese stains all over his clothing. The group departed towards the Academy, where Alvec and Feng took the lead in finding out where the meeting would be held.


    The pair was easily able to get their questions answered and were led to what amounted to a large meeting room. Sitting at one end was Warren Alston, who wore a deep-seated scowl on his face. The trust fund party boy facade was fully dropped at this point, and to Alvec, he looked more vulnerable than he had ever seen the man. Whatever semblance of control he used to have over the Academy looked to have thoroughly eroded. Perhaps the winning of the festival of blades had elevated their status so much that even a small pile of gold hardly swayed their opinions.


    "Welcome, I didn''t realize we''d be hosting the entire cheese acolytes." Said a man in deep red robes. Several tattoos were traced over his face and neck. All of them looked to be some sort of arcane marking. As fascinating as Alvec found it, they weren''t here for such things. Today was about securing the tools for the survival of the Empire.


    Mavec slammed his hands on the table. "Let''s cut the small talk; we all know why we''re here today."


    "BAIT STEW YOU!" Bait shouted as he hopped onto the table.


    "He be meaning he sues you, but I think we all be knowing that," Illaria said.


    "Very well the man said. Warren, you stand accused of breach of contract; the suit is brought on by the Boar Eater tribe with the legal assistance of Abul, Feng, and Krog at the behest of the Cheese Acolytes. How do you respond to these accusations?" The man in the red robes asked.


    "Look, I delivered them what they requested; I performed the locator spell for them and gave them the information," Warren replied. "This is a waste of time brought on by Mavec; he''s just here to make my day worse and cares nothing for any laws that may or may not have been broken."


    "While it is common knowledge that Mavec and Warren share a professional grievance with each other, we do have the contract that the goblin Boogie had you "sign," Feng said as he unfurled the piece of leather onto the table while making air quotes around the word signed. "Are you denying that these are your teeth imprints?" Abul asked.


    "No, I''m not denying that at all," Warren replied. "What I''m saying is that I fulfilled my end of the deal. I told them where to find their "Dogmother," Whatever that is." Warren replied.


    "Do you have any proof of it?" Alvec asked. "Did you perhaps keep a record of what information you gave them in regard to their request?"


    "Of course I did, I brought it with me. Do you take me for an idiot?" Warren asked.


    "Of course I do," Mavec responded. "We already know you''re a thief twice over."


    "Now, now, Mavec, please keep the vitriol at bay if you can," Feng replied.


    "I''m fairly knowledgeable at spell craft; I would request to review the documentation that Warren has provided," Alvec asked.


    "Go ahead, see for yourself," Warren said as he passed over a file full of papers. Alvec glanced over the paper and immediately rubbed at the base of his horns.


    "Is this the way that you presented this information to them?" Alvec asked.


    "They received an exact copy of this information. They can go to their Dogmother whenever they''d like to."


    "Feng, I want it on record that I, too, think that Warren is an absolute bufoon," Alvec said as he placed a hand on the paper. "You seriously mean to tell me that you handed THIS document to the goblins as proof of where Dogmother is? And you expected them to be able to read it? What the hell is wrong with you?"


    "It''s not my fault if they''re too stupid to understand," Warren replied.


    "No, but it''s your fault you failed to deliver it in a manner they could understand. By Sarosa, how do you even dress yourself in the morning?" Mavec asked.


    Naya leaned over Alvec''s shoulder and whistled. "Look, I don''t know what any of that says, but I can tell you I''m at least smart enough to know that the goblins wouldn''t understand a damn word of that."


    "That would certainly qualify as a breach of contract from the perspective of the Boar Eater Tribe. Granted, it sounds as if this situation may be able to arrive at an amicable solution after all. Would you be able to translate this information into a form the goblins would be able to read?" Feng asked.


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    "Of course I can, but why should I?" Warren asked.


    "Because the academy will officially reprimand you if you don''t satisfy your obligations in a manner that is satisfactory to both us and your clients." The man in the red robes said. "You could even have your badge revoked if we consider it serious enough of a violation of our ethics."


    "Alright, if someone would fetch me a map of the Empire, I could transcribe it. It won''t even take too long, I promise." He said.


    "Actually, we''re not entirely done here," Mavec said as he grinned wide. He pulled a spring plucked from the Slag Devil''s remains and placed it squarely on the table. "You wouldn''t happen to have taken a trip to the Tsuhomma Downs recently, did you?" The color drained from Warren''s face, fear replacing the agitation.


    "No, certainly not. I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    "Look, Warren, I''ll throw you a lifeline right now. There''s a particular formula that we require. Give it to me, and I don''t share the details of what you''ve been up to with the Academy." Alvec said.


    "Nah, let the fucker burn. He had all the grace of a grave robber." Mavec replied.


    "Is there something we should know about?'' the man in the robes asked as he spoke directly to Mavec.


    "Depends if he co-operates. Alvec''s being kinder than I would be. So what''s it going to be, Warren?"


    "Again, I don''t know what you''re talking about." He stammered.


    "Price just went up," Alvec said with a devilish grin. "I was going to just take what we need, but I think we''ll be taking it all back now; it''s only right that those designs be made public after all. Having come from such an illustrious and contentious source."


    "Last chance, Warren, where are they?" Mavec asked.


    "Hold on, let''s impress on him the gravity of the situation." Alvec pulled out his sketchbook and slid a page face down on the table towards him. "Take a look at that."


    "What the hell am I looking at?" He asked in confusion as he recoiled from the image of the tongue they''d fought in Vato''s hideout.


    "You''re looking at something referred to as an "Intruder," what we''re looking for is the only thing we know about that seems to be abnormally effective against them. So it''s of utmost importance that you show us where you put them." Alvec said.


    "And if you don''t, I swear to use every tool at my disposal to make your life a living hell," Mavec said.


    "Shit, you''ll really do it." He muttered to himself as he reached into his neckline and pulled out a key. "I locked everything up in my room... just don''t. Don''t say anything else."


    "Was that so hard?" Mavec asked.


    "Fuck you," Warren replied as he slid the key across the table.


    "So is that it? Do we be needing anything else?" Illaria asked.


    "Our business with the Academy certainly isn''t over. As soon as we grab that formula, we''ll need to get them making it for us asap." Alvec said.


    "Well then, let''s be fetching that, so what we may get on with this then," Illaria said. Warren dejectedly stood up and escorted the group to his lodging here at the Academy. From one of his personal chests, they recovered a thick book full of grand new designs Alusai had been working on prior to his death. The most important one was the Ferrous Mercury. Alvec quickly copied the formulae and instructions down, and he and Mavec broke off to find the head of artificy here at the Academy. No doubt they could talk him into making some of this strange material. They found the dwarf in the middle of one of his lectures. It would be too rude to interrupt, so they set up camp and waited.


    Illaria, Naya, and Bait went back with Warren and watched as he sat over a map of the Empire and reviewed his own notes. He circled a very particular piece of mountain in the wilderness of the Empire. "Dogmother will be there. I think she''s below ground based on some variations in the readings. So please, tell me we''re square with the goblins." He said.


    Bait smiled wide. "Bait fine with dis. Bait, tell Boozie not to make you do Leech combat."


    "Leech combat?!" He asked with alarm.


    "Yeah, the goblins weren''t really sure what breach of contract was; got lost in translation, so they were arguing whether it was beach combat or Leech combat. They had a tub full of Leeches ready for you to enter. I think the goal was to see if you survived or if the Leeches killed you." Naya said.


    "Justice no matter what!" Bait cried. "Either you are innocent and survive, or guilty and die. Goblin justice best justice." He proclaimed.


    "Guess I''m glad you guys only sued me." He replied. "Think I''d rather light myself on fire than face a bathtub full of Leeches."


    "I can''t blame you, nasty, blood-sucking creatures," Naya said.


    "Not too many of them on the ocean though, so maybe you all best join the Blue Banner in the future. Keep you safe from those blood-suckers."


    "Illaria, stop trying to recruit me. I''m fine just doing this." She said, waving her arms in their general circumstances.


    "Can''t be blaming me for trying." She said.


    The pair of wizards filtered in as soon as the students started heading out. "Hey, we got something you''re going to want in on." Mavec slammed the piece of paper onto a desk. "We got our hands on some stuff created by none other than Alusai. Don''t ask how, I can''t tell you, but it''s legit." Mavec said.


    "We were curious if you would perhaps begin producing as much of this as possible. It''s called Ferrous Mercury." The dwarf grumbled and looked at the paper, his eyes going wide as he relieved this was more than just some silly joke the two wizards were trying to play on him. This was, in fact, the genuine article.


    "I''ll be damned; I''d love to participate in this. I''ll get my students working on preparations next block. We were supposed to be creating some new construct designs, but I think this is infinitely neater of a project. I''ll let you know as soon as we have an appreciable amount of this." He said as he started putting the formula onto the blackboard and crunching some numbers. Confident that at least one copy of it was in good hands, Alvec made his way out with a deep, contented sigh.


    The pair of wizards met back up with the rest of the party.


    "We leave now." Bait declared.


    "Not so fast, Bait, it''s Ivy Day today. We''ll be wanting to give out or make any gifts we wish to give away to friends and family." Illaria chided him.


    "Ah, Bait make rat-sticks. Go catch rats now!" His feet slapped along the floor as he dashed out from the polished stone floors of the Academy.


    "All agreed that we''re throwing them away?" Mavec asked.


    "Setting them on fire sounds better," Naya said as the group went their separate ways to prepare for Ivy Day.

 112: Behold The Crafting Mechanic

    Bait roamed the sewers of Sha-Laial. The goblin salivated at the idea of hopping into the sewage and swimming through it. Bait does not have time for that, though. Today, he is here for rats. Need fresh Rats to make ratsticks for Ivy Day. Goblin tradition to give rat sticks. His eyes were well adjusted to the dark, and it took him little time to squeeze his hand into various crevices in the stonework and search around for rats. They bit him, and it pinched a bit as they pierced his grubby green skin. It was best when they bit him, meant they were strong rats, good rats, the sort of rats that help teach fear! He gritted his teeth as another one bit into him. He pulled his arm out quickly, dragging the rat with him. With a swift movement, he snatched the creature, pried it off his arm, and shoved it into a burlap bag. Dis his 10th rat, no need any more.


    He smiled at his handiwork and retreated to the surface, leaving the sewers behind. Now he just need sticks, and he have perfect gift.


    ***


    Mavec wasn''t very fond of this holiday despite it being in honor of the goddess Sarossa and Tohzen''s marriage. To not celebrate at all felt inappropriate, though, so he sat in his little workshop, taking some time to make something small for his allies. He''d settled for making some small decorative cogs that were the size and shape of buttons. Everyone in the party wore clothing that needed buttons; all he was doing was giving them something very small that gave their outfits a bit more flair. It took him and Piccora only an hour or so to produce them all. The group hadn''t formally decided when they would meet, but Mavec was sure he''d pass them out over super.


    ***


    Illaria paid a small sum of gold to attend a glass-blowing class. Artisans all over Sha-Laial were running similar events. This was the day that celebrated the union of Sarossa and Tohzen. After all, it was customary to make something with your own two hands. So, if you lacked a skill you could use to craft something, these little events were the next best thing.


    Her goal at this glass forge was simple. She was simply going to make some glass beads, which she planned to string together for her mother and father. Fantastic blues and deep greens like the ocean were her first thought. She knew they must have missed the open seas. They had spent so much of their lives on it; the least she could do was make them something to remind them of it. The process wasn''t too difficult, and she had what she wanted before long. Several small glass beads she could string together into nice little bracelets. She didn''t need an instructor for that part. She''d exchange the gifts with her family later in the night. Hopefully, the rest of her friends were having an easy time getting their gifts together.


    ***


    Sarbie''s idea had been simple enough. Combine some thin sheets of metal and leather to make a sturdier book cover for Alvec''s spell book. She''d wanted to get something exotic, like the mithril of his buckler, but even two thin strips were too expensive for her meager funds. Forget about the price of adamantium. She''d settled for a simple steal instead. She sat at the kitchen table, glaring at the leather and metal in front of her.


    She''d never attempted such a project and quickly found it to be harder than she''d anticipated. She let out a sigh of defeat and resolved to ask her father for help with the project when he got home. Turning to Rem, she motioned for him to come over to her. The fox obediently trotted over to her. "Please, go find your master and tell him I''ll have his gift ready for later tonight, at Innilia''s event!" The fox yipped in affirmation and wiggled his but in excitement before hopping onto a counter and then through an open window.


    Innilia had requested them all to meet at the tavern tonight for a performance. Not everyone had agreed to come. Normally, a tavern wouldn''t be her style; a night here with her family sounded better to Sarbie, but her adventuring with the party had brought upon her a realization. There was a lot more to Kushang''s civilization than she had experienced. With Alvec and Naya with her, she could safely explore things she''d normally have shied away from. She smiled at the thought; it was good to have such rough-and-tumble friends. For most everyone else, she was just making some small pastries. For Hoc, she''d found one of the broken wooden training swords that Alvec hadn''t fixed. She''d used a saw to cut a piece off from it and wrote a little message for him on it. "Never forget your strength." A little bit of metal and leather cord, and she had a nice little necklace for him.


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    Even after the rough conversation, he was still her friend, and she''d make sure that he knew that.


    ***


    Rem found Alvec hanging out with the dwarves at the forges. He sprinted at his master, climbing swiftly to his usual perch on Alvec''s head. He relayed Sarbie''s message before asking a question of his own. "What are we doing here?"


    Alvec chirped back to him. "We''re making rings for Sarbie and her parents. I''ve whipped up a small enchantment that will make them warm to the touch so long as all of the rings are worn. Two for Sarbie, and one for her mother and father. We''re melting down the gold now."


    The dwarf manning the forge let out a huff of air as he fanned the flames. "I never will get used to that. You wizard being able to talk with your familiars. You sound like a yippin idiot to me, but I take it the little fellow can actually understand you?"


    Alvec laughed. To an outsider, he certainly sounded like a yipping idiot when talking with Rem. "He does understand," Alvec reassured him.


    "This is an Ivy Day gift. Are you really fine with me doing all the work of making the rings?" the dwarf asked. "I can put you to work on this, " he said, pointing to the device that injected more air into the forge.


    "It''s fine, I''ll be practicing a craft as part of this. As soon as they''ve cooled, I can add the enchantment. I''m pretty sure that counts for this." Alvec said.


    "I suppose it does, " the dwarf said as he pulled a cup of molten gold from the forge and very carefully poured the blazing liquid into the prepared molds. "If you want to use your magic to cool it down, that might also count as making it yourself," the dwarf joked.


    "Is it safe to do that?" Alvec asked. "Won''t compromise the metal if I cool it down too quickly?"


    "If you need to ask that question, then I think I better just do this the normal way. As yes, cooling metal too rapidly can cause it to become brittle."


    "I leave this in your expert care then," Alvec said as he took a small bow. He couldn''t wait to give these to her. She''d likely object. Gold rings were... both symbolic and moderately expensive. The fact that they were also for her mother and father might take the bite out of it. It would be far more controversial if the rings were just for her. Maybe he''d hold onto them until after he walked her home. Naya wouldn''t mind escorting him to her place and back. He lamented that she''d needed to escort him here before she went off to procure her own supplies.


    ***


    Naya found herself and Bandar''s bakery assisting with the daily baking. He''d promised to show her how to make those cheese-filled pastries that Bait was so fond of. She''d thought about making something from leather for each of her friends, and while she had the skills to do so, she was a little concerned with the time and tools required. It felt more fun to spend time with her favorite bakery, learning how to make something new. In a way, that felt like it fit the spirit of the holiday a bit better, too. Coming together to learn new crafts was equally as important as practicing old ones.


    "So, now that you''re all big damn heroes, what are you going to be getting up to next?" Bandar asked.


    "Like what, join the royal army? That''s not really my cup of tea. I''m still looking for a cure for Lom-Itoti, among other things." Naya said as she kneaded the dough.


    "Any progress on that?" He asked.


    "A little... I got to see and talk with them in a dream, but until then, I only had people''s assurances that they were still alive." Bandar nodded in understanding.


    "Well, I''m glad to hear that they really are alive. Hopefully, you''ll have a way to free them soon."


    "Hopefully," Naya said as she scowled at the dough. Getting Elder Bristlecone to reverse the greensleep sounded like it would require awakening none other than Akrixi.


    "Now, are any of these treats for a special someone? Or is this a platonic gift?" Bandar asked as he flashed a sly smile.


    "Platonic!" She practically shouted. The boys she hung around were not exactly her type. While she had all the respect in the world for Alvec, he was too bookish for her. Mavec was a jerk, and Bait... Bait was gross. Hoc... well... he was still a little too hung up on his childhood crush for her to give him more than a passing thought. Even though she could definitely see him as an interesting fellow. Adventurous, kind-hearted, and far more salt of the earth. A slight blush crept up her face as she entertained the thought more than she should. Maybe she''d ask for another dance if the opportunity arose.


    "Touchy subject, I see," Bandar said before letting out a full belly laugh. The pair continued baking until the pastries she was working on were crispy golden brown.

 113: Ivy Day

    The Tavern


    The evening had crept up on the group swiftly. Everyone but Illaria, who had declined to come tonight, in favor of spending an evening with her folks, was there. They were gathered around the stage, front, and center, to see Innilia play for the crowd. It had come as a bit of a surprise to Naya that Hoc had also shown up. "So, are we doing the gifts before or after we support our friend?" Naya asked as she patted a box she''d set in front of her on the table.


    "Let''s get it over with," Mavec said as he dropped a small pouch onto the table. Everyone, help yourself to button cogs. I made them myself this morning." He said as he gently dumped the contents onto the graying wooden table.


    Naya flipped the box around to face everyone but herself and opened it up, displaying the cheddar-filled flakey pastries. "These are also for everyone! I wanted to make something individual for everyone, but I thought it might be nice to practice a new craft instead! I never was much of a cook at home, " she admitted with a nervous laugh as she placed her palm against the back of her head.


    "We had the same thought," Sarbie admitted, as she, too, produced some baked goods of a sweeter nature: basic sugar cookies. Some of them were cut into the shapes of animals, distinctively resembling Rem and Echo.


    "Bah, Bait have best gift!" He exclaimed as he pulled out a sack and dumped the squirming contents onto the table. Rats, their tails tied around wooden sticks scrambled to free themselves from their entrapment. "Know fear!"


    Inillia switched her tune mid-performance. The rowdy tune she belted out accompanied by her fiddle was quickly replaced with a soothing melody as her magic infused the song, and the panicked rats on the table fell into a magical stupor.


    "If someone could untie them and get them out of here, that would be great," Inillia said. Naya pumped a fist into the air and hollered in support of her friend on stage. The young tiefling girl with blue skin and ram''s horns certainly looked in her element here. Her bright red sleeveless blouse paired with a pair of slate grey pants seemed eye-catching and practical as she moved across the stage.


    Alvec and Naya used her magic to free the rats and chase them out the door despite Bait''s loud and frantic protests. Once everyone had settled back down, Hoc revealed his gifts. They weren''t fancy, just little wooden tokens with the three rings of Kushang painted on them.


    Alvec followed him, passing a silver piece to each of them. As their hands warmed them, an image of Alvec flashed over the surface of the silver coin, and a small individualized message played for each of them. When the group had finished passing out their gifts, they all partook in food and drink for a while. They were there to support Inillia, after all. After performing a dozen or so songs, the girl finally came down from the stage to greet her friends.


    "You''re killing it!" Naya assured her.


    "Thank you. I''ve been practicing a lot for this." Inillia replied. A man in bright colors befitting an entertainer himself swept up to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into a kiss. His hair was long and dark, and his right hand was a clockwork prosthetic.


    "All the practice is paying off." He assured her with a warm smile. "You''ll be selling out shows in Ac-Azziza or Ac-Riller in no time."


    "So, uh, that''s your boyfriend?" Naya asked, giving the man a once-over. The way Inillia looked at him with doughy eyes was more than enough of an answer for Naya. "What do you do for work?" Naya asked, having not received a verbal answer.


    "Mostly advise other bards these days, since I can''t play like I used to." He said as he waved his hand for them to see. "Nasty sailing accident on my way to Ac-Aziza several years ago now." He said. "Names Darven, you must be Naya. Inillia told me a little about you." He said as he leaned his head over Inillia''s shoulder, pulling her close affectionately.


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    Meanwhile, Alvec moved over beside Sarbie and leaned in slightly. "Hey, think I could escort you home tonight? I''ve got one more gift for you." He said sheepishly, a coy smile crossing his face. Her heartbeat skipped a beat as the memory of discussing Ivy Day with his mother flashed through her mind.


    "Yeah, is Naya or Bait going to accompany you?" She asked as she quickly rummaged through the small bag she''d brought. Her fingers traced the book cover her father had helped her make for him. She debated if now was the time to give it to him. It might make things worse if Hoc saw that she''d gone out of her way to make him something extra. She decided against it, not wanting to make this night any more tense than it already felt to her. "I actually have something else for you too, so yes, you can escort me home."


    The evening wound on, and eventually, all of the cheese acolytes and Hoc left the bar. Alvec thanked all the gods that the path Naya chose for them first led to Hoc''s house. The boy shuffled off with a slightly disheartened look as he watched the remaining cheese Acolytes leave.


    It wasn''t long before they were at Sarbie''s house. "Could we go inside?" Alvec asked Sarbie. "When I said I had one more gift for you, I might have omitted that it was for you and your parents." He fiddled anxiously with the four rings in a small silk pouch.


    She looked at him with mild surprise. "Sure, is everyone coming in?" she asked Naya and Bait.


    "No, we''ll wait here," Naya said as she grabbed Bait by the back of his grubby shirt as the goblin dashed for the door. Bait, obsessed with only two things in life, probably wasn''t aware of the very slow and subtle dance playing out in front of him. She wouldn''t let him accidentally ruin the moment.


    The pair entered the house, and Sarbie called out to her parents, summoning them to the kitchen. The night was dark, and she quickly lit the room with her magic as she grabbed some candles and brought them over to the central table. Alvec didn''t hesitate to use his magic to give them a spark of fire, igniting them. By the time her parents both wandered into the kitchen from their bedroom, the kitchen was dimly illuminated.


    "Isn''t it a little late for a social call? Her mother asked.


    "My apologies," Alvec said as he bowed to them. "My Ivy Day gift is actually for all three of you." He said as he pulled out a silk pouch and gently emptied the four golden rings onto the table. Two of the rings had a small sapphire set into them, while two contained a small ruby.


    "Two of these go to Sarbie, and one each to the two of you. Put them all on, and you''ll see why I couldn''t pass on this idea, " he said with a sheepish smile.


    "There''s no way we can accept this," Sarbie said with a groan. It''s just so expensive, again."


    "Look, make the decision after you try them all, all of you." He said as he handed her the two sapphire rings and passed the ones with the inlaid rubies to her parents.


    "Let''s humor him, " her father said with a smile as he slipped the ring onto his right hand. Her mother did the same, and with a heavy sigh, so did Sarbie. A warmth that ebbed like a heartbeat gently warmed the fingers on which she''d placed the rings. She blinked in confusion a few times.


    "I thought it might be nice to give you a way to know you''re all safe," Alvec said. "They pulse with warmth when each ring is worn. Still want me to take them back?" He asked.


    On the one hand, the price of rings, with fancy stones and enchantments on top of that, made her head spin. On the other, this was perhaps the most thoughtful and kind thing anyone had ever done for her. The thought of refusing it, of rejecting this gift, made her stomach twist into knots. "Close your eyes." She said to him as she reached into her bag, pulling out the steel and leather-plated cover her father and she had made for Alvec''s spellbook. If she couldn''t say no, the least she could do was return the gesture.


    Alvec snapped his eyes closed obediently. "Hold your hands out, " she instructed. He followed her order, holding his palms to the sky. She placed the book cover into his hands and lingered over it long as she leaned into him. She bit her lips, thoughts of turning this into a romantic gesture dancing across her brain. She hadn''t planned on this, and she pulled back, stepping backwards a few feet. "Ok, check it out, " she said.


    Alvec opened his eyes and turned the book cover over, tapping at the metal plating a few times. "Oooh, I see I''m not the only one who had a good idea," Alvec said.


    "You like it?" She asked.


    "Yeah, it''ll help keep my spellbook safe no matter what sort of bullshit we get up to." He said with a smile.


    "Thank you, Sarbie, and happy Ivy Day."


    "Happy Ivy Day, Alvec." She replied back.


    "Now, if you don''t mind, it is late. As great of a gift as this is, I''d like you to be on your way so we can all get back to bed." Her father said. His tone was warm, even if his words were gruff. Alvec bowed his head sheepishly before muttering his goodbyes and good nights. He slipped back outside to rejoin Naya and Bait. The trio returned to the tower. All in all, it had been a good night.

 114: Goblinmoot

    Sarbie fiddled with the rings on each hand. She could feel the soft warmth emanating from each, which made her heart feel lighter. She was sad to be heading out so soon; only spending two nights with her family was a wild departure from how she had imagined it. She thought she''d be done when they returned to Sha-Laial, yet here she was, getting ready to explore the world in search of the goblin''s god, dogmother. She scowled lightly; it was hard to imagine Dogmother being anything but some strange spirit with such a name. She caught herself glancing at Alvec; perhaps she should have done something a little more special for him. Next year, she vowed silently. Next year, for sure, she''d find him the perfect gift.


    The first bit of travel seemed to only take about half a day. She could smell the goblin encampment before they arrived. Sarbie let Bait walk ahead of her as they arrived at the goblin camp. Bait aimed his musket at the sky and squeezed off a shot; the thunderous roar of his gun caught the attention of the entire tribe, quieting them down in no time. As a rare goblin silence settled over the camp, Bait planted both feet firmly and shouted.


    "WE KNOW WHERE DOGMOTHER IS. TO THE MOOT!" Boogie and Boozie came running up to Bait.


    "Where is she?" he asked.


    "Wizard not know how to speak goblin, dat why he no give clear advice. Horny wizard and punchy wizard yell at him and he make map! My much better wizards check map, it accurate!" Bait said.


    "Let''s go gather moot!" Boozie said. He was running among the groups of goblins and barking orders for them in a moment. The chaos of the tribe quickly fell in line as they hastily packed up their tents and gathered into their own makeshift wagons pulled by teams of a dozen or more rat dogs.


    Bait turned to Sarbie. "We follow Boogie and Boar Eaters; they take us to a sacred spot where moot is held. It be on island in middle of a river. Dat way no one able to stab to death, without also dying. One time, Bait hear dey have to halt moot, Dogdaughter bless member of Stank clan too hard. He die, and den da spirits mad and Dogdaughter drown on dry land. Moot have to go find NEW Dogdaughter. Big hassle. So no stabby stab or boom boom till after we off island. Don''t want to anger spirits." Bait said.


    "Is that true?" Sarbie asked to Naya.


    "Is that not common knowledge? You shouldn''t commit murder while on an island in a river. The spirits really hate it." Naya confirmed.


    "Always thought it was an old wives tale," Sarbie commented. "There aren''t any islands in the river that runs through Sha-Laial. Don''t forget I hadn''t left the city prior to this." She said.


    After a few hours of travel, the team found themselves approaching a river. Dozens of goblin encampments emanated out from the river and spread across the opposite banks. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them scattered all around the moot. Several armed goblins stood upon the shore controlling the river way. Their goblin friends dove into the river effortlessly and swam to the other side. Illaria and Bait parked both of the wagons, and the group dismounted and headed towards the river. Echo was tall enough that he could carry everyone across one at a time. Which was the plan before the goblins on the shore shouted at them.


    "Goblin moot only for goblins, humans, and tieflings not invited. WE hold own moot, you do same." One of them said as it brandished a spear in their general direction.


    "Bait of Blackpowder clan, travel here with allies to tell moot where to find Dogmother. You let us pass." Bait said as he walked up to him and puffed his chest out. "We with Boar Eaters."


    "Dat fine, you goblin, you good. Moot only for goblins; dey wait here." He insisted again.


    "Bait need horny wizard and coffee wizard to explain where Dogmother is. Let dem in."


    "Dey not goblins. No go to moot."


    "Bait say dey TRUE Goblins."


    "Only Dogdaughter allowed to make someone true goblin." The guard said.


    "Den you let dem see Dogdaughter. Dey become true goblins."


    "No clanless goblin make that demand." The guard said


    "Bait have clan, Bait find clan. Blackpowder clan resting outside of Sha-Laial. Dey captured by pirate Crowley. Friend Illaria cut his hand off and we rescued clan with haunted boat. Don''t pee on haunted boats, dey whack you in penis." Bait said as he continued arguing with the guard.


    "I don''t know how I feel being called a true goblin," Naya admitted.


    "Honestly, not loving it," Mavec said.


    "Still, this is important to Bait; if he says we need to be true goblins, we''ll do it without complaint," Alvec said as he smiled a little too feral. Showing off his more prominent canine teeth.


    "Could Dogdaughter come to us?" Alvec asked.


    "No, Dogdaughter must stay in safety of river." The guard replied. "Till we find where Dogmother went."


    "Den take us to see Dogdaughter, she tell you dey true goblin." Bait insisted. "Boogie, help convince dumb guard!" He shouted to the goblin leader, who was halfway across the river. With a frustrated grunt, he turned around and swam back over to the shore.


    "Boogie, leader of Boar eaters. What problem?" He asked as he poked at the goblin guard.


    "Not-goblins not allowed on island. Dogdaughter no want tall legs among us."


    "Dey with me, let dem cross, or I get tribe to all throw rocks at dumb guard." Boogie threatened. The goblin carefully weighed his options.


    "Bah, dis stupid, take dumb humans and go." He said, waving dismissively at the group.


    "Alright, you all heard the man. Let''s get on Echo and get across." Naya shouted as she jumped onto Echo''s back and activated his magic collar. In just a few moments, his back was wide enough to carry all of them. The wolf laid down so everyone could climb on. He was tall enough to simply walk through the river, not inconveniencing his riders one bit with water. When they reached the other side, he lay down in the sand, allowing everyone to dismount. Many goblins ran around the base of this river island. Boogie gestured for the Cheese Acolytes to ignore them and follow. They climbed a small hill through thick foliage to a small clearing with a rock in the center. Sitting on it, hunched on all fours, was a goblin wearing a dog''s skull as a helmet.


    "Tell me, who dares bring the long-legs here and so many of them to boot." Came her raspy voice.


    "Boogie, leader of clan Boar Eater, bring the Cheese Acolytes, and the representative of the Blackpowder clan Bait, dey know the location of Dogmother. Oh great, Dogdaughter, please hear them out." Boogie pleaded as he lowered his head to the woman crouched on all fours. She walked around sniffing all of them and lingering over long on Bait.


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    "Sure smell like a proper goblin, not like the long-legs he comes with, but before we hear you out, I test if you are a true goblin." She got uncomfortably close to Bait, her face only an inch or so away. "When did I become Dogdaughter?" She asked.


    Bait paused for a moment. It tough question, she become Dogdaughter when previous Dogdaughter bless someone too hard... but dat not best answer. Dis trick question. Dogdaughter always Dogdaughter, she just not know. "Trick question!" Bait shouted back at her. "You always Dogdaughter, you just no know till Dogmother tell you."


    "Spoken like a true goblin, but these long-legs of yours, surely they too can not be said to be true goblins? Why have you brought them?"


    "Horny wizard and gear wizard know where to find Dogmother! Dey also true goblins dough. Horny wizard threw self into multiple monsters with wild abandon. Gear wizard punched his arch-enemy rather than zapping him or blasting him with fire. Illaria and Naya both use slashy slash better den anyone Bait know, and Sarbie goblin saint. She save Bait when devil with goat hooves try to stomp Bait''s head in. Bait trust them all with his life. Dat is as true as a goblin as one gets." He insisted.


    "Tell me, fellow goblins, what do we think of Bait''s claim. Die Bird clan, you shall speak first!" Dogdaughter declared as she faced the direction of a small group of goblins.


    "Long-legs not goblins. Vote we kick them out and stab them when we get across river."


    "Let me hear now from the Stank Clan." Dog daughter bellowed.


    "Dis story stink. Black Powder Clan dead. Everyone knows dat. They no goblins."


    "Boar Eaters?" Dogdaughter called.


    "Goblins true as any. Dey beat us fair and square. Fight with all the ferocity of true goblins."


    "Ugly clan?" Dogdaughter called.


    "Da long-legs certainly are ugly enough to join us. Goblins it is."


    "Grumblebumpers?"


    "We go way back with Blackpowder, if nothing else, we wish dey alive. Goblins."


    "Sharptooth?"


    "Not goblins; we eat and rend their flesh!"


    "Just try it; I''ll give you something to chew on," Alvec said as he patted his buckler loudly.


    "Bloodguzzlers?"


    "We like their spunk; we''ll vouch for them as goblins."


    "Bigstick?"


    "Too many wizards, we no respect."


    "Skullcrackers, Gutburners, Filthfeet, what say you three?!" Dogdaughter called out.


    "Nay, not goblins!"


    "Moot, decide; you, not goblins; you need to leave here immediately," Dogdaughter said.


    "Boogie motions dat the opossers should fight dem. Den they know they true goblins."


    "What say the challenged parties?" Dogdaughter asked.


    "We always ready to spill blood of longlegs!" One of the goblins cheered.


    "Great, now we be fighting goblins again. Can''t we just settle this with a game of ax fall?" Illaria suggested.


    "Let us go back across the shore. Then we can settle this like true goblins." Dogdaughter announced.


    "It''s your funeral," Alvec said as he raised a free hand, and a small flare of shining frost swirled in his hand. "It''s going to be a slaughter." He''d recently pushed himself further; a new circle of magic was open to him now, and that meant he had new and terrifying tools he''d yet to test out on anyone. The goblins would be the first victims, unfortunately for them.


    The party crossed the river again, and a dozen goblins lined up, ready to join in the fight.


    Dogdaughter signaled the fight with a howl. Illaria dashed forward first, slicing deep into one of the goblin''s chests, her golden red blade biting through its leathered armor with ease. Gunshots rang out from Bait as he rained bullets into the ones in the back line. Alvec gathered his energy and swept his arm up skyward as he grasped his hand clutched. Ice grew in seconds, entirely encasing one of the goblins. Its eyes were the only thing able to move under the weight of his spellcraft. Unless someone broke him free from there soon, he''d die as the cold penetrated deep into him.


    Naya and Echo were pressed upon by a few members of the Ugly clan. They fought viciously, and their blades found purchase for both the wolf and its master. The two returned the favor in kind. Naya was a tempest of steal, striking the goblin in front of her four times, each strike progressively stronger than the first, biting deeper through its cured leather armor. Echo, however, was far more concise than his master. He scooped his massive head down and took a ferocious bite at the goblin. The creature''s spine snapped in his teeth, and he dropped the dead goblin onto the sandy bank of the river with no remorse.


    Mavec stayed in the back like usual. He dashed Picora into the thick of it and had her mark his targets. He unleashed fiery lances of flame at them. With the added accuracy of Alusai''s scanner, he found himself hitting every shot. He grinned; if only he''d had something like this during the Festival of Blades. It would have made his victory over Warren that much more complete.


    The goblin in front of Illaria jumped onto her arm and began to wrestle the blade out of her hand. She quickly found herself punching him in the face till she heard a cracking noise, and he fell limp to the ground. "You be not even a threat compared to the Boar eaters!" Illaria shouted as she declared victory. With so many of them having already fallen, the two remaining goblins threw down their weapons and cried out to surrender.


    "Dogdaugher acknowledge the defeat of the goblins. The Cheese Acolytes are clearly true goblins!"


    While Dogdaughter went to congratulate the acolytes, Alvec moved forward to the one he had frozen solid and began chipping the poor goblin out of it. The fight had been so fast that the little dude might just live if they acted now and pried him free. Some of his friends, seeing the wizard''s efforts, dashed over. In a few moments, the goblin was free and shivering on the ground. "He''ll live," Alvec assured his friends.


    "Now, can we be getting on with this?'' Illaria asked.


    "Yes, to the moot!" Dogmother shouted as the group once more crossed the river and gathered at the stone in the forest.


    "What information do the true goblins bring to the table?" Dogmother asked. Mavec pulled out a scroll tube and uncapped it before gently pulling the scroll out. He unfurled a map of the Empire, with a section of it that had been marked by Warren.


    "The boar eaters contracted a wizard to do a locator spell on Dogmother. We thought that the wizard had ripped them off, but all evidence suggests that he actually did the spell and just didn''t convey it in a way that any sane goblin would understand." Mavec replied.


    "The red circle over this mountain range represents the general area where Dogmother is," Alvec said. "In fact, we have reason to believe that Dogmother is underground based on the specific sort of interference we''ve seen with other similar cases."


    "Dat make sense, Boogie tell Bait dat goblins see something chase Dogmother into cave, but no one find Dogmother in cave. Secret long tunnel!" Bait suggested.


    "Sure, Bait, long tunnel theory could be at play," Alvec said, humoring him. "With that said, I''m more interested in knowing what type of creatures might have chased Dogmother into the caves in the first place," Alvec said.


    "Boogie know dis, they pointy heads like wizard. Red skins, very dangerous looking. Goblins stay away from pointy heads, Dogmother tell us to."


    "Dogmother sounds pretty smart right about now," Naya said. "I wouldn''t want to go anywhere near a devil if I could avoid it."


    "Aye, but we can''t be avoiding it now can we? Do we be thinking that capturing Dogmother is related to their activities with the children of Akrixi?" Illaria asked.


    "Certainly could be, I still don''t know why the devils are so interested in the spirits as of late," Naya said.


    "Certainly seems like they''ve got a hand in every plot lately. Well... every plot besides whatever''s up with the Gold Banner." Alvec said as he glanced around at the expectant goblins. "Bait, I think we should go search for Dogmother and leave the clans here for now."


    "Bait think goblins solve dis, not us."


    "The clans have too many mouths to look after. We can move faster and strike harder on our own. Perhaps we can work out a signal for if we need their help?" Alvec suggested.


    "Oh, that''s easy, Goblins of the great moot. We will go find Dogmother, but our enemies are wicked and mean. We may need help. So if you see Echo, gather your weapons and follow him into battle! For DOGMOTHER!" Naya shouted to a chorus of hail Dogmothers. "I think that gets the point across," Naya said with a large smile.


    "Alright, well, I guess we''re off to go find Dogmother," Mavec said. I was hoping we''d just deliver this news and call it a day, but no. Let''s go traipsing around a mountain and see if we can''t find a spirit who serves as the goblin gods and almost certainly fight devils along the way. This sounds just grand."


    "Look, none of us like dealing with more devils, but we need to sort out what they are doing. This is a good opportunity," Illaria said.

 115: Guard Dogs

    The trip toward the area that Warren had indicated wasn''t all that arduous. Most wildlife tended to steer clear of goblin encampments, especially when they numbered hundreds to thousands. There were a great many clans all brought under one banner for the goblin moot. It had been impossible, without spending a great deal of time there, to figure out how large each clan was, for they had all scattered through the surrounding countryside while their elders discussed the issue of Dogmother being missing.


    The mountains that came into view were a strange sight to Naya. The lands near her village of Lom-Itoti were very flat by comparison. She had never in her life seen such large formations of stone jutting from the ground. It was breathtaking and alien to her.


    The party went to the base of the mountain, where Echo very quickly zeroed in on a cave entrance. Naya shrugged it off as just luck that had led Echo so quickly to this section of the cave. The party descended together into the dark. The tunnel was, in fact, very large and long. Echo guided them in a certain direction without hesitation. Loud growling and barking from ahead of them alerted the group that they were not alone. Echo howled back at them as his hackles raised defiantly. Large dogs with deep maroon fur with red-violet flames emanating from their joints and cackling at the back of their throats.


    "Hellhounds," Alvec said while raising his buckler up. Though they didn''t look like the last hellhounds they had seen. The coloration was different, and even the flames danced more menacingly. "Somethings off about them, be on guard."


    "We''ll be handling them all the same," Illaria said as she drew her blade cleanly and dashed forward at them. She attempted to bait the one in front of her into attacking her. It moved with startling speed; she could not get her sword up in time to defend herself. It latched onto her arm. She let out a scream in pain as teeth easily three inches in length preceded an intense blast of fire. She dropped the blade from her sword arm and caught it in her other hand. At this angle, her arm pinned in its damned mouth, it was hard for her to attack, but she did so despite the awkward angle bringing the blade to rake across the creature''s face. It released her arm, and she hopped backward. It took the bait, lashing out at her again, but this time, she was ready. Her blade slapped against the side of its head, and she leaned in, throwing her weight behind her blade, landing a clean slash on its neck and shoulders before she was safely out of its range. Her right arm hung limp and oozing blood at her side.


    Bait dropped to one knee and fired off a barrage of shots, which struck the one she''d harmed. The bullets certainly seemed to piss the creature off as it turned its attention towards Bait. It dashed towards him, ignoring everyone else. The beast leaped onto him, knocking the gun from his hands. It pinned the goblin''s arms in place and took a deep breath before bringing its head down. A torrent of violet flames roiled over Bait''s small body, setting off the black powder pouch with a loud explosion, which knocked the creature off him.


    Mavec ran forward, acting as bait to draw the one that had been threatening Bait away from the crispy-looking goblin. He arced lightning through the air towards the beast, striking it and bringing the creature to the ground. Unfortunately for Mavec, another one came charging in at him. Through sheer luck, Mavec slipped just outside of its claws and threw his arms up to protect his vitals from the blast of fire that came his way. It hurt, but he toughed it out as best he could, knowing that relief would come soon from Sarbie''s efforts.


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    Echo squared off against two of them. Their fire scorched his fur and burned his flesh, but his teeth were sharp and his jaw strong. He returned the favor with vicious bites, tearing jagged bloody chunks away from these hell hounds. He wouldn''t be fighting them alone. Naya rushed in to join her companion; she had been following further back than normal and couldn''t close the gap in time. She spoke to the spirits of air, of storms, and lightning and called upon their help. Bolts of yellow-orange lightning flashed throughout the cave, striking the ones harassing Echo. Whatever hope of being stealthy they might once have had was completely gone.


    Alvec triangulated himself as best he could. Mavec had run too far, and there was sadly no way to include him in the spell he was casting, but the fire these hell-hounds spat was a big problem for the group as a whole. He wove his protective energies around all of them, mitigating some small measure of the attacks they were facing. Hopefully, it would be the difference that keeps everyone alive and well.


    For Sarbie, choosing where to go first was a lot more complicated. Illaria''s dangling sword arm should have been her primary concern. Restoring the use of her blade was critical to keeping everyone alive. On the other hand, Bait cried out in pain as his flesh was covered with burns, and the blood flowing from a wound of indeterminate size was calling her attention. She''d have to split the difference this time. She quickly called upon her power and pushed it out, bathing them in Kushang''s golden light. When applied this way, her magic wasn''t as strong as it would have been if she''d been able to focus it on just one of them, but both of their wounds were dire.


    Illaria gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain of her still injured arm. She took command of the battle and dashed in to aid Naya and Echo. She attempted the same maneuver again; this time, she''d adjusted to match their speed, and she just barely danced past both of the hell hounds engaged with Naya and Echo, raking her blade across them as she dashed on by.


    Bait stood up, one hand clutching a hole in his abdomen. He waddled over and grabbed his gun, which he aimed poorly with one hand. He fired off a single shot which missed by a wide margin. He cursed several goblin curses and used his musket to keep himself upright.


    Another hellhound from further down the hall dashed past Illaria, Naya, and Echo, sprinting toward Alvec. It released a blast of fire ahead of itself. His arcane defenses scattered the flames on the wind, and Alvec managed to get his shield up in time to weaken the claws that came down on him. They connected with his mithril buckler and slid off, gouging him slightly.


    Echo swept his head into one of the beasts, launched it towards Naya, and flipped it belly up. Naya didn''t miss a beat, pouncing upon the downed creature, raining blows from her swords rapidly down onto it. Her final blade ran clean through its arteries and ended the hellhound''s life.


    Sarbie moved to Bait''s side and focused her healing now fully upon the goblin; the hole in his stomach, still gushing blood, closed up slowly as the golden light of Kushang filled it. He stretched gingerly and gave her an approving nod of his head. He pulled out a spare batch of bullet packets and fired at the one that was attacking Mavec. Three bullets were more than enough to bring it down. Illaria and Echo attacked the final one remaining, and Blade and Fang quickly brought it low.


    The group gathered and took stock of their equipment and injuries. Thanks to Alvec and Sarbie, no one was too injured, and their magical protections from fire would last just a bit longer--an hour at most. "We''ll want to get moving quickly," Alvec said.


    "We''re certainly in the right place, for better or worse," Mavec replied.


    "Hell dogs no live in empire normally." Bait remarked.


    The group trudged into the dark.

 116: One Minute Per Level

    The cave continued on for a long way. Echo quickly took point once more, his posture far more relaxed than it had originally been. Eventually, they arrived at a room carved in the stone cavern. Where the rough earth had been worked into orderly blocks. There was little light within, except for an eerie blue glow from the floor before them. A circle seemed to be etched into it, and a mountain of flesh lay confined to it. As they got closer, it was easy to see the large creature looked like Bazhugs. Its skin raw and dandruff filled, small short fur growing in patches as if the giant beast in front of them was suffering from mange. Her eyes were large and beady, and her mouth full of sharp teeth. Bait''s eyes lit up, and he ran ahead of the party.


    "DOGMOTHER!" He shouted. It had been many years since he had been graced with the presence of Dogmother, but he''d never forget her magnificent fur and large, wide jaws. The creature moved itself, opening its eyes and gazing at the goblin.


    "Enough of your tricks, devils; we both know that this approximation of a goblin isn''t real." The beast spoke perfectly in the common tongue, nay, elegantly. Her voice, which from the looks of her, you¡¯d expect to be a strange feral hiss, was melodic and beautiful.


    "What the fuck, guys? The spirit named "Dogmother" is the one that speaks perfect common, but we have to think things to Shoalsatta and the three sisters. This is fucking dumb, you know that right?" Mavec said.


    "BAIT REAL," Bait shouted back at dogmother.


    "Believe it or not, that goblin is, in fact, real, though you might not care to hear it from me," Alvec said as he approached the circle and began silently studying it.


    "This isn''t the first time that they''ve tried this trick on me, devil; if you''re new here, then you should know that they have already done all manner of cruel things to my body and spirit."


    "Listen, if I can break this containment, will you be more willing to speak with us. We came here to rescue you for the goblin''s sake, but we also need some information from the spirits if you can provide that. Is there anything you can ask Bait to verify he''s one of yours?" Alvec asked as he reached his hand towards the magic circle on the floor. It reacted, arching lightning at him. He recoiled his hand. "Ok.. can''t brute force it... this will be trickier than I hoped," Alvec said.


    "Please, devil, what could I ask that would assure me that you are, in fact, not still my captors?"


    "I don''t know, maybe about the fate of your last dog daughter. I doubt the devils know anything about that." Mavec said.


    "I don''t rightly be thinking that the devils would have cared enough to learn actual clan history," Illaria said.


    "Not like us true goblins," Naya said with a laugh.


    "Please, don''t remind me." Mavec said.


    "Guys, no make fun of Dogdaughter! Deadly blessing just big mistake. We all make mistake," Bait insisted.


    Dogmother went quiet. "That is a story that I would not expect to hear from the lips of devils. They''ve been more concerned about making me talk about Akrixi and his kin. Tell me, what clan do you hail from."


    "Bait Blackpowder clan. Son of Net and brother of Worm."


    "The Blackpowder goblins have been missing for some time. Many presume them dead." Dogmother replied.


    "Bait was lone survivor. Blackpowder Clan caught by Pirate Crowley, he working with devils. Make goblins tend Styxweed. Keep it growing, plan to raise many boats, and crew them with devils. Attak Empire would be bad. Bait and friends, we cheese acolytes. We meet a lizard man with no nose, he take us on haunted ship to rescue Blackpowder. Haunted ship mean, but we save Blackpowder. Dey in Sha-Laial right now recovering and waiting for us to find you." Bait explained.


    "You said that you were looking for information, what were you hoping to learn true goblins?" She asked humoring them, her tail beginning to wag slightly in the background.


    "We need to know where the small amount is. If it''s the devils or Kavaas, we need the emperor to dance upon the small mount, and that simply isn''t happening if we don''t even know where it is," Mavec replied.


    "When I am free from these chains, I will take you there if you so wish." She said.


    "And any insight into Elder Bristlecone would be helpful as well!" Naya said. "He green-slept my village, and I''m trying to see how we might be able to reverse it."


    "Ah, I am sorry to hear of this poor child. Unfortunately, only Bristlecone can release them from it. At least, among the spirits, that would be true. Perhaps one of his elders could overpower it, the three sisters perhaps, but they are very busy, I understand."


    "We know; they keep telling us not to worry about Kavaas. They say they have it under control, but I don''t fucking believe that for a second." Mavec said.


    "Kavaas, I have only heard that name in rumors and painful memories. Akrixi and the First Emperor defeated him long ago. However, do you know that name?"


    Alvec crouched down, plucked some pigments from one of his many pouches, and began making a new ring of arcane markings along the edge of the existing circle. "If I can''t brute-force it, I''m going to make it short-circuit itself," he mumbled.


    Illaria recounted the story, summarizing it as best she could. Dogmother nodded as she listened along. Before Alvec could complete his work and short-circuit the spell circle, the sound of approaching footsteps came to the group''s attention.


    "Ah, I told you I heard the hounds barking. We have interlopers, rather notorious ones at that." Came the voice of a devilish woman wearing loose robes. "These are the same brats who foiled Aine and her little human pirate ¡°king¡±. Your grandmother will gather a lot of favors if her little plan works before ours. Please fill him with arrow holes. Can''t sacrifice him if we bleed his essence into the ground right now."


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    Another devil, several feet back, let out a long anticipatory sigh. "I thought you''d never let me off your damn leash, it would be my pleasure. Prepare yourself, little tiefling, for you''ll taste despair before I end your life."


    "Look, can''t we just talk this out?" Alvec said as he stood up and flourished with his free hand. With a few hastily spoken words in the language of angels, a blast of incredibly bright light filled the space the three devils occupied. The Erinyes, who was not his grandmother, managed to bring both of her black-tipped wings up to shield her eyes as she leaped backward. The only male devil of them was not fast enough, and he recoiled in pain, his eyes squeezed shut.


    The leader, the sorceress among them, blinked out of existence and appeared much further down the cave. Nearly imperceptible to some of the party due to the darkness and the distance. A barrage of arrows blazing with hellfire slammed into Alvec. He interposed his shield against some; the heat of his blood and the strength of his various wards scattered the furious flames as if simply snuffing out a candle. The arrows themselves either broke against him or landed shallow wounds that were almost imperceptible thanks to the adrenaline making his heart pound in his ears.


    Illaria and Naya swarmed the one blinded by Alvec''s light. Their blades laid into him easily. It was clear to Illaria that this devil would have been particularly dangerous if he had the full benefit of his eyesight. Her blade deftly swung as it was, and she had trouble finding a purchase on him. He moved like a cobra in humanoid form, retreating from her blade at every slash and thrust. Were he not denied the ability to see the attacks coming sooner, no doubt she wouldn''t be landing nearly so many hits.


    Bait took aim at the Erinyes, firing arrows at Alvec, and launched a barrage of shots at her. Two of his shots went wide at this distance, but the other hit its mark straight on. A small blossom of dirty red blood erupted from the woman''s armor.


    The sorcerer turned their attention to Sarbie. Magic wrapped around her, constricting her. She tried to wiggle free, to push her way out of it, but its hold was too strong. She felt her breath hitch in her throat as all of her joints and muscles locked up. She was completely helpless, locked in, fully aware, and unable to move. She tried to scream for help, but no words came out. She could only pray that the devil with the bow didn''t notice her vulnerability.


    Luckily for her, she didn''t need to do anything. Alvec always kept an eye on his sworn charge and quickly dashed over to her aid, placing himself between herself and any enemies that might mean to attack her. He took careful aim at the sorceress and launched a bolt of lightning at her. The bolt seemed to strike an invisible wall and scatter, never reaching her at all. He frowned as another hail of arrows slammed into him, doing little more than causing superficial wounds.


    The blind devil made a series of punches at the foes nearest him. Surprisingly, he managed to hit most of them, but barely. He was over-extended, and the punches lacked any real wallop. After taking the lightest of beatings, the trio brought him down with one well-placed bite and an expert sword thrust through his fiery heart.


    Bait ran towards the Erinyes. Bait protect Sarbie too. Horny wizard keep her safe, Bait make things trying to hurt her dead. He took another shot, this one blasting through her center of mass. He frowned; while both bullets certainly hit their mark, devils stupid tough. It no die yet. Bait stomped his foot in frustration.


    The sorceress focused her spellcraft at Alvec this time; her power washed over him, but the spell he''d been casting every morning since the day after the Gold Banner''s use of enchantment magic to coerce his comrades snapped to his defense. He broke out of the paralytic magic but pretended he hadn''t. It must have looked like he had succumbed to the spell at this distance. Even a devil''s sharp vision couldn''t possibly see the fractions of motion his breath drew as it rose in his chest.


    Sarbie, seeing Alvec rendered frozen in place just in front of her, pushed all of her will against the spell holding her in place. She broke free and pushed past him as a barrage of arrows came flying in at them. She found his thin tail wrapped around her waist. He pulled her backward with a sly grin and mouthed the word sorry. His defensive spells broke the hellfire arrows and scattered them, leaving him unharmed as he turned his back to the Erinyes and focused on their spellcaster. With surprise on his side, the air around his free hand shimmered as the temperature dropped dramatically. He clutched his hands together as he made almost an uppercut in the direction of the sorceress. Ice blossomed like a flower beneath her feet. In but a fraction of a second, she was thoroughly encased in ice. It wouldn''t be enough to kill her, unlike the goblin he''d used it against recently. Devils resisted cold damage nearly as well as they resisted fire. While he was certain it would be uncomfortable, perhaps even harmful, it would likely never be deadly on its own. With no one to free her, she was truly imprisoned and out of the fight.


    Illaria rushed forward to support Bait. Arrows whizzed at her, but she managed to deflect them as she moved in towards him. Another hail of gunfire distracted her and sapped the life out of her. With one swift slash, she passed her by. Illaria''s blade bit deeply into her relatively unguarded neck. Her head tumbled off from its place on her shoulders as the devil caught fire and began to burn away. It was hard for Illaria to know if this one had truly died or if she''d just witnessed some infernal escape tactic. All she could say for sure was that it likely wouldn''t be returning any time soon to bother them.


    Finding herself free from any other threats, Naya ran headlong towards the sorceress. She came to a sudden and violent stop as she crashed into the wall of force.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She shouted as she staggered backward.


    ¡°Did you not see the bolt of lightning scatter?¡± Mavec asked as he squinted his eyes at her.


    ¡°No, I was busy fighting a different devil,¡± Naya replied.


    ¡°Try to watch your surroundings more,¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll just take more hits, sounds great.¡± Naya raised her blade and raked it against the wall of force as she slowly traced her way around it. The group followed her to surround the devil, still frozen solid.


    "So, what do we do about this?" Mavec asked.


    "Well, if we break her out, she''ll just start fighting us again. Granted, it''s seven to one. I''m sure she doesn''t love her odds," Alvec said.


    "How hurt will she be?" Naya asked.


    "Probably not very," Alvec replied.


    "So do we just wait here, ready to attack her the second the spell drops? How long will that be?" Naya asked.


    "About 9 and a half minutes more," Alvec said.


    "Well, everyone, ready for your strongest hit. If we can be killing her, we ought to be killing her." Illaria said as she took a stance, ready to deliver a blow straight down at the devil.


    Alvec drew out his dagger of spell storing and made it ready as well. The rest of the group did the same. Mavec raised both fists, ready to punch when the time came. A little over nine minutes later, the ice melted, and the devil raced to perform the spell to teleport back to the shattered facet. Everyone lashed out at her. The butt of Bait¡¯s musket, Alvec¡¯s electrified dagger, Naya¡¯s electric sword, Illaria¡¯s wakizashi, Echo¡¯s fangs, and last but not least, delivering a right hook which shattered this devils jaw, was Mavec. The wizard held his fist up in awe.


    ¡°Did that really just happen?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You break her jaw.¡± Bait confirmed.


    ¡°Fuck, I need to that more often.¡± Mavec said as he continued to look at his hand.

 117: Double Blessing

    Alvec jogged back to Dogmother, bending back over the circle again. "I almost have it broken," he said as finished adding the additional layer to the magic circle. The electric cage of energy that held Dogmother in place quickly collapsed on itself, harmlessly dissipating into the earth floor around it.


    With the electricity gone, Dogmother stood up for the first time and moved on her own outside of the circle. She did a quick pace around them before breaking into a sprint back the way the party had entered. Once she exited into the sun, she ran at top speed around the forested lands directly around the cave entrance.


    The party watched with at least mild amusement as the very large rat-dog, easily larger than Echo, fully stretched her legs. After a few minutes of running, Dogmother returned to the group. "I must go now to find my tribes. They are scattered, and if Kavaas is indeed returning, as you have told me, then I must make sure that mine are as protected as they can be."


    "Actually," Alvec said. "We''d like to go with you. They are back the way we need to head in order to get to Sha-Laial anyway, and I have a request to make of you and your tribes as well."


    "I shall hear it, honey wizard," Dogmother said, giving the best approximation of a human smile she could to him.


    "I would like you to take your tribes and move them towards Sha-Laial. It''s where we have the most allies and power, and should we need to do something for the fate of Kian and the empire as a whole, the goblins would be best nearby. I believe I can count you as allies of our cause," Alvec said.


    "Indeed you can; I will make this happen," Dogmother agreed. The spirit and the group traveled together, and before long, Dogmother was reunited with many of her tribes. The goblins howled, sounding like gargling wolves as she approached them. They presented her with many tributes, mostly in the form of snacks, meats, and dried goods she would no doubt enjoy.


    After some time of meeting with all of her goblin tribes and speaking extensively with Dogdaughter, who hugged her massive legs with all of her might, Dogmother returned to the group of adventurers. "Bait, for your service not only to your clan, the Blackpowder goblins but also for your efforts to assist the Boar Eaters and to spearhead my rescue as well, it is only right that I bequeath to you an honor not had by any goblin in generations."


    She lowered herself to the ground and laid on her side, exposing her engorged nipples to Bait. "Come, be nourished."


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    "Nope," Alvec said as he quickly covered Sarbie''s eyes and spun himself and her away from the scene playing out in front of them. The fact that he could hear Bait excitedly scamper forward made him feel queasy as he booked it well and truly out of sight. He found quickly that the rest of the party had followed his lead.


    ¡°Oh god, I¡¯m going to puke.¡± Naya shouted as she hurriedly followed Alvec and Sarbie''s example.


    "Fucking Goblins," Mavec said as he hastily lit a cigarette and continued walking willfully away from the moot.


    The group quickly packed up their wagons and began to drive away. Sometime later, Bait came running up alongside the group. Dogmothers blessing had changed him quite a bit physically. His knees seemed to bend the wrong way, and he stood far taller now. Alvec couldn''t help but be reminded of mice who were said to be able to jump many times their height. He seemed to have extra pep in his step as well and nearly effortlessly kept pace with the wagon. His face was changed as well. Goblin''s teeth were always sharp, but his mouth was no longer quite as wide. It had grown forward, and his nose also enlarged quite a bit.


    If anything, Alvec assumed that this was at least somewhat like what a goblin might look like if it were affected with lycanthropy. He was far more canine-looking and, if possible, feral-looking than he had been previously.


    ¡°So Bait, how you be liking the uh, changes?¡± Illaria asked as she looked him over. He had always been a strange companion, but now he was perhaps the strangest looking person she knew, and that included the fish-person from the shard of water.


    ¡°Bait fast now! Keep up with Illaria better!¡± It did seem to be true, he was having little trouble keeping up with the wagons. She shrugged, his strange new, canine and rat like appearance didn¡¯t stop Bait from being Bait.


    ¡°Just promise you¡¯ll never speak about how this happened ever again.¡± Naya shouted from atop Echo.


    ¡°Sacred moment, Bait no share.¡±


    ¡°Truely for the best.¡± Mavec replied.


    As the group continued their trek towards Sha-Laial, Bait spoke up. "We go see Ben. Bait is so busy helping goblins that Bait does not have time to share Bait''s first cheese. Please?" Bait asked.


    "Alright, we can visit Ben," Illaria said. At the moment, we don''t have anything time-sensitive going on. We''re just waiting to hear back from Cellocht."


    As the wagon rolled along, Alvec felt something interesting happening within himself. He could feel divine power manifesting at the edge of his arcane aptitude. He wasn''t a cleric by any measure, but he could feel Tohrag''s blessings upon him all the same. New spells came to his mind, and the power to manifest them along with it. Additionally, he quickly felt that his innate defenses to the elements had changed. He no longer needed to focus on protecting himself from acid. His god was gifting him that already.