6.10 - Potent Poisons

6.10 - Potent Poisons

Theo walked through the swamp with Sarisa and Rowan for the remainder of that day. Something he learned about this area was the expansiveness of it. The swamp behind Broken Tusk went on for miles. While the mountains in all directions but east were visible from Xol’sa’s towers, approaching them was another matter. The group fell through the wizard’s portal after an uneventful day, removing layers of mud with Cleansing Scrub.

“I’m not cooking,” Sarisa said, flicking her hands through the air. No mud clung to her skin, but it didn’t stop her from acting like she was still caked in the putrid mix. “I’ll grab something from Xam.”

Rowan wasn’t in a talking mood, giving Theo time to plot his next move. There was much testing to be done, and even more scouting of the swamp. He considered contracting the adventurers in town to search the swamp, but that would end poorly. Over-excited half-ogres would pluck the reagents from the ground, blowing themselves up. It was a problem for another time. The Dreamwalk was where he focused his attention.

Sarisa returned some time later with karatan steaks and poached pozwa eggs. Theo chatted with both Tresk and Alex about their day, finding the pair to be more inseparable by the day. When he scanned the marshling’s memories, he found more than a few strange dreams she had visited. Without informing anyone, she was searching the globe and making a list of people she was interested in. That included people she thought would move against them, and others that sought to stop the burgeoning nation.

“Then there’s the cultists,” Tresk said, punctuating the thought by stabbing her fork through the air. “We should get working on the commune before they get here.”

Theo flicked through Tresk’s memories, finding dreams from cultists dedicated to Tero’gal. Unfortunately, they were a doomsday cult. The worst kind of cult.

“This might have been information I could have used earlier.” Theo’s tone was flat.

“Meh. They’re dreams. I can’t tell if anyone is sailing for Broken Tusk or if they’re just dreaming about it. But... Hooray! We have cultists!”

“Hooray cults!” Theo said, almost involuntary. He tried not to be grumpy when things took a turn sideways.

Dinner was excellent. Theo found that his appetite was greatly increased after trudging through the swamp. He was more than a little eager to get into the Dreamwalk to test his theory about exploiting the system. Something deep inside him said it was too much of a stretch for the pseudo realm. But he had to try.

Theo, Tresk, and Alex slipped into the Dreamwalk with no issues. When the alchemist turned, intending to start his experimentation, the marshling stopped him.

“Check out my new trick,” she said, gesturing to the sky.

A shimmering image appeared in the blue sky above. They had landed just outside of an imagined Broken Tusk. The river rushed by and clouds crawled a lazy path above. Theo watched as the image shifted, projecting someone’s dreams. It was in the first-person, but depicted someone on a ship. He didn’t recognize the coastline, but the ship moved at a decent clip.

“That’s one of the cult guys. I don’t know how that works, but they’re feeling your plan.”

Theo grumbled. “What good is a secret plan if everyone knows about the secret plan?”

“Not everyone. Just a few... enthusiastic folks.”

“Speaking of your plan... Can you do it?”

Theo turned, smiling at the goose. He blinked a few times. When had she grown so large? The goose had grown from the size of a small donkey to the size of a horse. How the hell was she fitting into the manor, let alone any other buildings. He cleared his throat, pushing the thought aside.

“I can take us away from the mortal realm right now. All three of us, and maybe a few others. But there’s a missing piece. An anchor.”

“Those damned space elves, huh?” Tresk grumbled. “Why is it always the elves?”

Theo’s plan had been formulated long ago. Only when he heard of the heisted world crystals did he realize what he needed to make that plan work. He suspected those shards were the things that he could use to bind his will to. Like the lodestones he used to control his golems, they were anchor points. Once those were in place, each part of his plan would come together. The core from Zaul, his enhanced willpower, and his connection to Tero’gal would allow him to keep a piece of this life he had come to love. Perhaps he could even clone a part of the system...

Theo cleared his throat. “Does Emperor Kuzan dream?”

Tresk flicked her hand through the air. A dark miasma appeared in the sky. “Home boy knows how to shield his mind from me.”

“If only someone could enter his dreams,” Theo said with a wink.

“Yeah, any luck finding the Dreamwalker’s Throne?”

“I’m almost certain the space elves took it. Or it was cast into the void. I can feel it calling to me, but that’s it. The thread that connects me to it is intense. Which means the thing is distant.”

“So, the void. Sweet. I don’t like the void.”

Theo swiped his hand, shifting the scene. The group floated in his interpretation of the void. The Bridge and a wall of ribbons lingered far in the distance. “We don’t see it the same way.”

“We sure as hell don’t.” Tresk spat, watching as a globule of spit sailed into the distance. “Where are the elves?”

“One has to wonder if this was the plan,” Tresk said, tapping her chin. “Oh well! Food time!”

Theo jogged down the stairs to get his breakfast. Tresk just shadow-jumped from the top to the bottom, eating her food so quickly that Sarisa didn’t notice she was there to begin with. The alchemist sat, thanking his guardian for the meal before digging in.

“Are we going back to the swamp this morning?” Sarisa asked, her tone completely flat. She plopped down into a seat, sighing.

“No. I’ll create a golem army first.”

“Yay. Authoritarian golem army,” Rowan said.

Once breakfast was done, Theo made good on his word. He created the necessary constructs, containment cores, and piles of metal required for a small golem army. He considered asking Zarali for lodestones, but realized he didn’t need them. His willpower had become vast enough that the nearby golems didn’t need it. With some effort, the army of twenty golems rose in flames. That drew some attention from those passing by, but Theo just smiled at them. He spread his willpower of the group and issued them a series of commands.

“Off we go,” Theo said, following behind the army.

“What’s going on?” Salire asked, jogging out from the Newt and Demon. “By Drogramath’s shiny baubles... Are you going to war?”

“Are you picking up Drogramath-themed idioms?” Theo asked, looking back to smile at his apprentice. He could barely feel the strain of so many golems on his willpower. “No. Not war. Just prevention.”

Theo’s plan was to insert the golems into Qavell. Not to suppress the people there, but protect them. Maybe that’s what all dictators said, but most Earth-based despots didn’t have weird morphing creatures to deal with. The troupe marched along the coast, passing through the harbor to reach the causeway. The alchemist guided them up the ramp that had been built and into the city. The guards near the entrance gave him a look, but could do nothing to stop him.

“If you could just tell us what you’re doing, archduke,” one guard said, jogging up alongside the procession. “Maybe I won’t get thrown into the sea for letting an army in.”

Theo smiled at the flustered guard. “They’re going to defend the people here. And keep an eye on... the king.”

“Right... uh... okay.”

Salire followed Theo all the way to the palace. He had given orders to certain golems to patrol the city. And they could do so forever, so long as Throk’s generators didn’t break. The group approached the palace. One golem threw open the door and marched in. King Hanan shot to his feet, producing a sword from nowhere and lunging at the first metal golem. The sword scraped against the golem’s skin harmlessly.

“Calm down, king,” Theo said. “I’ve got some guards for you.”

“For me?” Hanan asked. The advisor that he was talking to had already fled. “How... kind? Is this kind? Are you going to kill me?”

“Of course not. I’m assigning two golems to watch you, two to patrol the palace, and one to remain in the control room. There’s another fifteen patrolling the streets. Just in case, you know?”

“Just in case,” Hanan repeated, wiping his brow.

“I’m going to check on the kingdom core. Oh! Have you met my apprentice?” Theo said, gesturing to Salire behind him. “She’s quite good.”

Salire blushed, bowing to the king.

“Oh, I’m quite certain I haven’t,” the king said, slicking back his hair.

Theo pressed forward as Salire stammered. Maybe she was taken aback by the king’s grace, or just nervous about talking to a leader. Whatever the case, it gave him a chance to inspect the kingdom core. He marched with two golems, feeling that both Sarisa and Rowan were near. They delved into the depths of the city, arriving at the ritual room before long. The wards held firm, but dark energy still radiated from the corrupted core.

“What do you suppose that means?” Theo asked, passing through his shimmering ward to inspect the core closer. His golems, Sarisa, and Rowen remained outside.

“What exactly do you mean?” Rowan shouted from afar.

Theo gestured the half-ogres closer, and they came. They got a good look at the core’s monolith, but retreated. The alchemist gave them a flat look, clicking his tongue. Moments later, the pair were skittering back, jaws clenched as they passed through the shimmering barrier.

“Did it look like that before?” Rowan asked. He spoke as though he was holding his breath.

Theo traced his finger along the length of the monolith. The dark energy remained, but there was something strange. Purple striations had spread through the corruption, cutting it in places. The alchemist stepped back as a Wisdom of the Soul message popped up.

“Oh, yeah. I think you’re right... Seems like my Venom potion is more potent than I thought.”