The Newt and Demon - Chapter 5.8 - Intruder

Theo drummed his fingers on the battlement’s edge, humming a tune as he waited for things to align. Aarok and his boys sure did like to make things official. Gathered in neat rows below were the forward-facing units of Gronro’s shield bangers. The alchemist didn’t have a better name for them. The damned dwarves were as likely to kill the monsters through sonic means as they were through swords and spears. He had never seen a more rowdy group of people, even considering the half-ogres in Broken Tusk.

Luras had given the alchemist a boring job, which was understandable. Theo was on support duty, defending the back-liners and carting potions around like some glorified merchant’s cart. The more he looked down at the soon-to-be battlefield, the more he appreciated his role on the wall. Tresk moved somewhere in the shadows, urging her squad into various positions, then changing her mind. Rowan was with her, but Sarisa remained back.

“Standard monster wave stuff,” Theo said. “Nothing ever goes wrong in a monster wave.”

“Sounds like a good way to curse us all.” Sarisa shook her head.

Broken Tuskers weren’t superstitious. They were practical people. Still, it was better not to tip some cosmic scale with snide comments like that. Theo cleared his throat, then nodded. “Good point. What do you think is going to happen?”

Sarisa fanned herself with her hand, breathing a frustrated breath. “We’re going to sit out in this heat. Then we’re going to fight, which will make me hotter. Then I’ll complain, and we’ll go home when it’s done.”

“You should get one of these coats.” Theo fanned his coat out to either side, flapping it to provide a breeze for his assistant. “Maybe they could provide us with cool drinks while we fight.”

“Do you understand you are the ‘they’ in this situation?” Sarisa cracked a smile.

“Oh. That’s right.”

Aarok made a few announcements about Xol’sa starting the monster wave. Theo waited patiently on the wall, focusing on the river far in the distance. A shot of pain ran through his head for a moment, forcing him to grab at the area. He found only hair and horns, discovering no sign that he was wounded. The pain pulsed with the beat of his heart, quickening by the moment. The alchemist pitched over to one side, caught by Sarisa as he tumbled to the ground. Bells sounded throughout the town as fish-like creatures emerged from the river.

“What happened?” Sarisa asked, pressing her fingers into the alchemist’s head. She withdrew her hand, finding no blood.

[Wisdom of the Soul]

It is reasonable to assume that your connection to the town also connects you to the dungeon. Since you selected Tero’gal as one patron realm for Broken Tusk, you are tied to the mysterious magic of the dungeons.

“Did you feel that?” Theo asked Tresk through their mental connection.

“Yeah, like someone just drove a spike through my dome. What the hell was that?”

Theo explained what the Wisdom of the Soul message had told him, but he could offer no more information. He could only assume that the things Xol’sa was doing to the dungeon weren’t natural, and there was some kind of feedback. But the pain had gone as quickly as it came, leaving him as soon as the wizard completed his work. The alchemist stood, patting his assistant on the shoulder.

“I’m fine. That can’t be good, but… I’m still alive.”

Sarisa maintained the worried expression on her face, but nodded. “Whatever you say, archduke.”

Any adventurer on the wall could see the perfection of combat that the shield bangers from Gronro performed. Theo admired their formations, watching as they split into defined groups, spread out, or formed various shapes. The first wave of monsters slammed into them, joining in a wild melee. Broken Tusk’s version of cavalry showed up next, sweeping in from either side and harrying the monsters. Marshlings rode wolves, charging in from the side with flashing weapons and gnashing teeth.

“Do they even need us?” Theo asked, leaning against the wall.

“The boss hasn’t appeared yet. Think we’ll get another water elemental?”

“That’s what I’m hoping for.” Theo stared at the river. Under that current was the [River Dungeon]. The boss would spawn once it had released enough monsters.

Zarali and Xol’sa appeared on the wall after some time. They were holding hands and grinning at each other.

“Fine day for a stroll,” Theo said.

“It is. Isn’t it?” Xol’sa said.

“Actually…” Theo explained the pain he felt in his head when the wave started. “Not sure if that’s normal.”

“Nothing is normal with you, alchemist.” Xol’sa could only offer a shrug. “You could have a connection with the dungeons. We already know the dungeons are connected to the realms, so it makes sense. Why you experienced pain is beyond me.”

“It could be the effect of power siphoning,” Zarali said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “My brother might know something more.”

And Theo could take Zarali to see the guy now. That wasn’t a subject he had broached yet. Interdicting a mortal from this plane to a heavenly plane was risky business. There was no guarantee that Uz’Xulven would let them pass. Tresk was getting better at that by the day, but compared to an actual god? She didn’t stand a chance.

“I don’t know if I should say this. But I can bring you to Tero’gal,” Theo said, holding his hands up to silence his adoptive sister. “But I can’t say for sure.”

“I remember what happened when I looked at your realm.” Xol’sa leveled an accusatory look at the alchemist. “How can you be sure you can bring her?”

“We brought Fenian. So it’s… Ugh,” Theo’s eyes fluttered. He fell back, caught once again by Sarisa. The alchemist grabbed her arm, gritting his teeth.

Xol’sa, Sarisa, and Zarali were shouting something to him, but all Theo could hear was the sounds of battle below. He focused on that chorus of voices, shouting war cries and slamming shields. But there were no shields. He couldn’t hear them anymore. His mind swirled, drifting away from the mortal plane until it snapped onto Tero’gal.

Tresk picked up on Theo’s intentions before he executed his thoughts. With one hand he grabbed Sarisa, and the other Zarali. The world swirled around them, finally breaking until the trio tumbled through the realms. The two women shouted as they fell over the Bridge. Uz’Xulven was somewhere below. He couldn’t tell where, but he felt her approval flood over him. Reality parted again and the group floated over Tero’gal, falling gently into a crowd of confused spirits.

“Theo!” Zarali shouted.

“Tero’gal is under attack,” Theo said, spinning to point in the distance. A section of the sky had buckled, revealing a twisted indentation.

Sarisa had her spear and shield out in a snap, then took a position between Theo and the intrusion. Tresk appeared a moment later, daggers flashing from her hips.

“Where they at!?” she screamed. “I’m gonna gut them!”

“Sister!” Belgar shouted somewhere in the distance.

Theo, Tresk, and Sarisa left Zarali behind. They dashed across the landscape of the realm, heading for the strange anomaly in the sky. The alchemist wouldn’t soon forget the way his assistant fell into line, charging through a strange realm at a hole in the sky without a question. They ran as quickly as they could through the rolling hills and low valleys until they came to stand beneath the scar.

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“What now?” Tresk asked. “How am I gonna stab that?”

A tense silence settled in over the glade. The chirping of insects issued from every direction, joining with the low whistle of the wind through the trees. Theo kept his sight locked on the section of the realm that had been torn open. He felt Tresk spread her senses through the realm. She poked her mind into the defensive towers, but they were inactive.

“Is this an attack?” Theo asked, looking around in confusion. “Wouldn’t the towers be active?”

Sarisa dug the end of her spear into the ground. She shook her head. “I have no clue. I’m new here.”

The scar in the sky looked as though someone had dragged a massive claw over a pale blue sheet, revealing a void of black on the other side. The edges were jagged, glowing with an energy that pulsed with the beat of Tero’gal’s heart. Standing there for long moments that stretched to hours, the group waited. Waited until the scar shivered, and something fell out.

“Is that a… What is that? A squirrel?” Tresk asked.

“What is a squirrel?” Sarisa asked.

The creature that had fallen out of the scar looked like a glowing red squirrel. Like the spirits of the realm, it was ethereal. Pulsing with a slow rhythm, the creature looked up and cleared its throat.

“Apologies for the intrusion.” The creature didn’t move its mouth. Sound just issued from its being with a chime-like quality. “We couldn’t find another way to communicate.”

“Yeah? Spit it out before I stab you, squirrel,” Tresk said, crouching low. She was preparing to strike.

“You have reason to distrust me. I know that. But we have no one else to turn to.”

Theo felt his stomach drop. He recognized the voice. It was a voice he had hoped to never hear again. “Uharis.”

“Ah, was it that obvious?”

Uharis had been a pain in Theo’s ass since the start. He was an inquisitor, along with the High inquisitor Sulvan Flametouched, who had given him trouble in the past. Their plot to control Theo’s life had failed spectacularly. The result was the destruction of their patron and the annihilation of their cores. But not before Khahar sent them to the damn moon.

“How’s the moon?”

The squirrel shuffled its legs, huffing. “It’s boring. And cold. Which is why I’m here. Well, I’m not here. This is a spell that I’ve cast at great personal expense. Sulvan and I…”

“Shut up!” Tresk shouted. “Your dumb ass is stuck on the moon and that’s that.”

Theo turned, nodding with approval to the marshling. He watched as she closed her eyes, mustering all the concentration she could.

“Wait. Before you banish me, listen to what I have to say. My patron is dead. I am without a home. We could be vital to rebuilding the continent. We…”

Tresk reached out, closing her hand in the air. Theo felt her wrap her will around the scar, then force it shut with sheer power of will. The squirrel screamed something unintelligible before the opening closed with a snap. Drawing labored breaths, the marshling fell to one side. Sarisa was there to catch her, easing her to the ground.

“Sulvan Flametouched?” Sarisa asked, a wild expression in her eyes. “Grand Inquisitor of the Burning Eye? You’re kidding.”

“Indeed. He’s ascendant.” Theo tried to force his thoughts to gather, but they wouldn’t. Tresk did the right thing by shutting the intrusion, but would this be the end of it? Their request was obvious, though. They wanted a path back to the mortal plane through Tero’gal. Which means they had already tried to convince Uz’Xulven to let them use the Bridge, and she denied them. “Can we summon Uz?”

“I’m not doing much of anything,” Tresk groaned. “That took a lot out of me.”

Theo scooped his companion up, then walked back to the center of Tero’gal. Sarisa followed behind, the spear still clutched firmly in her hands. As expected, he found Benton, Belgar, and Zarali dancing near a large fire near the village. Other spirits roamed around, performing their own dances. It was a joyous reunion, and the alchemist couldn’t help but smile. Tresk could stand on her own by the time they returned.

“What happened?” Belgar asked, breaking away from the celebration.

“I’m not sure. Benton, do you know how to summon Uz’Xulven?”

“Summon a demon god? Here? To Tero’gal? Uh…” Benton furrowed his furry brows, shaking his head.

But the bear-god’s keen wisdom wasn’t needed. Theo felt something swirl in the back of his mind, echoing throughout the realm. It was a request for interdiction. He accepted it, then waited. A shadowy gate appeared, rising from the earth as though pushed from below. The center of the portal was an impenetrable mass of shadows. The figure that stepped through was obscured, but her dress dragged behind her.

Theo gritted his teeth for a moment, then let out a breath. “Tea?”

Uz’Xulven gestured vaguely in the direction of the cottage. Theo left everyone behind as he and the Queen of the Bridge of Shadows followed close behind. She snapped the door shut when they entered the cottage, then took a seat. For the first time, the alchemist watched as the shadowy veil dropped from her visage. She was a noble-looking dronon with charcoal-black skin. The swoop of her horns was elegant, decorated with jewelry. An ornate diadem rested atop her head, glittering with black jewels.

Theo got to work on the tea.

“Quite cozy for a mortal realm.”

“This is the only mortal realm.”

“Hmmm.”

Theo set the kettle on the fire, then added some moss. An awkward silence set in as he brewed the tea. Uz’Xulven gazed into the distance, her expression unreadable. She accepted his invite to the realm, so that was a good start. Maybe the patrons were starting to see him as something other than an annoying gnat on their butts. He didn’t even know it was possible for folks from the higher realms to come down to this level. Then again, Tero’gal was weird like that.

“So, you have an annoying wizard pestering you, too?”

“Indeed. He assaulted my realm.”

“Hah! Just like wizards, isn’t it? Poking in matters that are far above them.” Uz’Xulven still held no expression on her face. She didn’t even make eye-contact with Theo.

The alchemist prepared the tea, pouring a cup out for both of them.

“Do you have any advice?”

Uz’Xulven sipped the tea, nodding with approval. “Most people put too much sugar in their tea. Too much sugar, too much honey. That takes away from the flavor, doesn’t it? How is one to appreciate the subtle flavors of a drink when it’s sickly sweet?”

“Is that a metaphor?”

“Yes. Don’t dilute your realm with fallen angels. The spell Uharis Banetouched cast is incredibly difficult. He won’t have it in him to cast it again for quite some time.”

The door swung open. Khahar grunted as he entered. He closed the door behind him, then took a seat at the table and poured himself a cup of tea. “Howdy.”

“Oh, don’t you ‘howdy’ me, you usurper,” Uz’Xulven hissed.

“Funny that you turned to this old bag before me,” Khahar said.

“Old bag!? Oh, you’re funny. Nothing like a drunk Moscovian asshole to run the realms.” Uz’Xulven pushed herself back, then slumped in her chair.

“Funny. It took you a few thousand years to show me your face.” Khahar flashed a toothy smile.

“We have more in common than you think,” Uz’Xulven muttered. “He looks up to me. Don’t you, Theo?”

“Uh, well.” Theo paused for a moment. Maybe a moment too long. “I’ve always looked up to you. The Bridge has always been important to my people.”

“See? He practically loves me. Might take an Uz’Xulven core as his next. And we’re kin. Blood is a strong connection, Khahar.”

“The blood of the brother is…”

“Shush! I’m still mad at you.”

“So, about Uharis…” Theo looked awkwardly between the two patrons.

“I denied him entry because he was rude.” Uz’Xulven folded her arms. “He sent them to the moon. Not me.”

Khahar sipped his tea. “That’s up to you, Theo.”

“What would you do?”

“I’d let them in. Then bind them with so many contracts that they could never hope to escape. Sulvan has requested godhood at least five times every day since he was banished. He has sought other ways to escape Antalis.”

Uz’Xulven made a disgusted face. “I can’t believe you sent them to the dark moon. The people there are rude.”

“That they are.”

Khahar, Uz’Xulven, and Theo enjoyed their tea. No one said anything for quite some time, leaving the alchemist to his thoughts. There was no way to go about this that didn’t ruffle feathers. Both Uharis and Sulvan had been massive jerks when they were on the planet. They threw their weight around, attempting to manipulate him into doing what they wanted. They were even part of the plan to make him serve the Burning Eye. Only Drogramath’s intervention saved him from that fate.

Once Uz’Xulven calmed down, she brought some interesting news. Being the patron of Fenian, she could tell that he had taken the potion she sent him. But the moment that item passed through the barrier between worlds, Balkor closed his fist around his realm. She wouldn’t be able to do it again anytime soon, removing the option of sending more things to their friend.

But Theo couldn’t help but see a lot of Yuri in Khahar’s eyes. They were once enemies, weren’t they? Both had orders to kill each other, and both had avoided doing it. After a few scuffles, sure, but they grew to be close friends after that. If there was a path to redemption for the pair, the alchemist would help find it.

“Would Glantheir give them cores?” Theo asked, leaning in over the table.

Khahar smiled again. “There he is. The clever man I knew.”

“Glantheir gives cores to those who take vows. Binding vows, mind you,” Uz’Xulven said. “Could I have more tea?”

“Certainly,” Theo said, busying himself by brewing more tea.

“If you get them both to take Glantheir cores, they’ll be forced to do the right thing.

“Looks like I have an ultimatum to give them.”