The Newt and Demon

The uncomfortable warmth in Xol’sa’s tower almost penetrated Theo’s Coat of Rake. Why the wizard had gone beyond what normal Broken Tuskers considered normal was beyond him. The alchemist lingered on the first floor for some time, looking out over the swamp outside. Magical sigils flared in the distance, drawing power to protect the tower. If the alchemist was a wizard, he would have placed his tower anywhere else. The hills. Perhaps on a mountain somewhere. Even underwater would have been more favorable than the bug-infested swamp.

“I thought I heard someone,” Xol’sa said. Theo turned to see a gentle smile on the wizard’s face. “Won’t you come up for tea?”

Theo agreed, ascending the stairs. Xol’sa had gone through a few changes lately, and was still adjusting. The cold logic that came with a high Intelligence attribute had been scoured by the Intelligence of the Soul potion. It left behind a man closer to what he should have been, although there were still lingering effects from his core. Not everyone could have the benefit of a spirit bond. Perhaps they should.

Zarali waved as Theo found a spot in the sitting area on the second floor. This room was hotter than the downstairs area, somehow challenging both the humidity outside and the smoky heat normally found in homes within the town. Xol’sa busied himself with the tea, placing a copper pot on a Fire Artifice and arranging a wooden box filled with loose tea leaves.

“How can I help you today?” Xol’sa asked.

“I’m here to talk to Zarali, actually,” Theo chuckled. “But I’m sure you’re excited about the cage around the River Dungeon.”

“Ziz outdid himself on that one,” Xol’sa said, nodding in agreement. “He even incorporated the running water, as I requested.”

Zarali giggled, tossing some bauble at the wizard’s back. “Theo was a part of that effort, love.”

“Was he?” Xol’sa said, turning and tilting his head. Theo felt a wave of something flow over him. It probed uncomfortably at his cores. “Oh, right! The new core.”

Theo swallowed a lump in his throat, pretending that the missing suffix of ‘brother’ to all her statements didn’t wound him. “It has helped slightly. But I’ve found another method that increased my willpower a hundred-fold.”

Zarali laughed, stopping to knit her brow when she saw Theo was serious. “Surely not.”

“I just raised twenty Metal Golems, and I could do twenty more with ease. Without a lodestone.”

“That was quick,” Xol’sa said, leaving the tea to brew while he took a seat.

“I think your willpower dwarfs even mine…” Zarali trailed off.

Theo didn’t know what to say to that. He was taking advantage of something that was entirely unfair, diminishing the effort of another. The alchemist shook those thoughts away. There was too much to do with too little time. He needed all the cheats he could get.

“And this is just the start,” Theo said. “If I draw on my realm, I gain a temporary boost. Enough to bend the mortal realm and travel great distances.”

“Talk is fine, Theo,” Xol’sa said, chuckling. “But if it isn’t defined by the system, it cannot be measured. If it cannot be measured, none of us knows how to help you.”

Theo had to think about that one for a moment. It was a good point. The power he was talking about was all within the Tero’gal Dreampassage skill. That was his connection to his realm, and the source of the realm-bending ability. There were no time limits, mana costs, cooldowns, or other system-related pieces of information. In the way he always used, Xol’sa had dropped a hint as to the fundamental problem with the ability. Without practice, it was useless.

“We could start small,” Theo said.

Xol’sa and Zarali said something, but Theo was already focused. He used the practice he had with his Earth Sorcerer’s Core to wrap his willpower around himself and the two lovebirds. He remembered the meta method he had used to transport himself through the realms and onto Antalis, the dark moon. The alchemist used his willpower to draw in a piece of Tero’gal. A bubble of shimmering, prismatic energy formed around the trio. Plush gras rested beneath their feet.

“I think it is prudent that we find a different place to test this ability,” Xol’sa said, panic bleeding into his voice. “I’m not eager to see a piece of my tower torn asunder!”

Theo threw the bubble through space, tracing one of the many threads that connected him with others in the world. In a snap, the tower vanished. Xol’sa, Zarali, and Theo were still seated on the uncomfortable chairs from the tower. But Aarok sat, scribbling something at a wide wooden desk. The commander looked up with an annoyed look.

“Can I help you?” Aarok asked.

“Just testing something,” Theo said, refocusing his willpower. He targeted Grot from Gronro-Dir. That was a distance worth checking. Xol’sa was sputtering something. “Can we bring him along?”

The scene shifted again. Grot was guzzling a beer, one in each hand. He looked around in confusion, kicking at the grass beneath his feet. While Xol’sa and Zarali had come along for the ride, Aarok had not.

“Theo! When did you get into town?” Grot asked, offering the alchemist a beer. “And you brought… a sofa? And grass?”

“This is interesting,” Theo said, swiping at the beer. His hand passed through. “See ya later, Grot.”

“Alright? Sure?” Grot said, looking more confused than before.

“Time for my last trick,” Theo said, sending his willpower even more distant. There was one thread of fate that was connected to him stronger than the others. In a flash, the group was sitting on the darkened deck of a ship. Fenian Feintleaf looked over the edge, staring at the starry sky above. He spun around, a mixture of anger and shock on his face.

“Theo?” Fenian asked. “What in the name of Emperor Kuzan’s balls are you doing here?”

“Seems familiar doesn’t it?” Theo asked, winking at Xol’sa. The alchemist had put together what this reminded him of. “Shall we return to the tower for discussion?”

“Yes, please!” Xol’sa shouted. “I do not do well on ships.”

Theo gestured as though he intended to poke Fenian in the forehead. The elf swatted at his hand, catching only air. “Later,” the alchemist said, releasing his hold on the bubble.

The group was back in the tower in an instant. The teakettle was whistling, and all members of the party were seated. Theo had learned something important, thanks to Xol’sa’s encouragement.

“I would appreciate if you never did that again,” Xol’sa said, grumbling as he went to make the tea.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“That was fascinating,” Zarali breathed. “You figured out the mechanism, didn’t you?”

Theo’s mind went back to a time when he communicated with Qavell through a special crystal. Unlike most communication crystals, this one sent him into a shadowy realm where he could talk face-to-face with someone. Mostly. No details were visible, but the concept was the same. Using the crystals, the two holders’ minds were dropped into a realm, but their bodies remained on the mortal plane.

“Tero’gal differs from most realms. It is a Mortal Dreamrealm. What I can do is take a chunk of it, and move our souls around the planet.”

There were more implications beyond that, but Theo wasn’t sure. The structure of the universe was hard to understand. Was the mortal realm just another realm within an endless void, or was it something more? Answering that question wouldn’t even tell him where Tero’gal sat within that scheme. The alchemist figured it must have been beyond the void, resting with the other realms but now he had his doubts.

“Do you think I could travel directly to Tero’gal? Without using the Bridge of Shadows?” Theo asked.

Xol’sa was grumbling, but he finally let out a sigh as he poured tea. “Maybe. It depends on where your realm rests in the membrane of reality.”

Theo sensed a long-winded explanation of how the universe worked coming on. Xol’sa did not disappoint, and there was no better man to ask about the problem. The wizard suspected that the mortal realm was within the same metaphysical space as all the other realms. Like pearls on a black sheet. A membrane separated them, guarded by the Bridge of Shadows.

“Depending on your authority, you could bypass the Bridge. Assuming Khahar set it so the rules don’t apply to your realm,” Xol’sa said with a tired sigh. He paused, biting his cheek. “Which might mean…”

“Darling, don’t go down that road,” Zarali said, shooting up to comfort Xol’sa.

“If he practices enough, he could pierce the veil,” Xol’sa said with a shrug. “He could contact my people.”

That was a wrinkle Theo didn’t expect. Xol’sa was from a group of people called the Bara’thier. Hilariously distinct elves from another dimension. But they were related to the elves from this world, although no one knew how. The wizard had been flung to this realm by his people at birth, sending him over with a damaged soul and a unique core.

“Of course I can do it,” Theo said, puffing his chest out. “I have more cheat codes than anyone else on the planet, so why not?”

“Don’t give him hope, Theo,” Zarali said, narrowing her gaze at the alchemist.

There was no need to seed hope. Theo was certain he could do it. With enough time and practice, he imagined that nowhere would be safe from him. As he considered what he would do next, he was slightly vulnerable with the pair.

“After I ascend the throne, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Theo said.

Xol’sa was the one to narrow his gaze this time. “How certain are you that this throne is for you? And not another?”

Theo laughed. “Just look at the name. The Dreamwalker’s Throne is mine, because no one else can get to it. I’ve… I’ve seen things. I know how this ends.”

“How boring,” Zarali said, sinking into her chair.

Theo took his cup of tea and sipped it. He remembered why he came here in the first place. “I almost forgot. I need another Lodestone.”

Zarali barked a laugh. “All that for a Lodestone? Certainly, Theo. I’m confident your willpower is strong enough.”

Both Zarali and Xol’sa were good at dropping uncomfortable topics. They shifted the conversation straight to their wedding date, and the traditions they intended to adopt. Following the alchemist’s advice, they were going to mix everything together. Dronon didn’t have any wedding traditions, so they would draw from elven, Broken Tusk, and Qavelli ceremonies. When the conversation was dying down, the alchemist departed from the tower with a new lodestone. Zarali had already prepared it for him, anticipating the day where he would raise his willpower to an acceptable level.

“Time to piss off Uz.”

Theo stepped out from the portal and paused. Just as he had projected a piece of his realm into the mortal realm to shoot his soul around the globe, he pulled another piece in for another reason. The bubble rose around the alchemist and he allowed himself to slip through the realms. Instead of piercing that veil, he drilled through it, aiming directly for Tero’gal. The bubble popped when it rejoined with itself. He only had to wait a few beats for Uz’Xulven’s shadowy portal to appear.

“Excuse me?” Uz’Xulven said, stomping out of her portal. Her dress of shadows flowed behind her as she approached the alchemist, slapping him across the face.

Theo smiled back, feeling nothing from the slap. “Just testing something out.”

“What’s the point of the bridge if you don’t take the damn bridge!?” Uz’Xulven stomped her foot.

It might have been fun to bypass secure parts of the system, but that just presented a problem that needed to be fixed. “You should thank me. I found a flaw in the system.”

Uz’Xulven spat on the ground. “Are you gonna fix it? No! Of course not. You are so annoying, Theo. I hate you.”

Benton’s icy portal rose in the distance. “Wanna get some tea?” Theo asked.

Uz’Xulven rolled her eyes. “Duh. Come on.”

Soon enough, all the gods that visited the domain were there. Even Khahar stopped in, clearly sensing the rule-breaking that the alchemist had done. Uz’Xulven, Benton, Theo, Drogramath, Spit, Khahar, and Glantheir assembled in the cottage. They sat at a massive table built by the souls within the realm, and waited for the bear god’s delicious tea.

“He didn’t violate the rules,” Khahar said with a shrug.

“But what if more dreamrealms sprout up?” Uz’Xulven said, tapping the side of her head. “Think, Khahar! Think! You remember the twins?”

“I remember them.”

“It could happen again!”

Khahar held up a silencing hand, his whiskers twitching. Theo watched with interest. “You may petition to have the powers of the Bridge extended to prevent such interdiction actions.”

“I wanna do that,” Uz’Xulven said, jabbing a finger at Khahar. “I’m here to keep the riff raff out, aren’t I?”

“You are.”

“So let me do it,” Uz’Xulven said, glaring at Theo. “You disgust me.”

Theo could only smile through Uz’Xulven’s hatred. He understood why she was so mad, but he wouldn’t have done what he did unless he knew it was necessary. Khahar wasn’t a slouch, though. He picked up on what the alchemist was trying to do.

“Theo thinks he can contact the lost realms in the void,” Khahar said with a smile. “Perhaps he wants to bring them to the mortal realm.”

“Good luck,” Uz’Xulven said, shaking her head. “I never made it happen.”

“I despise the void,” Spit said, growling.

“You hate almost everything,” Benton said, chuckling.

“The lost tribes always have a home in the Realm of Healing,” Glantheir put in.

“It would take a being of immense power to bring them back,” Khahar said, stretching uncharacteristically. “Who knew a group of wizards could splinter a piece of the mortal realm and send it adrift.”

Theo stared at Khahar. He hadn’t given free information in a while, but that was a big hint. If a chunk of the mortal realm was floating in the void, it was outside of every god’s ability to bring it back. The rules stated that gods couldn’t interfere with the mortal realm. The alchemist suspected that chunk was included. And it wasn’t likely that the piece was a tangible part, like a landmass. It was a meta piece of the world, which seemed messed up.

“What part of the world was broken off?” Theo asked.

Uz’Xulven looked at Khahar with an annoyed expression. Khahar nodded. “An old piece of the system. We used to have these big hunks of crystal that regulated aspects of the world. They made sure the world was balanced, but those damned wizards took the whole system with them.”

“The First War of Ascension was glorious!” Spit shouted. “I ate many elves. I do miss the shiny rocks, though.”

“We all miss the shiny rocks, Spit,” Glantheir said, patting the ogre’s shoulder.

“If only there were someone that could bring it back,” Khahar said with a dramatic sigh.

“I get it. You brought me here to be your errand boy, Yuri,” Theo said, swapping to Russian for dramatic effect. “Lift this rock, Theo. Cultivate this nation, Theo. Travel through the void and bring some shiny rocks back, Theo.”

Khahar laughed.

“What is the little demon saying?” Spit asked, slamming his fist on the table. “Why does he speak the language of the Arbiter?”

The conversation rolled on as everyone enjoyed Benton’s delicious tea and food. Khahar was in a better mood than ever, often smiling at the table. Things must have been going well in the heavens. Part-way through the tea party, the Arbiter leaned in and dropped one more nugget for the alchemist.

“You know what Bara’tier means?” Khahar asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m guessing I don’t know the real meaning.”

“Children of the Shard.”