5.26 - Twist

5.26 - Twist

The one-eyed elf wore dark leather that hugged his form. Wrapped around his shoulder was a tattered black cloak, hood pulled up over his head. The stone mask he wore on his face was etched, chunks chipped away in some places. His lone eye stared at Theo, a deep shade of purple that burned with passion. Both Sarisa and Rowan had gone to summon their weapons, only stopping when the elf made no move.

Have a seat, Theo said, gesturing to the empty seat at his table. He removed a [Greater Potion of Limited Foresight] and drank it, watching as his companions did the same.

Surface liquor? the elf asked, sagging into his chair. His shoulders slumped, breaths coming in sharp gasps.

Naturally. The beer down here isnt to our liking.

Nor is it to anyones, Id wager.

What kind of information do you have? Theo asked, drumming his fingers on the table. And whats the price?

Theo could hear the smile in the mans voice when he spoke next. Astute. First, allow me to introduce myself. I know how you are, Archduke Theo, but you may call me Twist.

Nice to meet you, Twist.

Indeed. I was tasked with killing Fenian Southblade before he claimed the Throne of the Herald. As he has claimed the throne, slipping out of my grasp, Ive abandoned my duty.

Theo instinctively reached for a dagger hidden in his coat, stopping only when he saw Twists inaction. A Wisdom of the Soul message popped up.

[Wisdom of the Soul]

It is likely that this man was sent by King Karasan to assassinate Fenian Feintleaf. He speaks Qavelli purposefully. He knows about the throne, but didnt state that he wanted to claim it.

More information is required to draw a conclusion on what his intentions are, though.

Youre well-informed, Theo said, relaxing slightly.

I have my methods, Twist said, coughing into his mask. I wish I could have seen them fight. Such a shame that the elf is stuck in Balkors realm.

Theo half-expected Khahar to show up, clamping a hand over the masked elfs mouth. But nothing happened. He knew too much to be a normal dweller of the underground. Everything he said was pointed and undisguised.

How do you know this? I have my methods isnt a valid answer.

Twist broke into a coughing fit. He rolled his shoulders, nodding. People always want answers, dont they? Fine. Im a failed ascendant. Former servant of Balkor. I removed his core when he fell, cursing me. Been climbing ever since

Twist coughed some more, stifling any more words that begged release. Theo was left feeling dumbstruck. He realized quickly that the elf was being honest because he needed help. But what did it mean to help a former servant of Balkor? He couldnt decide if it was a good idea. Since Twist was being so forthcoming with information, it didnt hurt to ask.

So, what do you need from me? In exchange for this information you have.

Ah, well I need transport to the place where Qavell once was.

That sounds like a riddle, Theo said with a sigh.

Twist shrugged. Do you think the undead were limited to the surface? The corruption is spreading to the underground. Its only a matter of time before even this town is overrun. There. Thats free information. Can you get me where I need to go?

Theo only offered a shrug at first. Eventually, he said after a pause. But it might take a while. The path from Gronro to Qavell is long. Every step is corrupted.

An honorable promise, Twist said, reaching his hand out for Theo to shake.

Theo shook the elfs hand, finding his grip to be firm. We can formalize this agreement with a contract.

Later, Twist said, falling into a coughing fit once more. He tilted the bottom of his mask up, spitting onto the ground. First Prince Hanan is headed for Broken Tusk. Hes being coerced into doing so by another. I dont know who.

Rowan laughed. He would need an army to attack the alliance.

And he has one.

And the means to cross the corrupted lands.

He has that, too.

Theo leaned in, narrowing his eyes at Twist. How?

He lifted the entire city into the air, Twist said, letting out a satisfied sigh. A feat of his Dark Coresmiths, I think. Qavell itself is flying toward your alliance.

Theo fell back into his chair. Yeah, that would be a problem. Taking out a fleet of airships was one thing, but an entire city? Nuking it was easy enough, but he had to consider the civilians within. After a few more moments of contemplation, he nodded to himself. This was still within Broken Tusks means to repel. The alchemist opened his administrative panel, issuing direct orders to Zankir. He detailed what Twist had told him, and issued new orders. Instead of launching deadly loads, they would only fire anti-magic rounds at the city. That would reduce casualties to a minimum. From there, theyd figure the rest out.

This is valuable information, Theo said. Youre giving it so freely.

Sure, of course. But look at this, first. The wizard beckoned Theo closer, gesturing to a cluster of sigils floating in the air. The [Dungeon Information] upgrade you got for the town has done a lot for my research.

Really? Theo stepped closer, pretending he studied the magical language of Axpashi as much as Xolsa thought he did. I thought it only added stuff for me.

It reveals useful information from anywhere. I dont need to go to the dungeon to inspect it anymore.

That was very useful. It was always annoying taking Xolsa to the dungeons for inspection. Looking at the scatter of magical symbols reminded Theo of the [Cave Dungeon] below his town. He shivered at the thought, turning to his friend to question him. About that high-level dungeon

Yes, that was very interesting. Wasnt it?

Worrying, actually.

An ascendant dungeon? Why, I could never imagine such a thing.

Doesnt that imply some level of sapience from the dungeon? Like, isnt it alive?

Good question. Maybe. Ask your godly friends if you want an answer. All I know is it seems safe.

How can you be sure?

The dragon clears it daily, Xolsa said, nodding to himself. In your interface, you see a limited readout for the dungeon. I get the full picture. She has cleared all 100 floors every day for at least ten years. The record only goes back so far.

Theo shook his head, only moderately disappointed that Xolsa had missed the most important part. And what happens when someone places a powerful thing near our town? It goes wrong. Or right. I guess it depends.

Bah, who cares? Well collapse the mine if the dungeon goes rampant. Oh. Right. Did you have a question.

Theos mind had been flung in different directions, forcing him to take a second before he pressed on. There were a few things he wanted to ask the wizard, and a gift to deliver. To start, he withdrew the [Intelligence of the Soul] potion from his inventory and held it out. A look of excitement spread across Xolsas face as he grabbed the potion.

I forgot! Oh, youre my new best friend, Theo.

Yeah. Just be ready for the side-effects. You might notice a drastic personality change.

Understood.

As for my question

Theo explained what he knew about the problem of Qavell flying down south. The wizard didnt seem half as surprised as he should have been, going straight into magical theory. The speech was long, and overly dry. After he was done ranting, the alchemist let his mind condense the information. If someone were to abuse their [Kingdom Core], hooking into it and using it as a power source, they could perform many interesting feats of magic. A flying city might have been a bit much for the power the seed core would provide, but it was within reach.

And it would experience a dramatic level of interference from Balkors power.

At least he was concise on that point.

Meaning the route to the east is likely, Theo concluded.

Right. I wouldnt fly the damned thing at all. But theres some mysterious figure pushing the prince into action? Hard to imagine who it could be.

Who knows? I might need your help working on anti-magic weapons to bring the city down, though.

Xolsa cocked his head to one side, an amusing expression spreading across his face. And what will you do once youve downed it?

Theo could only hope that when the time came, he could bring the city down safely. After that, they could deal with deposing the prince. Or the guy pulling the strings. Until then, it was only a matter of bringing them to heel. Xolsa seemed to take that as a fine response, rambling on about the work he had been doing with the dungeons. After the latest rant, they brainstormed on the best way to approach bringing a flying city down.

The rail gun was likely the best delivery method in existence. Flinging spells at a distance was a problem. But tossing something imbued with a spell was relatively easy. The only thing required for using the rail gun was something that could handle the stress of being launched, and a ward. While Xolsas specialty was magic, he could offer nothing else to issue. Theos specialized wardCing core put him ahead of the wizard for this problem. But he promised to get involved if the city drew close to Broken Tusk.

Where is Zarali? Theo asked, realizing that she wasnt around.

Oh, those ruffians at the harbor hired her for a job. Enchanting the new boats, you know.

Huh. Alright, then.

Xolsa wasnt one to chat unless he had something to chat about. Once he had expelled all the information he had about the dungeons, he went silent. Theo let himself out of the tower, finding his way through the portal and back to town. There was a moderate buzz rippling through the citizens, especially those with the Adventurers Guild. Word had gotten out immediately, the way it always did. Folks already know that Qavell was coming to attack.

Nothing new, Theo muttered, turning away from the shimmering portal.

The alchemist headed down to the harbor, then along the canal to the seaside defensive area. He found his way to one tower, nodding to an adventurer as he climbed the last steps. The half-ogre on station nodded back, then departed from his post without question. Theo looked upon the newest model of Throks rail guns. It had changed little from the first prototype, leaving little room to think of new ideas. These were the weapons they had to fight against Qavell.

[Dragons Antimagic], a combination of the [Dragons Dance] and [Anti-mage] wards, seemed purpose-built to stop a flying city. The field it created lashed out with blades, injuring anything or anyone inside. But the second effect was more important. It stopped magical items from operating for a certain time. The potency of the ward might not be enough to affect an entire city, but there was a reason people didnt zip around in flying machines all the time. They were often very vulnerable to anti-magical effects.

Theo let out a steady breath, looking out over the bay. He had done everything he could to prepare. But it was still worth testing his Drogramathi Iron shots. The explosions from his wards looked awesome if he hit the distant mountains just right.