Chapter 49: Chasing Dreams. (Patreon)

Chapter 49: Chasing Dreams.

I was back in the mansion’s courtyard.

Looking up to see a blue sun floating on a crimson sky.

The flowers in the hedges were whispering among themselves. Giggling at my confusion.

My feet moved around the premises. Taking in the alien scenery while making my way around.

“Back already?” A voice called out from the nearby gazebo.

A sigh escaped my lips.

“Man, why are you still here? Isn’t it enough that I have to worry about keeping my new group together? Why do I have to deal with your nonsense on top of that?”

The thing pretending to be a woman balked.

“You act as if this is the first or second time we’ve met. You really shouldn’t be surprised anymore.”

I placed a weary palm on my forehead, trying to soother away the stress.

“What do you want?”

“To help you, of course. I’ve said as much every time you’ve asked. My answer isn’t going to change anytime soon. Why do you refuse to believe me?”

“You sowed my mouth shut!”

“That was ages ago darling. And I only did it so you’d realize what being a Shifter meant. Its not my fault that you’re slow on the uptake.”

“You’re a monster.”

It chuckled, before shrugging noncommittally.

“I’ve been called worse by better men than you.”

“I wonder why?”

The mirthful snickering continued for a few minutes. Uninterrupted as I stood over it in a huff.

“Your petulance is remarkable darling. Its one of the things I love the most about you. Why, I would even go so far as to say that its even more endearing than your, oh so earnest effort.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, don’t play coy dear. I’m speaking about your efforts to become an Enhancer. All that exercise and physical conditioning for no results.”

“I wouldn’t say there weren’t results.”

Not only had my hums and team abilities increased; my body was more toned now than ever before in my life.

Granted, most of those gains had come from Buddy’s constant feeding, coupled with my rigorous uphill climbing spree over the past month. However, the last few days had made it so that all the muscles I’d acquired bulged outwards like pale balloons.

The changes were so extreme that I was pretty sure I could have given Henry a run for his money if we compared our bodies as they were now.

True, it wasn’t really a factor in recent fights.

Not when I had Dolce or Cherub or Dusty at the ready, but it did help with my self-esteem.

And I did feel like I was getting close to a breakthrough.

“You realize those improvements come from your friends? The one who turns his symbiote into the bunny costume and the scaled girl. If it weren’t for their constant healing your muscles wouldn’t have developed so quickly. Telepathic healing simply isn’t as potent. Even at higher Tiers.”

“I’m aware. I make sure to thank them every time.”

“And you don’t believe learning from me could, expedite this process?”

“Oh absolutely. You’ve probably forgotten more about Shifter abilities than other experts have learned in their entire lives. That doesn’t mean learning from you is a good idea though. I’m still getting Faustian vibes. Maybe its because you’re pretending to be human while not acting like one; or maybe its because you sowed my mother(Gnome)ing mouth shut. Hard to tell.”

It rolled its eyes so hard they actually spun out of their sockets. I jumped back, cursing, only to watch as new ones grew in their place.

The thing pretending to be human, tittered.

“Oh, come now. You aren’t seriously going to begrudge me some entertainment, are you?”

I was too stunned to say anything back.

Instead, I sat down and begun to massage my temple.

“When are these dreams going to stop?”

It shrugged.

“I suppose that depends on how long it takes you to absorb me. It would be faster if you actively sought to process my teachings. As it is, it could be years. Or decades.”

“That long?”

It turned its head to face me.

Genuine confusion marring its features.

“You know, that isn’t too long a time. Most geniuses out there in the greater Labyrinth would kill their entire families to have a chance like this one. I’ve been playful so far, but the lack of awareness you’re showing is really starting to irritate me.”

“How so?”

It spread its arms wide, growing small snake heads from each of tis fingers.

“I am the Seeking Drake. Embodiment of vicissitude. One of the most feared Savants in the entire multiverse. Whole galaxies have trembled at my passing and kings prostrate themselves before me no matter where I tread.”

“Right. I understand that. Others fearing you doesn’t come as a surprise. I’m about to have an accident in my pants right now and I know this isn’t real. That still doesn’t explain why I should be thankful for your presence.”

It paused. Seemingly unsure of how to proceed.

“Very well. Let us go back a few steps and go over our introductions once more. Who do you think I am?”

“You just told me your name. Or an alias. You’re Seeking Drake.”

“No.” it said.

Using a tone that summoned goosebumps all over my skin.

“I am not Seeking Drake. I am THE Seeking Drake. I am called thus because the act of seeking is what I am and a Drake is what I hope to become.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Of course you don’t. Solomon. You do not have the context. Please allow me to elucidate your ignorance.” 

Its shell had grown spines. Piercing right through the fabric of its sundress. It didn’t look like it had meant to do that.

This conversation was proving more emotionally taxing than it had realized.

“In my old culture. Amidst my old species. There was a fable. A story of greed and jealousy. There was a worm, or a creature that resembled one of your earth-borne variants, that wanted to walk. So, it fashioned legs for itself. The worm rejoiced, only to suffer indignity after indignity as it realized all the other animals made japes about it. Its peers could fly and swim and run, while all it could do was saunter about. Making a fool of itself by forgetting its place. The worm grew envious of the other animals and took their strong legs and wings and fins for itself. It grew larger. Fatter. Until it was so large that none of the other animals dared to insult it.”

The thing smiled warmly.

“It flew and swam and burrowed. Happy at its apotheosis. That was, until lighting rained down from the heavens. It would seem that, in its hubris, the worm had overreached. Its envy angered the divines, who scoffed at this lowly worm not knowing its place. The Drake represented the usurpation of the natural order. Unimaginable avarice made flesh. They struck down the worm and all animals rejoiced at the justice the heavens had brought. The end.”

I remained silent for a few more seconds. Speaking only when I was sure it wasn’t going to follow up.

“That sounds like a depressing story.”

“It is a depressing story. A cautionary tale to keep the youths of my home world in line. My species had a very strict caste system, you see. One that saw all efforts towards self-improvement as blasphemous. Worms should stay worms. My old bullies would say. Their sentiments were echoed by all our major religions, so hardly anyone found the courage to challenge the high and mighty.”

Its grin turned predatory.

“The Tutorial changed all of that. I sought wings and fins and strong legs to see me to the end of my journey. When my betters tried to stop me, I killed them. Then I kept going. Growing larger and larger with no hesitation. I saw the Drake within hazy visions and knew that it was me. I saw its fate and knew that I could overcome it. I would not be struck down by the rich and influential chattel! Those fools languishing in palaces when the rest of us starved! I am the one who Seeks. That is my purpose and my identity. It encapsulates all that it means to be a Shifter.”

Its form changed, no longer resembling a human. Instead, it looked like some manner of furry centaur. Like some horrid capybara with six limbs instead of four.

“This was me, when I was weak. When I was young and foolish. Hardly any different from the way you are now.”

One of its furry paws opened to reveal short stubby fingers, one of which was pointing at me.

“You should be thankful because I am the best teacher you could have hope for. I am as potent a Shifter as the other you was as a Telepath. I embody my talents. All of them. The flesh keeps no secrets from me.”

It paused, quivering in what might have been excitement or madness.

“And the reason I am thankful is that a part of me will live on in you. You who embody all that it means to be a Telepath. I am the one who Seeks. You are the one that Controls. Alone, we would be Savants. Feared and respected, but lacking the means to ascend. To truly forge a complete crown. Together, we might just stand a chance.”

“Okay, hold up. First of all, you’re making me sound like some insane control freak. Which I am not. I mean, yes, I do like my things organized and my surroundings tidy. That doesn’t translate into me being completely obsessed over the concept. Secondly, you’ve been calling me a Savant for a while now. I know what that means in my world, and I know what the other me said about it being a sort-of, specialized Esper. You seem to think it means something else and you’ve failed to tell me.”

Many mouths opened along its torso and down its sides and back.

All of them licked their lips.

“Oh Sully. Sweet, foolish Sully. Of course you’re an insane control freak. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have developed an ability that so perfectly enslaved others. Your fellows could not copy you because they cannot even conceive of the value you place on control. On total, unquestioned control.”

It paused to meander about.

Re-shaping itself into a human man.

“Consider this, how much harm has that Randall person caused? How many lives has he ended? Wouldn’t it be nice if he just, stopped?”

“I’m not a murderer! I’m a good person!” I shouted before I could catch myself.

The white-haired man tittered. Wagging one of its fingers.

“Of course you’re not! You don’t believe in ending lives. You believe in…what was the word you humans used? Ah, yes. Rehabilitation. You want to change Randall. To make him act the way you want, instead of the way he wants.”

“That’s not….!”

“True? Then why did you say you wanted to share memories a few days ago? Why did you discount the possibility of killing him while jumping at the chance to change him?”

“Making someone see the error of their ways is not evil! If it was, the whole justice system would be evil!”

It put its hands up.

“Sully! You wound me! I never said your actions were evil! Why, that would go against my firm beliefs!”

I paused, trying to sense any deception.

“Really?”

“Of course! I am a firm believer in the fact that might makes right. You are stronger than Randall, so you can do whatever you want to him. Personally, I’d rather show mercy to a foe by killing them instead of enslaving them, but you do you.”

I stopped. Feeling my face reddening.

“How could you say that!? How could killing people be better than talking things out!?”

It fell on its side.

Bursting with laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHA! OH, THAT’S RICH! You actually think what you do is talking things out! HAHAHAHAHA!”

My fists clenched.

So tightly that I could feel my nails digging into my skin.

It had pretended to laugh before now. Making the noises over and over again in order to simulate mirth. This wasn’t the same.

This was true laughter. A mockery that came from the heart.

Or whatever passed for a heart inside this thing.

“Stop that. Stop that!” I kicked it.

It kept laughing.

So, I kicked it again.

It kept laughing and I kept kicking. The pattern repeating for another four or five minutes until it started getting back up.

“You’re honestly such a fool. Worrying about morality with your powerset.”

“What’s so bad about it huh? You literally told me you turn people into chairs!”

“For the last time, there’s nothing bad about it! Its just that you’re a massive hypocrite!”

It waved a hand in front of itself to cut off my reply.

“Consider this; the worst I could possibly do to someone is to harm and twist their body. That’s it. Yes, death if frightening to some, but its as natural as anything else in the universe. Death is the great equalizer. The one constant all mortals share until they reach Ascension. Everything out there kills in some form or another. Plants kill other plants by taking nutrients from the soil before their rivals can grow. Fungal colonies kill other fungal colonies by doing the same, only with cadavers or plants. Herbivores kill plants to live and carnivores kill herbivores in turn. Life itself is about killing and constant evolution through stress and environmental pressures. Life changes because it wants to live and it lives by outcompeting other forms of life. It is nature at its most raw and beautiful. In contrast…”

I brought up a bony finger.

Its nail elongating into a raptor’s talon as it pointed at me.

“You do not assault the body. You scour the mind. The very soul. Have you not considered what you did to the gnomes? To all your other pets? All those thousands of creatures that are starving or have already starved because you forbade them from preying on their other enslaved allies? Have you given any thoughts to what the gnomes must have felt? What was going through their heads when you forced their friends to kill them? When you forced them to love you over their own lives? Ha!”

“I…It wasn’t like that.”

“Do not lie to yourself. Its unbecoming. You know, deep down, that you saw them as lesser because they weren’t human. Because you didn’t connect with them. You wanted the world to change and so you changed the lives within it. Twisting them until they sincerely wanted the same things you wanted. Your touch might have been gentler with your fellow humans, but it was no less insidious. You wanted them to know you. To care for you. To feel you were not a threat. So, you forced memories onto them. You forced them to feel the world through your skin. To see it from your eyes. You showed them that you only wanted to help. All while making them realize what other things you could’ve done. How easy it would have been. You wanted them to consider you in a very peculiar way and you controlled what they saw and heard and felt and thought until you got what you wanted.”

I bristled. Unable to respond.

Partly due to the outrage I was feeling and partly because it was right.

“Before we wrap thing up, you mentioned Savants. That you didn’t know the meaning of the word within the Labyrinth. Well, here it is. A Savant isn’t merely a specialized Esper. I am the Shifter Type. All of it. From the humblest twitches of the meat in my bones to the grandest displays of adaptation. As I said. The flesh keeps no secrets from me. Just as the mind keeps no secrets from you.”

It shook it head sideways, as if saddened.

“That does come with limitations though. I could not, for the life of me, wrap my many brains around the other Types. Oh, I tried. I tried desperately. You can’t Ascend without full mastery of the others as you well know. Yet all my efforts were for naught. None of the old masters I defeated had knowledge that would allow me to grasp their arts. It just, didn’t click. The same will be true for you.”

I gulped, recalling all the effort I’d put into physical training.

On the one hand, it hadn’t led to anything, just as it said.

On the other hand, I’d only just begun.

There was still time.

The thing laughed in my face as soon as the words entered my mind.

“Fool. You think to accomplish in a few months what I couldn’t in millennia? Is that the way of it? Is your hubris truly so potent? Think! Think about what I must have tried while your species was learning to plant crops in the ground! Think about how much I toiled without ever succeeding! That is why the old me was so very insistent on bartering with the other Solomon. The one encased in metal. He held the key to finally breaking through my greatest limitations. I could have transformed my own mind. My own comprehension of Psy. Of the universe. It would have allowed the old me to reach further than ever before.”

It sighed, as if longing for an impossible dream.

“But now, that is done. I am a separate being than the true Savant known as the Seeking Drake. He will continue to stagnate. I will join you and meld with you and be one with you. I will surpass him. We will surpass him. We will Ascend. I know it. I feel it. That ability of yours, that [Insight], will be the key. We just need another two. Another two Savants to join in. Then we’ll be complete. Ready to become the first Savants to break their limits! Ready to reach the peak!”

The garden began to fade as the words echoed throughout the bushes and trees.

“Remember this, Solomon Carter. You and I are more alike than you know. You will see that, once your true calling becomes apparent.”

The dream cracked and splintered.

I was waiting for a return to the real world.

For a rough awakening as the muscle aches made a comeback.

That, didn’t happen.

Instead, I found myself on a beach.

An idyllic beach with pure white sand and blue waves calmly caressing the shoreline.

I looked to my left, seeing tropical trees dotting the landscape.

I looked to my right, seeing the endless ocean stretching towards the horizon.

I turned around, and saw it.

The Seeking Drake. Blinking and turning in such a way that I was convinced it was just as surprised as I was.

“What did you do?” It asked.

I shrugged.

“Beats me. This is my first time too.”

It stared cursing me under its breath.

“Typical. The Telepath Savant doesn’t know how Telepath abilities work.”

“Hey! I know how it works! This would be [Insight]. The description goes like this:”

[Solomon’s Calamitous Insight VII]

Perceives future scenarios within line of sight at will and at a rate of +1 seconds per ability level.

Passively anchors User in reality and pierces Psionic Illusions as well as Psionic Stealth abilities.

Passively reveals Status information of targets within the current range of [Sense Thoughts] or derivatives. 

Passively increases Psy regeneration of User and allies within line of sight at a rate of +50% per every 5 current ability levels.

Passively increases Experience gain of User and allies within line of sight at a rate of +50% per ever 10 current ability levels.

Forewarns User and selected targets within line of sight of the most probable undesirable future scenarios as well as ways to avoid them at a rate of 1000 Psy per second. Visions may take on the perspectives of targets in the past, present, or future.

Provides Enlightenment opportunities for living beings and objects within line of sight at the cost of 15, 000 Psy per second. Targets may benefit from usage at a rate of 1 instance per 15 ability levels per year.

Enlightenment bonuses scale with selected Target’s inherent talents, User’s inherent talents, length of exposure, and current ability level.

This ability cannot be overcharged with Psy.

Accuracy and Clarity of predictions scale with current ability level.

Title: Crown Shard of the Wizened Prophet.

A fragment of divinity, resulting from forging one’s own power.

This title makes it so the wielder occasionally experiences bursts of Enlightenment.

This title makes it so the wielder occasionally interacts with non-real alternate versions of themselves.

This title makes so that hidden knowledge is revealed to the wielder at random intervals.

This title provides a constant +1 Bonus to all ability levels.

This title increases Total Psy by 70%.

It blinked. In a surprisingly human manner.

“Wha…wha? Really? Random bits of knowledge? Just like that?”

“Yes?”

It cursed me again. Far more loudly this time.

“Hey! If you have something to say then say it!”

“You bet I’ll say it! What the (Noble) are you doing with your life!? If I had this ability, I’d be spamming it every single minute of every single day! Do you have any (Noble)ing idea what it could do!? This vision might be a clue to obtaining unending cosmic power!”

“Or, hear me out, it could be some random nonsense that tells me nothing while making me feel like I’ve been stabbed forty odd times. It has happened before. Also, I do use it all the time. That’s how I determined what to do about Mason. Its just, been a little off lately.”

“Didn’t you get me into you head using this ability?”

“I mean, kind of, but no. I had [Precognition] at the time. It was Sarcophagus Solomon that did, whatever it is that he did.”

It brought its hands up in a gesture of exasperation.

“Useless! Absolutely (Noble)ing useless! Of course it had to be you! Out of all the Savants in the whole multiverse, I had to be stuck with the only one who lacks ambition! And brain cells, apparently.”

“Hey! I have plenty of ambition, thank you very much! What, do you think these muscles were easy to get? I literally broke down my body over and over again over the course of days. After I’d spent a month doing hardcore spelunking. Also, I’m at a pretty decent level with four Titles while all my peers have none and I’ve only been doing this for five weeks. Where do you get off lecturing me about…”

My words were cut short by a rustle in the jungle.

We both turned to face the source of the noise and saw a rather peculiar creature sprinting towards us.

It, she, looked human at first glance.

She was short and skinny. With emerald green hair that shone brightly in the morning sun. Her eyes were a deep green as well, like gardens contained within her face.

However, she also had a spiraling alabaster horn sprouting from her forehead.

The same kind that would normally be drawn on unicorns.

She didn’t stop to look at us as she ran and for a moment, I feared that she’d charge right into the Drake.

“Wait! Its dangerous!”

She didn’t listen, staying the course until she…passed right through it.

Huh?

“I guess she can’t see or hear us?” I reasoned. Rubbing my head quizzically as I wondered what the vision entailed.

“No. She cannot. This very well might be happening at another place, in another time. The question is, how is she related to you?”

“Why would she be?”

“Because your ability described avoiding potentially bad outcomes relating to you or whomever you used your [Insight] on. She must be important in some way, or else you’d never have dreamed this up.”

“I, guess its possible.”

I gazed back at her fleeing form. Noting that she must have been a Shifter, given the way her fingers had become webbed. Then there was the tail. A long, thick thing that grew a wide horizontal fin whilst another pair of thinner membranes sprouted from her back. She dove into the tides and not a moment too soon.

Several men rushed out of the treeline. Making their way to her with the kind of alacrity only Enhancers or Projectors could have.

All of them began to cuss her out, demanding that she return or else face the consequences.

No one attacked her though, which meant there likely weren’t any Projectors among them after all.

If there were, they must not have been very good; since a simple [Reverse Gravity] could bring her out of the water in no time at all.

I couldn’t read any of their minds through my fog, but the situation seemed pretty clear from where I was standing.

“This must be the Tutorial. Adept difficulty if I had to guess.”

“Why do you think that?” The Drake inquired.

“Simple deduction. It can’t be my world because the likelihood of thirty odd Enhancers banding together to target one girl out in the open is, while not impossible, very unlikely. From the way they’re moving, these guys would be E-Ranks or low D-Ranks back home. Not strong enough to be celebrities, but certainly strong enough for the United Militaries to take a very keen interest in their upbringings. Only some rural parts of Siberia are outside their sphere of influence. If these were heroes chasing down a villain, there’d be helicopters and they’d have guns. Moreover, they wouldn’t all be dressed like they’re auditioning to play roles in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. No. These guys are all dressed like castaways. They look hungry too, which definitely wouldn’t be the case back home. That and Periwig did mention an island being the setting for the Adept difficulty instance.”

My eyes followed the girl as she swam further and further away.

“Thank goodness. I would have felt really bad if I was forced to watch a fight without being able to do anything.”

The Drake snorted.

“Do not be so quick to place your empathy with strangers. We know nothing of how this situation came about. For all you know she’s a thief who stole all their food or a murderess who was caught in the act. Remember to always be suspicious. Never let down your guard.”

“You (Crab)ing (Crab)! I’ll (Crab)ing kill you!” Yelled one of the men! Stooping low to grab small seashells off the sands before throwing them in her general direction.

“Puffin! You (Crab)ing slave (Crab)! You dare run away!? You think your new family can keep you safe!? That those geezers can protect you from me!? I’ll find them! And you! And then I’ll (Crab)ing rip out their (Crab) and feed them to the (Crab)ing crabs!”

I pointed their way without saying anything.

The Seeking Drake shrugged.

“Or maybe it was exactly what it looked like.”

It changed its shape then. Making its own flesh into the likeness of the girl.

“Question is, what is she to you?”

“Someone to save.” I answered at once.

“Oh? Do you know her from somewhere?”

“No, but that doesn’t matter. She’s obviously someone in trouble that needs help. That’s all that matters.”

“How very, generous of you.”

I narrowed my eyes at it.

“Do you have a problem with saving people in need?”

“Not at all. I am a firm believer in my personal philosophy. It states that the strong will do what they will and the weak will endure what they must.”

It waved over to where the men were still cursing the girl.

“These fools have committed two sins. First, they displeased you by acting against the standards of what I can guess is human morality. Second, they were foolish enough to try this while being pathetically weak. Honestly, I think you’re doing your collective gene pool a favor by removing them at this early stage.”

“I won’t kill them. I’ll show them the error of their ways.”

“Ah, of course. You’re a torture afficionado. I should have guessed.”

“What! No! Of course not!”

“All right. Relax. I was making a joke. You’ll obviously be skipping the torture and go straight to brain-washing.”

“No! No one is getting brain-washed and no one is getting tortured! That’s evil!”

The Drake’s face became a mask of confusion.

“Then, what are you planning?”

“I’m going to put them on trial after sharing my memories with them. That way they’ll know the error of their ways and receive an appropriate punishment.”

The Drake stammered for a whole minute. Making oddly cute noises as its jaw opened and closed.

Finally, it brought its fingers to its forehead and begun massaging it.

“Please, allow me to, clarify the situation. You are proposing that these, thirty odd Enhancers be detained, without the use of physical of psionic violence and that they be… what? Formally chastised via a trial? A trial whose verdict cannot result in death or subjugation?”

“Yes. See? You’re getting it.”

“Didn’t you enslave that Mason fellow?”

“That was different. I was only going to be home for a long as the Excursion lasted. I needed to make sure the girls were okay too. A trial was impossible.”

It sighed.

The sound disappearing amidst the screams of the mob.

“Has it occurred to you that these…” It hesitated, as if unable to find the right words.

“Creatures, might not take your chastisement in hand? What if they try to kill you? What if they try to kill your minions?”

“I don’t have minions. I have friends.” I corrected at once.

“Whatever. The point is that you’re not making any sense. You’re being far too lenient with those that defy you. Keep it up and everyone in the Labyrinth will be tripping over themselves to plunder your world and all its inhabitants for all that they’re worth.”

I made a rude noise.

“Yeah right. What are the chances of that happening?”

The world around us went black.

All light disappearing alongside the sounds of the men and the waves at their feet.

When the colours returned, they brought forth a new setting. One that was far colder and more horrifying.

We were now on what looked like the set of a 1970s sci-fi series. A bunch of monitors clustered around a large oval window that stared out into space.

Worse, all the stations were being manned…by gnomes.

My hand reached out for my sword. Almost imagining the delighted growls of Slasher and Cherub within it. All I found were the jingling bells of the dreaming outfit.

Not to be dissuaded, I called out to my fog, willing [Domination] into the world.

‘Kill yourselves!’

I ordered.

None obeyed.

“Oh, so killing humans is unthinkable, but killing gnomes is par for the course, right?”

“Shut your mouth! They’re gnomes! They deserve everything they get and more!”

It chortled.

“Finally. Something we can agree on.”

It wandered around the work stations. Meandering through monitors and clicking keyboards decorated with foreign characters.

“This is the Barbarian’s End.”

“You can tell that from looking around?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

“No. I can tell that because I can read gnomish. Here. Its inscribed behind the captain’s desk.”

I followed, but couldn’t make any sense of the runes.

“How very fitting. That we would end up here at this time.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because this is the flagship of house Nuriwal. They raid newly integrated species and plunder their planets for all they are worth before any powerhouses arise among their populations. Taking slaves by the millions and disposing of those they deem not valuable enough to keep or sell.”

“That’s horrible!”

The Drake shook its head.

“Its fairly standard among the inhabitants of the Labyrinth. Those that cannot protect themselves are always subject to the whims of the mighty. It just so happens that the gnomes are more prolific as a species than most.”

My fists clenched as I realized why I was having this vision.

“How long will it take them to invade earth?”

The Drake was about to answer when another voice beat him to it.

“Coordinates have been found for the newly integrated planets Sol-3 TRKG-2004, Sol-3 TLTL-2012 and Sol-3 TYRY-1116. Dominant species, humans. Estimated time to Tutorial completion is 5 standard months sir.”

“Excellent.” Another declared. In a tone that brought goosebumps to my skin.

I whirled around to confirm his identity and sure enough, here he was.

Periwig.

In the flesh.

“Prepare the resource extractors and make sure we have enough space in the cargo bay for all the slaves.” He said nonchalantly. “And please see to it that we stock up on ammunition for the orbital batteries. I don’t want a repeat of Zorbion. The paint on our glorious vessel must be immaculate upon our return or my family will look bad. We drop the warheads at any sign of counterfire or orbital defenses. No questions asked.”

“Wouldn’t that kill a lot of slaves sir?”

Periwig stopped to regard his subordinate. Staring at him like a man staring into a rug or chair that had suddenly started talking back.

Then he snapped his fingers and the lower ranking gnome turned into an ugly stain on the upholstery.

“Kill whomever hired him.” He instructed at once. “And find me a better aide within the hour or you’ll be joining those two.”

“Yes sir.” Another gnome confirmed, rushing out of the room like his life depended on it.

Probably because it did.

“Honestly, what a silly underling.” Periwig bemoaned. “As if the lives of mere slaves could compare to the dignity of the Barbarian’s End.”