Edwin M. Griffiths
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The Newt and Demon - Book 7 Chapters 61,62,63
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 11:00:09 +0000 UTCChapter 61
Adventure in the North
The curtain of reality parted, revealing the space between the mortal plane and the bridge of shadows. A three-masted ship lumbered through that portal, departing from the watery bridge to arrive in icy seas. The crewmen on the deck of the ship released the sails, catching an icy wind that drove the ship forward. Fenian stood on the bow, shielding his eyes from the sun with a broad smile on his face.
Jan vomited over the edge.
“The smell of high adventure!” Fenian shouted.
“Smells like puke,” Twist grumbled.
Fenian wasn’t certain it would work at first, but when he took the ship out of the harbor and reached for the bridge, it responded. Instead of the well-paved streets of shadow, he found dark waves and an angry realm owner. She got over it, allowing them passage to the seas along the northeastern side of the continent. They now sailed between the mainland and what remained of Gardreth. It was a wasteland once representing a place he had known as Whisperwood.
“What are we looking for, anyway?” Twist grumbled, coming alongside him and scanning the horizon with his one eye.
“A variation in magical energy,” Fenian explained, as though everyone on board should have known it. Not only had he recruited Jan and Twist, but also several locals who were interested in working the sales on a brief expedition. The crew from House Wavecrest were skilled, as though knowledge of the open ocean was second nature to them. It was in their blood.
“Enough of your couched statements,” Jan said, wiping the spittle from his lips. “How about you just tell us what we’re doing before we do it?”
“Elrin can’t access this area right away. One issue is that the place where the shard needs to go is likely underwater. When Balkor performed his feint all those years ago, the other gods responded by detonating this part of the continent. They didn’t know it, but not only did they ruin a nation, they also buried the shard’s resting spot on the bottom of the sea. I foresee a problem.”
“We’re still speaking plainly, right?” Twist asked. “What’s the problem?”
Fenian took a deep breath of the sea air, more than just the scent of salt. He caught a whiff of lingering magical energies. His lips formed a tight line. He was almost certain he was right. However, it could prove useful, and it might help his dear alchemist back in the Southlands Alliance. Perhaps it could even help the entire world.
“Balkor’s energy still lingers in the area,” Fenian explained, “which shouldn’t be possible. That means I missed something when I scoured the area. Perhaps it’s in the sea here on the shore, but I didn’t want to risk it, so I bought a boat.”
“So we’re looking for an object,” Jan said. “You could have said we’re looking for a magical object and saved us five minutes of conversation.”
“Not all of us speak in grunts like some proto-elf back in the homelands,” Fenian scoffed. “I hope I’m wrong; I really do. But if I’m not, we have more of Balkor to worry about. Anyway, time to drink some potions. We’re going overboard.”
“You’re kidding,” Twist said, his tone unamused.
“No. We’ll need to survive the crushing depths and all that,” Fenian said, chugging a few potions. He waited, watching as his companions seemed reluctant. “We can escape the seabed through the Bridge. Worry not, brave champions.”
“Ugh,” Jan said, drinking a few potions. “How do you rope us into these adventures?”
“Because otherwise you would be bored,” Fenian said with a broad smile. He nodded in approval when Twist also downed his potions. “That’s it, everybody! Into the cold water. Let’s just hope we don’t die.”
Twist and Jan watched as Fenian jumped into the water. They shared a long look before shrugging and jumping after their fearless leader. He was right. If nothing else, at least this would be interesting.
###
Fenian hadn’t discussed how they planned to communicate before jumping into the water. If necessary, he could use the communication crystals he had given to both men. But for now, he held a magical light aloft and searched. He looked with his senses, picking up on the faintest hint of that old demonic energy. Although hours passed, it didn’t seem as though they made much progress. The trio hunted for anything that pricked their senses.
Where one might expect to find stones representing the ruins of the once proud civilization, there was now only silt. Fenian dusted through a layer of muck, finding the first thing that signaled a lost age on the continent. It was an enchanted item, a spear, that sat beneath several layers of mud. It wasn’t a useful weapon, but the enchantment on it helped it last through the ages.
The elf’s eyes went wide as he dug deeper, finding something familiar. Brushing his hand against the object, he withdrew his communication crystal and relayed the information to his companions. When the search concluded, he used the Bridge to return them to the deck of the ship.
“How many was that?” Twist asked, tipping his mask up to drain away some water.
“A few hundred,” Fenian said, clicking his tongue. “Someone toss out a buoy so we don’t lose this spot.”
“Sure, allow me to withdraw one from my ass,” Jan mocked. “So what? We just leave all that crap down there? What’s the plan?”
“This may require alchemical intervention…” Fenian clicked his tongue, falling into his thoughts. “Then again, this might not be a bad thing.”
“Here we go again,” Twist sighed. “We’ll be lucky if you don’t kill yourself with these ‘plans’ before the end comes.”
“Have some faith,” Fenian said, clapping the masked elf on the back.
###
Theo held a clump of green moss in his hand as he approached the general store in town. It was a place he didn’t visit often, thanks to the elusive entrepreneurial owner. When he opened the door, he heard a bell ring, and a greeter welcomed him in. It was a half-ogre woman he had seen before but didn’t know by name.
“Is your boss in?” Theo asked, giving her a concerned look.
“One moment,” she said in an overly chipper tone, and she turned to head through a door behind the counter. The alchemist waited there, with his arms folded, slightly wet, a clump of moss in his hand, dripping onto the ground. A few minutes later, Azrug emerged from the door, wearing a fine coat and slacks to match. He had his hair slicked back, with a broad smile on his face. How much the young man had changed from barely a boy to a businessman in such a short time.
“You’re getting my floor damp,” Azrug said.
Theo thrust the clump of moss forward. He could feel it releasing faint void energy in his senses, stinging the air. Those wisps were drawn away, sucked toward the shard at the farm. “Could you identify this for me?”
Azrug strode around the counter, tilting his head to one side as he took the moss. “Emberstone Moss, huh?” he asked. “With no rarity or description.”
“I was hoping you could use your loremaster abilities to reveal some information for me. The first three properties came without issue, but the last one refuses. Hoping you can help,” Theo said.
“Now, this is a curious thing, isn’t it?” he said, holding the moss at arm’s length as he rotated it. Perhaps observing different facets of the moss clump would reveal some information to him. Azrug screwed up his face as he looked at it. Faint pulses of energy emanated from his chest, yet the moss refused to yield. It was as though it was coated in a thin layer of void energy that prevented any further investigation. “You always find the weirdest things. It’s resistant to my ability.”
“So you can’t reveal the description or rarity at all?” Theo asked. This was more of a curiosity for him rather than something he needed. It was the first alchemy ingredient he had discovered that allowed him to extract the properties without revealing its description.
“I don’t think so,” Azrug said, striding over to the counter and placing the item there. He then held both his hands out and visible clouds of magic appeared over the item. He closed his eyes in intense focus, eventually letting out a breath and shrugging. “It’s possible the item is too high for me to identify. There’s some hidden ranking system with objects.”
“What are the chances this is from another system?” Theo asked.
Azrug stopped what he was doing and looked back at the alchemist with his brows knitted. “What gives you that idea?” he asked.
“My theory about things generated in both the void and negative dungeons is that they are from outside the system or completely random nonsense.”
“And so you think they’re from another system. Maybe, but I really can’t say,” Azrug said, handing the moss back over. “My Loremaster’s Core tells me the moss is a useful alchemy ingredient. It also claims you’re the first person to discover it, so your theory makes sense.”
Theo scratched at his head after returning the item to his inventory. He might not have the answers he wanted, but he was encouraged by the Loremaster’s assessment. It was mostly a normal item, and he was happy to use it in his alchemical experiments. As his sense of void energy grew, he felt less uncomfortable with things related to the void. The alchemist was now confident he could detect that power if needed, sensing the effects as they spread. With the shard now at the farm, he was even less worried about the negative side effects.
“Well, that was actually pretty helpful,” Theo said, withdrawing a few coins from his inventory and setting them on the counter. “I also know your services aren’t free, so here you go.”
“Ah, excellent,” Azrug said, scooping the coins into his own inventory. “We’ve avoided that awkward moment where I have to hint at what you owe me.”
Theo laughed, shaking his head as he placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You’ve really built something here, huh?”
“That’s right,” Azrug said. He watched as the person watching his shop stepped back behind the counter, assuming her position and plastering a smile on her face. “I’ve got even bigger plans after the change. What do you think about an inter-world trade empire?”
“I think you’ll have to talk to Uz’Xulven about that,” Theo said.
“Who said I haven’t?” Azrug asked, beaming. “I figure things will take a while to settle. But once they do, I’ll be moving things between the worlds and making a tidy profit.”
Theo didn’t want to tell him how much he doubted that would be possible. His mind went to the gods in the new heavens, and how things had changed with them. They were eager to put in place restrictive barriers. While he couldn’t imagine what the new system for transit between worlds would be like, he doubted it would be as easy as Azrug expected.
“If anyone can do it, you can,” Theo said.
After a bit more pleasant chit-chat, Theo headed out from the shop. He had plans to throw himself into exploring the Emberstone Moss, extracting all the essences and see what they could do. His supply of it was limited, but he could always use infusion to use it in the future. All three properties he had revealed looked interesting. Comfort, Soothe, and Inspire appeared to be supportive properties without drawbacks.
As Theo made his way back to the lab, he spotted some excitement to the east. Against his better judgement, he headed in that direction. A ship was drawing into port. It was one of the many merchant ships constructed by the Wavecrest House—one designed to be a trading vessel. Although he had to squint to see them, he spotted Fenian, Jan, and Twist on the deck. That was odd, because the trio normally vanished for a week at a time, if not longer.
That could only mean one thing.
Before the ship had even docked, Fenian sprung from the deck and landed on the wall with grace. Theo looked up at him, narrowing his eyes. “What do you want?” the alchemist asked.
Fenian clutched his chest dramatically. “Oh, you betrayer!” He stood there for a moment before shrugging. “Well, you’re right. How much water can you move for how long?”
Theo shrugged. It was a matter of weight with the water. There was some connection between the limits of his ability and his willpower. “A lot,” Theo answered. He simply couldn’t give an estimation.
“Could you reach the bottom of the bay at the deepest point? Perhaps with three fine gentlemen with you?”
Theo blinked a few times, giving his brain a few moments to catch up. “What section of the sea do you need to get to the bottom of?”
“Off the coast of Gardreth.”
Theo released a heavy sigh. He eventually gave a weak shrug. “You know what? Sure. Why not.”
Fenian clapped like an idiot.
Chapter 62
Under the Sea
Theo leaned over the rail of Fenian’s ship. A moment before, they had been sailing out into the bay of Broken Tusk. Now the Road stretched before them. But it wasn’t the same long stretch of shadowy cobbles he had seen before. Instead, it appeared as a stone-lined canal swimming among endless darkness. Somewhere in the distance he could feel the influence of Uz’Xulven, her shadowy form seeming to lurk just beyond his sight.
“Didn’t know she could accommodate ships,” Theo said. “I’m also surprised the sailors aren’t freaking out.”
“They’ve already been through it before,” Fenian said. “Despite appearances, they’re tough.”
“I heard that,” one sailor said, punching Fenian in the arm.
“Ah, how you wound me,” Fenian said dramatically. “We’ll arrive soon enough. Hopefully the job isn’t too hard for you.”
“I’ll tell you when we get there,” Theo said.
Although the master of this domain didn’t make herself known, she still opened a portal for them on the other side. Theo wasn’t certain exactly how the Bridge functioned, it provided them access to the seas between the continent and the separated island of Gardreth. The ship pitched back as it rolled over a massive wave. With his Water Mage’s Core slotted into his chest, the alchemist clicked his tongue.
“This is deep,” he said, sensing the vast ocean below them. “So, this is where Balkor was destroyed…”
“That’s right,” Fenian said.
“And his magical energy still lingers in the air. Wait, are there pieces of Balkor below us?” Theo asked.
“Exactly,” Fenian said. “From what I understand, he is the only ascendant that returned to the mortal plane.”
“The dragon was here.”
Fenian narrowed his eyes at Theo. “This is the only ascendant with any real power that had returned to the mortal plane. A minor dragon is nothing compared to someone from the pantheon of demons.”
“Wait, what’s the plan?” Theo asked, finally turning away from the sea. “If you’re collecting Balkor parts for fun, I might need to step in.”
“Actually, that’s where the plan gets interesting,” Fenian said, clapping with excitement. “There’s something interesting about this area. It lacks those pesky negative dungeons.”
Theo shook his head. He couldn’t have predicted there were parts of an old god lingering on the mortal plane. Fenian should’ve taken care of that. “Because the energy the pieces of Balkor are emitting feeds the dungeons. Even just a little.”
“Exactly!” Fenian said. “Which means I can dig up the bones and redistribute them throughout the world to stabilize the dungeon system. Sometimes my past mistakes come back to haunt me as massive boons!”
“Well, I still think you’re an idiot,” Theo said. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was the best idea. Perhaps this area had become a microcosm of energy that just worked. Transplanted to another area, it might not end well. Yet Gardreth was so screwed as it was, he couldn’t imagine it getting much worse. “Why not? Pieces of an ascendant on the mortal plane aren't good. It should be a violation that allows us to use our throne cores, but I sense nothing.”
“Ah, very glad you see it my way,” Fenian said.
Theo took a steadying breath as he gaze into the sea. He released it, sucking in another one before holding his hands out. The open sea began to swirl, stirring in response to his will. Gritting his teeth, the alchemist drew on his Shadow Core to infuse his efforts with Zaul’s energy. A whirlpool appeared, the water sucking down with a great slurping noise. A column of air appeared in the sea, granting safe passage to the sea floor.
“I’m unsure if we’ll be crushed,” Theo said, gesturing to the hole. “But there you are. Hop in.”
“Encouraging,” Twist grumbled. But after a few moments, he jumped.
Jan was next, not even hesitating to get into the whirlpool. With a wink, Fenian jumped next. Theo was the last to go. He was uncertain if he could survive a trip hundreds of feet down, and skirted the edge of the hole. The alchemist grabbed onto the side of the wall of water, slowing his descent. And the trip took far longer than he had expected, the light of the sun barely filtering through from above. It was instead replaced with the faint glow of a magical light source.
When Theo’s boots finally touched the muddy bottom of the ocean, he collapsed the whirlpool. What little light had filtered through the hole above vanished in an instance. The alchemist spread his aura wide, creating a large pocket of air on the sea’s bottom. It spread out far as he stretched his ability thin. He pushed it until he was at his limit, sweat forming on his brow until he felt a familiar reinforcement of will. Tresk, Tero’gal, and Alex joined the effort, bolstering his mind.
“I can hold this for a while,” Theo said, drawing steady breaths as he dealt with the impossibly heavy load.
“Well, you’ve certainly created enough area for us to search,” Fenian said. “Much better than using your potions to survive down here.”
“It sure is,” Twist said, already poking at the ground with a stick. “Some of these pieces are easier to detect than others.”
Theo scanned the faces of his companions. Fenian was the only one with an ashen face, his countenance fixed into an expression of concern. It only flashed for a moment, eventually melting into the same look of joy that normally painted the elf’s face. He trotted off, boots slopping through the mud as he searched for lost pieces of the dead god.
“You know, this reminds me of a story back home,” Theo said. “If we see some cyclopean architecture, I’m out.”
“I’m not even certain what that means,” Fenian said, pulling a strange artifact from the mud. He stuffed it in a bag at his side before moving on.
“Eyes peeled for Deep Ones,” Jan said with a chuckle.
“Ah, a gentleman of culture,” Theo said with a wink.
The search went on for a while. Theo refused to participate, though. It took almost all his focus to maintain the barrier around them. A few times, fish swam into the bubble. They would burst through in a spray of water, falling to the silty ground and flailing around. Twist was the one to return them to the depths, snatching each that fell and tossing them upward. It was all quite strange.
“So, we’ve got a lot of pieces already,” Theo said, lamenting the layer of sweat that now covered his body. An angry crab scuttled by. An alchemically reactive crab. “If someone could snatch some reagents for me, that’d be nice.”
“Sure, what are you looking for?” Jan asked.
There were too many reactive objects nestled on the seafloor to mention. Twist and Fenian went to dig through the mud while Theo directed Jan. Maintaining his focus on the barrier holding back the entire sea took almost all of the alchemist’s focus. He simply sucked the reagents into his inventory when he was presented with another deep sea oddity.
“How stable is your power, Theo?” Fenian asked, the mud sucking at his feet as he walked over.
Theo downed another Stamina Potion, battering away the exhaustion he felt flooding through his muscles. “I’d be worried if I slept like a normal person. But as far as I know, there’s no problems chugging Stamina Potions back-to-back. I could do this all day.”
Fenian nodded, his gaze lingering over the alchemist for only a moment before dragging over the scene before them. It would’ve been strange lingering on the bottom of the sea. But the strange pressure caused by the ocean above made their ears pop, and forced a weird sense to settle in all their heads. “The amount of pieces is… concerning,” he said after a strangely long pause.
“A god was destroyed on the surface of the mortal world,” Theo said, rolling his shoulders. “I’d be surprised if there were less pieces.”
Fenian offered a concerned look, only nodding before moving on to discover more pieces of Balkor. Theo truly expected to find some ruins while they were there, but perhaps that was too much of a vision he had built up in his mind. Instead, it was only the muddy ocean floor. At some point, Tresk appeared out of nowhere and helped with the effort. Alex remained behind, since she claimed the ocean couldn’t be trusted.
Theo suspected the sun had set overhead by the time he truly felt the fatigue of maintaining his barrier. Those in his party must’ve also sensed him flagging, as they picked up the pace. Fenian and Tresk dashed to the edges of the bubble, snatching up small pieces of the dead ascendant and stuffing them into bags.
“Can we really get them all?” Theo asked, a headache brewing in his skull. He was already soaked with sweat and had lost all faith they could get most, let alone all, of the pieces.
“I don’t think so,” Fenian said, skidding in the mud and coming to a stop. “How much longer do you have?”
“A half-hour,” Theo said with exactly no confidence. “Hurry it up.”
“We have bigger things to worry about anyway,” Fenian said, clicking his tongue. “From what my senses tell me, we’ve cleared away a small amount of the artifacts. Perhaps a quarter of them, but I cannot say.”
“That’s concerning,” Jan growled, joining the group. “You said this would be easy.”
“I said it would be straightforward,” Fenian said. “Anyway, we must return to the ship. Has anyone thought of a way to do that?”
Theo glared at Fenian. Of course the elf didn’t have a way to get up after going down. Using the Bridge normally meant they needed a vehicle, so unless someone had a carriage stowed in their inventory, things would get tricky.
“Can you pierce the veil, Tresk?” Theo asked.
“Maybe,” Tresk said. “Just gimmie a sniff of your willpower.”
“Everyone should gather,” Theo said, holding his arms wide as he waited for the others to draw nearer. It was easier if they were close.
Tresk was already gathering the power required for the teleportation technique. It wasn’t true teleportation, of course. But if she dipped them into the void, that would free Theo up to steer them back to the mortal plane, and onto the boat. To his surprise, the little marshling did an excellent job. He felt her rip through the fabric of reality, sucking everyone through using an interdiction event.
The system had no problem with this, allowing the party to pass into the void. In an instant, Theo changed from maintaining the forcefield around them to shrouding them all in a different protective bubble. This one prevented the damaging effects of the void itself from ripping them apart. He felt lighter, the strain of the effort almost overtaking him. Thankfully, Tresk was there to steer them toward the mortal world. But it was up to the alchemist to dial in their exact destination.
The faintly glowing orb of blue and green came into focus. Theo did everything he could to impart his massive willpower into the effects, angling them to the spot that felt right. There were no precise measurements when using willpower. One had to do it all by feel, and the alchemist had become quite good at it. In a snap, the party appeared on the deck of the unnamed ship, startling the crew.
Theo sagged back, falling on his rear. Tresk was there to support his head as she lowered him to the deck. The shifting moon was overhead, glowing with a faint green. It intermingled with a sprawl of stars, the sky appearing as a roving blanket strewn with gems. The sight was almost lost to him as the alchemist fought to maintain consciousness.
“It seems the alchemist lied about how easy that was,” Fenian said with a nervous chuckle.
“He’s just a tired boy,” Tresk said, adjusting the stray hairs that had fallen into his face. “Give him a few and he’ll be fine.”
More than just the rest, Theo could feel something flowing from Tresk to himself. It steadied him, making it feel less like he had such a burden on his shoulders.
“This might not be the best time,” Fenian said with a nervous chuckle. “But I didn’t want to alarm anyone while we were down there.”
“Great,” Theo croaked. “What now?”
“I directed the undead horde with a piece of Balkor before. It was a section that contained some of his soul,” Fenian said.
“Oh, you dirty man,” Tresk said, narrowing her eyes at Fenian. “Don’t tell me…”
“Your suspicions are true. These tiny pieces… Well, I’ll just say that Balkor was truly insane,” Fenian said. “They’re all phylacteries. He crammed small pieces of his soul in a few thousand bits of himself.”
“The absolute madman,” Jan said. “What the hell does that mean?
Chapter 63
Find Balkor
Theo couldn't begin to guess why Balkor would do something as goofy as splitting his soul into so many pieces. However, he didn't want to discount the idea that it was accidental on Balkor's part. The alchemist knew little about what had happened when the demon god descended into the mortal world. Perhaps there was some interference with his magic. The one good thing about being the person in charge of the place between places was that he could go almost anywhere he wanted. His destination was wherever Balkor currently lived.
Without even giving his companions so much as a nod, the alchemist abandoned them there in Broken Tusk after ensuring their safety. He slipped through the veil and into the void, quickly landing on his own planet and finding Belgar with ease. He seemed to hang out in Boar Hollow most often, and was currently standing near a cluster of buildings as though waiting to greet someone.
"You really have taken your role seriously, haven't you?" Theo asked. Despite his mood, a smile crept across his face as he shook the man's hand.
"I am the official greeter of your planet," Belgar said with a hearty laugh. "But I have to ask, what are you doing back so soon? You rarely pay me visits this often."
"I'm looking for Balkor," Theo said, spreading his senses over the entire planet. He wasn't here. Nor was he on Tresk’s moon.
"He stopped by here a few times," Belgar said, "but he always leaves via the bridge, so I don't really know where he is."
"Not like there are many places for him to hide, huh?" Theo asked. "Either Khahar's planet or Fenian’s planet. If I had to guess, he went to the elf’s planet. Alright, thanks.”
"Don't be so hasty," Belgar said, grabbing Theo by the arm and smiling. "Surely you'd want an escort."
Theo often forgot that the people on this planet weren't sitting idly. They were attempting to unlock their cores or develop a magic system. A selfish part of him thought they would simply be a liability. Not for himself; he was confident his power could get him out of almost every situation. However, if they were hurt, he wasn't certain what would happen to their souls. They might have just been recycled for death to reincarnate again, but he didn't want that on his conscience.
"We can hold our own," Belgar said, answering his worries before he had a chance. "Some of us have proto systems that strengthen us."
“And yet…” Theo trailed off, pushing his body to its limits to rush behind Belgar before he could even react. “I can’t predict what Balkor will do. Thanks for the sentiment, Belgar. Just keep the door open.”
Belgar only looked slightly dejected. He took it much better than Theo had expected and simply shrugged. "One day we'll be there with you, Theo. You'll see."
The Alchemist had no doubt of that as he slipped in between realities once again. He angled directly for Fenian's planet. It took him an oddly long time to recall that it was named Erradon. From a distance, the planet appeared like any other. It was a floating orb of blue among an inky black expanse that always seemed so impenetrable. As he slipped into the realm itself, he angled for the one place Fenian seemed most attached to. An old elven city called Perisart appeared before him, the walls unmanned and the gate unguarded.
It was a ghost town, left to rot from Fenian’s old memories. The fields outside the city were marked and scarred from a great battle that had taken place. Even the walls appeared to be in a state of repair that was not quite complete. Ruins of older walls rested in the distance among the cluster of trees that marked the entire region. Theo's command over other people's realms did not exist. He couldn’t move freely through this place as he wished, so he found himself in a bind.
“Alex, could I get a hand?” Theo asked the dragon-goose directly, reaching out to perform an interdiction event.
“Something need burning?” she asked.
A moment later, Alex appeared before him, shimmering with magic and preening what few feathers remained. Theo smiled to himself. "We may need to burn someone. A former god, if you're not opposed to it."
“Oh, I burn gods all the time,” Alex said. “Just lead the way.”
Figuring out where Balkor would have gone on this planet wasn't difficult. Although Theo didn't know the name of the continent he was currently on, he was familiar with the general layout. This knowledge stemmed from his understanding that it was an antelope to the mortal realm. He was on a continent that was now modern-day to run them. To the east was his home continent. It once housed Veosta, Qavell, and the Southlands Alliance, but now it was only the alliance on that lonely scar of a continent.
Theo mounted Alex and urged her to the east. It would be a fairly lengthy flight, but it was worth it to see the condition of the continent. This was a place where Fenian fought his hardest battle, according to the elf’s own testimony. Although the alchemist didn't know the names of the places, he saw the wounds left behind by hordes of monsters. From the elven city, he tracked a path to the east, flying over a much more impressive city that had seen far more damage. After that was a city made almost entirely of trees. He knew Fenian had told him the names of these places at some point, but seeing them from the sky made it difficult to put a name to each location. Instead, they were soon flying over an expansive sea, losing track of any massive land soon after.
From what Theo understood, this world was much more isolationist in Fenian's day. If the elf had ever referred to the continent to the east, he did so by using the name of the direction rather than a kingdom or continent name. Alex had gotten much better at flying. He moved at speeds that made the alchemist’s eyes water, and about an hour later, they were approaching another landmass. This one was also marked with towns, but they almost seemed fuzzy, as though Fenian had created this place from second-hand information. However, Theo recognized certain places from the mortal world, and they were soon approaching the far eastern side of the continent, which once housed the Kingdom of Gardreth.
It was a place now recognized colloquially as the Fallen Kingdom.
Theo stretched his senses wide, and it didn’t take long to find Balkor. He sat somewhere on a peninsula below, emanating a strange aura. Alex banked to one side, descending and landing lightly nearby. The area was marked by tropical plants and low hills that provided limited views of the surrounding landscape. It was hot, perhaps even hotter than Broken Tusk, despite its position above the equator.
"I'm afraid you have some explaining to do," Theo said, crossing his arms as he approached Balkor.
He was a dronon with deep green skin and a shaven, scarred head. He didn't bother turning away from whatever he was doing; instead, he scoffed and shook his head. "Is this not the job of the Herald?" he asked.
“Technically, this is my job,” Theo said. “Since you’re in the Middle Realms.”
"And what sin have I committed this time?" Balkor asked, turning to narrow his gaze at the alchemist. The alchemist appeared with glowing green eyes that shimmered and faded, as though his concentration were elsewhere.
"I don't know, maybe the 10,000 phylacteries you made back on the mortal realm?" Theo asked with a shrug. "As if blowing up an entire continent wasn't bad enough."
Balkor may have been good at hiding his emotions, but his eyes widened in that moment. He turned away as though that would prevent Theo from seeing his reaction. The alchemist felt absolutely nothing in his danger sense but was prepared to act if needed. More than likely, Balkor had been zapped down to Level 1 and would provide absolutely no challenge.
“That is unexpected,” he said. “And not my intention.”
So it was the second option that had been the right answer. Balkor had never intended to create more than one phylactery, and yet something during the assault of the gods had caused his spell to shatter. Instead of destroying that single phylactery, it had somehow split it into many, which meant the mortal realm was now permanently stained with the power of a dead realm.
Not a dead realm, Theo thought, realizing something about the nature of Balkor himself.
“An undying realm,” Theo said, gritting his teeth. The idea that Hoi’ch, the Undying Realm, had survived gave him chills.
“Why are you here? To kill me? Send me back into that cycle of unlife?” Balkor asked. He spun around, a confusing mixture of rage and sadness flashing across his face. “I suppose you think you’ve finally turned the tables on the evil demon lord, don’t you? Strike me down, then. We’ve seen what happens.”
"I think you misunderstand the reason for my visit," Theo said. "I don't view the fallen ascendants as anything more than lost souls, and you're no different. You're just wandering, waiting for the change and hoping to have a clean break from that old life. I get it. Even Zagmon has gone into hiding. Can you imagine being the demon god of war and then turning your tail and hiding in a hole somewhere? Don’t think I haven’t put the pieces together concerning your plot with Khahar. You helped create the rift that brought the Thrones of Power into existence, forcing the system’s hand.”
Theo waited to see if Balkor had a response, but he didn’t.
“Whatever happened on the mortal plane happened out of circumstance,” Theo said. “You’re the reason we’re able to restart the world in the first place, even if you are an asshole. The only thing I need to know is what to do with the things you’ve left behind.”
Balkor seemed reluctant to speak at first, but Theo could see his anger fading. More than that anger going away, the alchemist sensed something within the former ascendant fading away. It was a buildup of power that revealed he had already created his own system of power. Leave it to someone as craft as him to find a way to ascend again. The alchemist had trouble keeping his thoughts off of Balkor’s motives, instead focusing on a way forward. A way to deal with the phylacteries.
“I expected death,” Balkor grumbled, turning to look back into the surrounding jungle. “I came here to die again.”
“Die on your own time. I need to purge the mortal realm of your realm’s energy,” Theo said. “We have a system to remove errant energies, but the bits of your soul are making it hard.”
"You seek to destroy my creations?" Balkor asked, frowning slightly. "I suppose they would be rather inconvenient for your current task. But I can't say it will be easy."
"Yeah, and you're not hanging out here while we wait for it to happen," Theo said, grabbing the ex-ascendant by the arm. "I hope you're done with your work here because you're heading back to my planet."
Without waiting for him to confirm, Theo dropped them both into the void and zipped over to Tero’gal. They landed at Boar Hollow, gaining the attention of a surprised Belgar.
“Oh. You’re just dragging former gods to your realm,” Belgar said with a nervous laugh. “Cool.”
Balkor grumbled.
“He stays in Boar Hollow,” Theo said. “How about we talk about destroying those old pieces of you.”
“You’ll let me go after that?” Balkor asked. “I suppose that works for me.”
Theo had no intention of letting him scatter in the wind. If Balkor really wanted to hide, he could have. Well, until the alchemist restricted his movement through the realms.
“Let’s talk about what I need to do,” Theo said, patting the man on the shoulder. “Belgar, wanna have some tea?”
“I’d love some tea,” Belgar said, scampering off. Theo and Balkor followed after.
