4.24 - Big Ideas

4.24 - Big Ideas

Theo sat with Tresk and Alex in their booth at the Marsh Wolf Tavern. People came and went outside their little bubble, but they paid little attention. The goose had given a series of requests, mostly for bugs and new worms shed never eaten. The Marshling had trouble convincing her that the worms they had were the best worms.

The alchemist wasnt so sure. He occupied himself with the north-facing window of their booth. If he popped the window open, craning his neck outside, he could see the artificers workshop. Throk had piles of gears and other stuff that looked like junk outside. Pieces of the old Southblade artifice guardian that he hadnt yet found use for. Other strange devices were strewn about with little thought to organization.

Close the damn window! Xam shouted beyond the booth.

Theo snapped it shut, turning to gape through the narrow entrance of their booth.

Youre letting all the air out, Tresk said.

Throks first round of projects had been useful for the town. Between his skills as an artificer and his genius in smithing, the man had saved them more than a few times. Now hed gone into some insane spiral of strange inventions. Things that Theo had no name for. Or a use. This morning the Marshling tinkerer had assembled vast lengths of pipes, each with a whirring artifice in the center of the span.

Gotta be pumps, Theo said, watching as the angry blacksmith slammed a hammer against the side of a pipe. It rumbled ominously.

For what, though?

Tresk shrugged.

Hes your dad. Theo picked at his food, pushing aside the things he didnt like. But the trader had brought with him a tomato-like thing. Slightly more bitter and acidic than the version on Earth, it was good. Chopped and mixed into a Pozwa egg omelet, and it was even better. The alchemist thought the addition of diced Zee was a bit much.

Good luck figuring his brain out. Did he ever work on our airships?

Theo was certain he explained this. Too complicated. I was thinking of adding artifices to our boats.

Im down to ride some speed boats, Tresk laughed.

Theo tapped his foot rapidly, a thought entering his mind. That was the most dangerous thing for the alchemist to experience. An errant thought that sent his mind spiraling down unending passages. He imagined an airship flying from the north. From Karasans seat of power in Qavell. Or the east, where the Elves called home.

Air defense, Theo said.

Huh?

Were lacking air defense. Throk worked on that potion sprayer. Maybe he can come up with a new idea. A potion cannon.

Youre always talking about potions. Potion this. Potion that. When are we gonna talk about stabbing?

A stabbing cannon? Theo asked. A cannon that fires knives?

Go on.

Theo shrugged. He wasnt being serious about the idea. You can read my thoughts. Better than I can read yours.

Yeah, youre right. Just seems impolite.

When has that stopped you before?

Man, youre on a roll today! Tresk shouted. Alright. Airships, right? I see a few problems. I can see the air defense weapons in your memory. Those ones you disabled in Berlin. How did those work?

When Theo first arrived in Broken Tusk, he never wanted to think about those things. War was hell, and hed divorced himself from all of its bloody trappings. But when he cast his mind back to that operation, he didnt feel the same sick sense in his stomach. He saw the memory through a clinical lens.

We destroyed the Berlin alliance with a kinetic bombardment, Theo started, sipping his tea. They used two methods to defend against this. The first was to intercept whatever orbital platform we used, and the other was an air defense cannon. Do you know what electricity is? Plasma?

Uh. I get the idea, Tresk shrugged.

Anyway. They would shoot whatever was in the sky out of the sky. Easy as that. They used a big particle beam cannon to do it. I dont know exactly how they worked, but we wont be using Earth science. Well hurl big hunks of metal, or potions. Doesnt matter.

Sounds like a weapon of war.

Yeah, were past that. If Throk can make magic pumps, magic fires, and all that crap he can make something that speeds up a round to absurd speeds, Theo said.

Then you just have to worry about operating the artifice. Training, Tresk said.

Theo tapped his foot faster on the wooden floor. He didnt know if this was the right move, but it seemed like a fools game to ignore Throks skills. When the air-based monsters came to attack, they were always at a disadvantage. But those monsters always descended to attack, resulting in their demise from the towers. What if a target was too far away for them to attack?

A dark thought entered Theos mind. What if they could put something in orbit? What if they could strike at Karasan without leaving Broken Tusk? He pushed the thought away.

Yeah, lets not do that, Tresk said, reading his thoughts. Youre quickly entering the realm of war crimes.

Theo nodded. Well stick to defensive measures. Think Throk will be pissed if I ask him to build something for me?

Maybe. Worth a shot.

I need to check up on his sprayer project, anyway, Theo said. Got any plans?

Bugs, Alex said.

Alright. Report directly to me when youre ready. Ill smooth everything over with my Lady Administrator.

Throk snorted a laugh, then pushed past Theo without another word. The alchemist left the workshop, finding Alex picking through the sparse grass for bugs. She joined him as he headed back to the lab. Although he intended to work on his new potions, he arrived at the lab to find Salire ready with a list of things to work on. Miltar had put in a request. A massive request.

You told him these were off-limits, right? Theo asked.

There was a sign on the counter that read We do NOT sell bombs. Miltar had still requested them.

He offered to pay an absurd price, Salire said with a shrug.

Theo had never sold a bomb. He didnt have a price to give for the bombs. But Salire had invented a price for the defensive-style bombs. Bombs like the [Freezebomb]. Miltar had offered 10 silver each. The alchemist rubbed his eyes until he saw spots, shifting and glowing in his vision.

No. Hell have to be happy with the 1,000 other potions he ordered, Theo said, grimacing. He really ordered a thousand potions? Are you kidding?

He paid upfront. Outsider pricing, Alise said, dumping a massive pile of gold onto the front desk.

100 gold coins. Youre joking, Theo said, pulling 10 coins to the side. He took the other 90 into his inventory.

Yep. Im a good salesgirl.

Damn right. Okay, Theo said, freezing on the spot. I need

Reagents.

Right. Okay. Reagents, Theo said, darting out the front door and behind the building. He saw his [Lesser Plant Golems] working.

Upon seeing the alchemist, the golems sent a mental message into the lodestone network. They were low on [Mana Constructs]. To the point where the [Lesser Copper Golem] had shut down earlier that morning. Theo hadnt noticed.

Damn, alright guys, Theo said, adding more [Manashrooms] to his inventory. Give me five minutes.

Theo darted back into the shop, his inventory filled with everything hed need to fulfill the request.

How long is MIltar still in town? Theo asked.

Not sure, Salire responded, falling back into her chair.

Im taking this with me, Theo said, holding the order form up. Alex, lets go.

Alex honked, joining Theo as he fell through the realms. The pair passed over the Bridge for only a moment. It was far more calm than it had been in the past. He caught a flash of something in the distance, over that shadowy bridge, but it seemed normal. The alchemist popped his shoes off the moment he landed in Terogal, feeling the soft grass under his feet. He didnt hesitate, heading directly for his three stills.

An archway of stone and ice appeared near the wheat field. Theo had already put on his first batch of [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] for the order of [Healing Pills]. Benton stepped from his realm, shaking ice from his shaggy coat. He stood there in the faux-sunlight for some time before approaching the alchemist.

Been a hell of a few days, the bear god said.

Alex honked in agreement, offering no words.

Tell me about it, Theo said, adjusting the heat on his stills. Did your realm suffer from the weird ghosts?

Nothing I couldnt handle, Benton said. We only had a few stray wraiths. I saw the chaos on the mortal plane, though. As far north as Gora Sat.

Theo paused his work. Gora Sat was the name the Toora people used to describe their home. It was a mountain range north of Qavell. The alchemist was horrible at estimating distance, but that was at least a thousand miles away.

They made it that far? Theo asked. They originated in Broken Tusk. My town.

Of course you were the source of the problem, Benton said, clapping a hand on Theos back. Why am I not surprised?

But youre serious. They were at the World Spine?

Yep. Just a handful, but they caused some problems with my people. Benton withdrew a stone chair from nowhere, setting it down on the ground with a thud. He sat, withdrawing a knife and a length of bone from his inventory.

Did you help them?

Nope. New rules.

A memory flashed in Theos mind. UzXulven said something to that effect when he was almost assassinated. She said that she wouldnt agree to a new set of rules. Now that was interesting.

The gods got a system message, didnt they? Someone changed the rules of how you can interact with the mortal world, Theo said.

Well, we can use a vessel to visit. It has to be our champion, and we pay a high price to do so. Godly resources, you know.

Theo paused his work. Zarali had channeled the power of Drogramath to heal during the ghost attack. Was that considered channeling the god?

Who set the new rules? Was it just the system? Theo asked. But he already knew the answer.

Yeah, some new guy. A brand new ascendant that the system called the Arbiter. It said he was always supposed to exist, and that he now enforced the rules of being a god.

Theo tapped his finger on an empty vial. Now that is interesting.