Archcrafter: Chapters 28-30 (The Weirkey Chronicles) (Patreon)

There's a lot of neat stuff going on behind the scenes. I'm working on a number of new covers. I hope there won't be too much of a gap between the third and fourth books. Another soulcrafting tutorial with the characters, eventually.

But all that stuff is still WIP and can't really be shown. =/ So instead, I hope you enjoy the chapters! These three include a pretty important turn.

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Chapter 28

Theo would have given literal tons of sublime materials for a decent watch. During their journey, he'd done his best to keep a consistent cycle of waking and sleeping to determine how long they had been traveling, but the cavern disrupted his count. Ichili had only weak urges to follow such cycles, so the community was constantly lit by the same light, which threw him off.

The problem was, every day that passed was another day closer to the deadline, and a reduction in the relative value of the whole assignment. At least he was confident that time moved smoothly between all the Nine Worlds, so he couldn't return to find that it was too late.

At the moment he was helping the locals carry the purpose of the whole assignment: heavy chests filled with vials that glowed a rich purple. According to Fiyu, they were a highly refined sublime material used in medical operations, which could only be grown and distilled deep within Ichil. Since it didn't emanate cantae, he couldn't judge its value as precisely, but clearly it must justify the effort required. When the sleigh was full of the chests, they'd be carrying a small fortune back to Fithe.

Before he could follow that line of thinking, a familiar presence popped up by his side. He turned to smile at Fiyu. "How are you feeling?"

"It is too bright and friendly here, but Nauda is happier." For some reason, Fiyu was carrying a number of different cups, slightly too many for her to manage. She tried to set them down on one of the boxes within the sleigh, so Theo helped by carefully taking two without touching her.

"What are these?"

"They are juice. You must assist me, Theo." All the cups did seem to contain liquids, and Fiyu carefully set them in a row before turning to him. "Nauda is healthier here, but I believe that she hoped for a community more like her home. I wish to cheer her up, but you must help me pick the juice a Tatian would like best."

"I'll do what I can." Though Theo smiled at her seriousness, when he tried the first cup, he had to admit that she had a point. The juice within was a mix of tart and bitter that he doubted would appeal to many. He cleared his mouth and picked up the next, but glanced at her first. "Have you taken the time to examine the markets?"

"I have." A smile blossomed on her face. "They have a great deal of pitchstone here. That is the exact material I require for the construction of my soulhome, so I purchased as much as I felt I could store in my soulhome."

Which meant she was at least thinking about her soulcrafting after she ascended. Theo decided not to push on that issue, merely tasted the second cup and then spoke. "Nauda and I went looking, but we didn't find much. She did buy some seeds for one of their bioluminescent plants, which she thinks could grow alongside hers. I was hoping for more darkness-based sublime materials."

"This community has a strange attitude toward darkness, and their blueprints do not take advantage of it. But I think you will be more successful at the Biolumin Relay. It will surely be staffed by a powerful soulcrafter, and may have a different selection of sublime materials."

"Hopefully." Theo finished sampling the last cup of juice, then tapped two of them. "I think the two of these are the most like Tatian drinks. I suggest you let Nauda try both."

"Thank you, Theo. You are a very helpful companion."

"Which is your favorite?"

Fiyu tilted her head at him, surprised, then made an oddly dismissive motion. "Some are not bad, but none of these can be a favorite. I enjoy the warm drinks we use when ranging in the icy regions. Perhaps one day I will be able to show them to you."

Theo smiled, and she smiled back, but she clearly wanted to be off. Once she departed with an armful of juice, he turned back to the sleigh, finding that several new boxes had been deposited while they spoke. He practiced subtle gravitational fields to lift them into the air, though he needed to use his hands to guide them into place.

By the time they were done, the sleigh would have just enough room for them, but it would be rather heavy. Perhaps more than the sublime materials in the base could levitate, though of course he could always reduce their weight with his fields. That was a problem for another time, as his first goal was to pack everything efficiently so he could go back to soulcrafting.

All but the first of the chests were firmly locked, so he'd put that one in an accessible place. Theo now opened it again, picking up one of the vials to examine it. So much value in a small space... he had to wonder how many Fithan Discs it was worth. He still needed two potent sublime materials, and he needed them soon if he was going to have enough soulcrafting time.

"What are you thinking?" Nauda appeared beside him, wearing a thoughtful expression as her eyes ran over the vial in his hand.

"Did you already try Fiyu's juice?"

"What?"

"I guess the two of you just missed each other. She wants to show you a sweeter side to the community."

"I'm sure she does." Nauda smiled fondly... but she wasn't distracted. She walked beside him and picked up one of the vials herself to examine it. "If you sold a few of these, how close would it get you to your goals?"

"Not sure of their value."

"Oh, but I think you have a guess."

Seeing her gaze boring into him, Theo sighed and set the vial back down in its place. "When House Blacksilver sent us, they knew the journey was dangerous. They no doubt expect a certain percentage of losses, so they'd have built them into their plans. If we do better than they expect, would it really matter if one or two chests disappeared?"

"At least you're honest about it." Nauda shook her head and leaned against the sleigh to face him directly. "These are medical supplies, Theo. They could save someone's life."

"Mine, if their value lets me survive the duel."

She sighed and rubbed her eyes, for once not due to the light. When she looked at him again, he was surprised at the hardness in her gaze. "I'm not a stickler for every single law, but I do have principles. I think you do too, you've just tried to forget them as you've gotten older."

"Esaire won't have any principles." Theo closed the lid and latched the chest again, though the conversation clearly wasn't over. "Neither will many of the people we face. I don't know if I can beat them if I focus on too many scruples."

"If you don't, there's no point beating them at all. At least, if you're the person I believe you are."

Message delivered, Nauda headed back into the cavern. He had a feeling that she wouldn't stop him if he made that choice, just be disappointed in him. Theo stared down at the chests for a moment, then ignored the question and sat down to soulcraft.

Later that day, they left the cavern to finally approach the Biolumin Relay. Fiyu pressed forward happily, Nauda braced herself as they left the light, and Theo remained with his own shadows.

~ ~ ~

Theo had grown accustomed to traveling in absolute darkness, actually using it to focus his soulcrafting. Outside, there was nothing but his cantae senses, so there were no distractions to set aside. He'd not only determined the optimal number of tornado gems for his speed chamber, he'd begun work on a second, just in case, and he'd finished all his carving on the corner rooms.

Normally that would have led to a decrease in his pace, yet the darkness and light inspired him to something new: carving a representation of an accretion disc around the exterior of his soulhome. Now the fact that it shone brightly matched his blueprint even better. Of course, there wasn't time to carve the entire thing, and he preferred a subtle exterior, but he completed several major orbiting loops that would also help his cantae flow in the intended sphere.

So when a bit of light intruded on the horizon, he was actually mildly annoyed. Bit by bit, the environment shifted from unbroken darkness to merely heavy shadow. He could make out Nauda leaning forward toward the light and a shape that must be Fiyu driving the sleigh. It had taken them less than a day, so they were arriving sooner than planned.

"Is that your Relay?" Nauda asked. The way she said the word contorted in his mind, but whatever she said precisely, his soul understood what she intended.

"Yes, this is the perimeter." Even in the darkness, it was clear that Fiyu bobbed her head happily. "We must be extremely quiet. This region will be dangerous due to the light."

As they continued on, the green light became a line in the ground, like a river of emerald fire. Theo knew the purpose but hadn't seen any exactly like it, so he stopped soulcrafting and focused as they neared it. He could see that it formed a large ring, and the edges of the trench were unnaturally straight, so it must have been cut by those who ran the Biolumin Relay.

Nauda looked as though she wanted to ask questions, but as they passed over the river of fire, she understood. Several predators prowled in the shadows alongside the river, instinctively seeking the disruption but afraid of the fire. Theo was surprised that the emerald river wasn't wider, though it seemed to keep all the regional creatures at a distance.

On the other side, his attention immediately shifted to the green mass pulsating above the ground. It looked something like a jellyfish, and seemed to throb with a heartbeat, but the key trait was the tendrils that extended from its base. They ran along the ground, putting off a similar light, before descending into the earth, where they would stretch for leagues until they reached other Relays.

"There is the outpost." Fiyu spoke up to signal they were safely inside, and actually pointed. It had been a long time since hand directions had been useful.

Beside the Biolumin Relay, lit strangely by its glow, a tower stood alone. He wasn't sure of their exact name, but they reminded him of lighthouses, though they served the opposite purpose. There was no other sign of civilization, no buildings or vehicles, just the lone tower in the pulsating emerald light.

"Stop." The voice resonated directly in their minds, without touching his ears, and Theo felt an Authority's cantae sweep over them. "I am the Luminkeeper. What is your purpose here?"

Fiyu stood up in the sleigh and bowed toward the tower. "I seek to send a message across Ichil. We would also like to trade sublime resources, if possible."

"Leave your vehicle and approach." The presence pulled back, but it was obvious that the Authority was watching them from the tower. Since no one else was around, the three of them dropped from the sleigh and began to walk closer.

Biolumin Relays were rare, but he didn't think they were anywhere near rare enough for them all to be guarded by Authorities. Most likely this one was either unusual because the Greater Dark was a dangerous region, or an Authority-tier soulcrafter had taken the position for their own purposes. In any case, he caught only glimpses of a figure through the large viewing platforms on the top floor. He didn't think "Luminkeeper" was a common title, so they must have chosen it for a personal reason.

"This... thing will let you send a message to your family member?" Nauda asked. They had to half-jog to keep up with Fiyu, who headed inward eagerly.

"I do not know my relative's present location, and he does not know mine. But the Biolumin Relays stretch across most of Ichil, and they store their messages at every location. Even if he has not left a message for me, he will check eventually."

"That seems like a long shot."

"Yes, but it is the only way I know of contacting him, since he has not been able to find me and we are so far apart. It may require time, but I can be patient."

The doors to the tower opened silently for them, flowing on the Authority's cantae. Within, they found the lowest layer of the tower extremely spare, with no living accommodations... or access to the upper floors. Several tables stood around the outer wall, all of them empty and without labels. Looking more carefully, he saw that one allowed access to the side of the luminous mass, another had a chute leading to the second floor, and each had a unique symbol.

"Those who have a biolumin signature, place identification on the eastern table." Again, the Luminkeeper's voice spoke directly into their minds, and Theo realized that he wasn't sure if it was male or female.

"That is just me." Fiyu walked to the side of the room, reaching deep within her robes. After some fumbling, she slipped out a small plate that glowed with a similar emerald hue. When she set it down on the table, atop a plate of sublime materials, there was a long pause, then the voice spoke again.

"Identity confirmed. There is a message for you."

The green mass pulsed brighter, then a darker emerald sphere emerged from its depths and dropped onto the table. Fiyu nearly ran to it, grasping the sphere in both hands and holding it to her forehead. Messages through the relay were always short, yet she stood still for a long time, so Theo suspected she was listening to it multiple times.

"Is this a safe method of communication?" Nauda asked him in a whisper. "Seems odd to trust messages to... all these things."

"Safer than most," he answered. "Only a certain person with a certain keystone can retrieve the sphere, and it's nearly impossible to intercept or alter messages. I guess you could, but it would require a troubling level of power, beyond Authority."

"Well, if it helps Fiyu, I hope that it works."

"It has helped." Fiyu turned back to them with a smile, still cradling the sphere. "This message is very old, but my relative left one for me. It seems he believed that the accident sent me somewhere else on Ichil, so he told me to send my location and remain in place."

Nauda smiled, not quite convincingly. "Then... do we stay here until he gets your message?"

"No guests." The Luminkeeper interrupted them from above, the voice for the first time holding a bit of annoyance. In any case, Fiyu shook her her head as she answered, clutching the sphere even as it dissolved in her hands.

"By now, my relative has certainly realized that I fell into Tatian instead. I will leave a message that I am in Norro Yorthin, and he will be able to find me. It may take some time, but he can now locate me." She took a deep breath and smiled at both of them. "I... thank you for taking me this far. You have been good companions."

There was no time for an emotional moment, because Fiyu immediately hurried to another one of the tables and began setting down money. She frowned and changed the amount, apparently in negotiation with a voice that spoke to her alone. No doubt she'd spend a significant amount of time composing her reply exactly, so Theo wandered further in.

Eventually he found a table that contained residue with very slight cantae emanating from it. There was an opening to the floor above as well, so he suspected it was the table for trade. Looking upward, he spoke to the unseen Luminkeeper. "I require sublime materials."

"Of what variety?" The voice in his head seemed mildly annoyed, but he pressed on.

"Can I make a list?"

He heard a scoffing sound, possibly with his ears instead of his mind, and then a wax tablet floated down from above to thunk against the table. Recognizing that the Luminkeeper clearly didn't want to be bothered, Theo simply picked it up and began listing sublime materials he knew would work for him. Even if the exact ones weren't available, an Authority should be competent enough to recognize his objectives.

While he wrote, Fiyu continued to practice her message, muttering to herself. Nauda had taken up a place against part of the wall without a table and appeared to be soulcrafting, though she smiled as if she enjoyed the lit room.

When Theo finished his list, he extended it upward, and it floated into a hole in the ceiling. There was a long pause, then five objects descended to the table. Apparently the Luminkeeper counted on their power to enforce honest trade, which in all fairness, it would.

There were two of the exact materials he'd requested, sublime materials that carried the essence of Ichil's deepest darkness. One bioluminescent mushroom that was a curious choice, and a piece of metal that was entirely wrong. Yet the last...

Theo bent closer, picking up the perfect sphere to examine it more closely. He'd never seen a sublime material exactly like it, yet it intrigued him because it seemed to draw the air into it. Not as gravitation or absorption... he picked up some of the residual dust and sprinkled it into the sphere, only to see the dust flutter to the ground some distance away.

It was a wormhole. He doubted that the material actually embodied the scientific concept, especially since it was theoretical, but the connection was crystal clear to him.

After testing its properties further with a grin on his face, Theo raised it toward the ceiling. The Luminkeeper gave him a price in an Ichili currency he didn't have, leading to a negotiation process where he pulled out every single coin he had to try to equal it. If he'd needed to steal some of the Blacksilver vials to afford it, he would have, but Nauda loaned him what she had.

The other four materials lifted back into the ceiling and he was left with his wormhole. He'd need to do research on its name, or come up with one himself, since the Authority wasn't likely to be forthcoming with information. But he was absolutely certain that it was what he needed, or actually something he hadn't realized he could acquire so soon.

At its core, the stone linked points in space without passing between them, and that had countless potential applications. Actually teleporting required incredibly dense cantae, many Authorities not being capable of it. Even if that would have to come later, he could easily transport certain things small distances. Instead of throwing cantae bolts filled with his gravitational torsion effects, he might be able to make them instantly appear in his opponents.

Most importantly, his singularity would no longer be limited to simple linear movements.

Though Theo could have sat down and soulcrafted with the material for days, their time appeared to be coming to an end. Fiyu must have signaled that she was ready, because the green wall emitted another sphere. This one was dull, empty of light or a message. She gestured to get their attention, put a finger to her lips, then spoke into the sphere.

"Relative Guchiro. I am well. I have taken residence in the city of Norro Yorthin, on Fithe. It may be found by traveling to the gate near the source of this message. I have allied with an organization called House Blacksilver, and also found traveling companions. I hope to tell you of my travels in person."

With that, she pressed her lips against the sphere. Theo didn't think that was a necessary part of the process, just a sign of the deep emotion behind her reserved language. In any case, the sphere lit up with the same light as the rest of the Biolumin Relay, so Fiyu placed it into the gelatinous wall. It was swept away and the entire mass pulsated more brightly as the message departed.

"Your business is complete. Depart."

They didn't say anything, just returned to their sleigh, Fiyu smiling the entire way.

-

Chapter 29

Part of Nauda didn't want to leave the glowing ring around the Animallight Messageplace, but the rest of her was extremely ready to return to Fithe. As much as she disliked the dusty city, she'd take its endless red stonework over the void any day. Fortunately, they didn't need to make any other stops, just fly directly back.

Even Fiyu seemed happy to return, now that she was confident her relative would eventually find her. She urged Nauda to come sit by her and they spoke about what they could do while waiting. The atmosphere in the sleigh was certainly better than it had been for most of the trip, so it was odd that Theo seemed to be the only one unhappy.

Ever since they had passed the ring of fire, he'd been looking behind them, even though they couldn't see much of anything anymore. He just shifted behind them as a grumpy presence until he eventually spoke up.

"Fiyu, did your stealth technique ever falter since we left?"

"Oh, certainly not." She looked back to him with a frown that Nauda could just barely make out. "I nearly perfected it back in Deuxan, and I have only grown more practiced since then."

"Are you sure nothing's following us?"

After concentrating for a moment, Fiyu shook her head. "I have examined the region thoroughly. There are no dense objects moving, I am sure of it."

"Okay." Theo was silent for just a few heartbeats before he leaned forward. "I'm not insulting your capabilities in any way, but nothing is perfect, right? A sufficiently powerful soulcrafter could evade you or pierce this sphere, and a sublime beast with the proper-"

"Enough." Nauda finally cut him off, because Fiyu wasn't going to. "We're both nearly blind here, so we'll just have to trust Fiyu's judgment."

That made him finally subside, though he continued to grouch in the back. Nauda had always believed his caution was reasonable, and she'd completely believed in his phantom threat ever since the tree at Myufuru had been wiped from existence. That didn't mean that he couldn't be paranoid, so she did her best to ignore him.

Something crashed into the back of the sleigh and they tumbled through the darkness.

Nauda hit the ground heavily, but her body absorbed the impact and she rolled to her feet. She heard someone else land beside her and Fiyu made a slight sound of pain before she gasped. "I don't... I don't see..."

Realizing they were in danger, Nauda made a split second decision. Whatever had struck their vehicle had been able to evade Fiyu's senses, perhaps a predator with a unique strategy. If Fiyu was disoriented and they were already threatened, there was no point staying in the darkness. Nauda flared her cantae around her in a bright aura to be able to see.

Fiyu struggling to her feet, sleigh lying on its side, no sign of Theo... and a strange sphere floating toward them. It was much larger than a person, yet its skin appeared nearly translucent in the light of her cantae. Though it was covered in long spikes, other than that she couldn't see arms, mouths, or anything else that it could use to attack.

Something shifted in the surface and a stream of pitch black gas shot toward her. Nauda instinctively dodged past it, closing the distance and thrusting out with her staff. She wasn't sure it would work on such a strange creature, but she managed to bind it in place.

Then the surface shifted again and a much larger stream of darkness caught her in the face. Nauda staggered back, letting out a cry as she felt it burn into her skin. When she rubbed her face, she felt a little better, but it burned in her nostrils and her eyes hurt so much she struggled to keep them open. And the floating creature was free again, floating toward her, the surface opening...

Theo dropped out of the sky and a gravitational field came with him, crushing the spherical creature against the ground. It began to emit more darkness, terrible eruptions of it, but Theo raised his other hand and cast something else.

She realized with a start that it was his "mass" technique that had been so useless when tested back in Deuxan. It still wasn't strong enough for her to feel anything, or to deflect a projectile, but the wall of expanding gas began to shift back. As Theo poured more cantae into it, the gas seemed to be pulled down into a pool near the creature, which weakly fluttered against the ground, its spines jerking oddly in different directions.

"I have... never seen such a thing." Fiyu walked up beside them, staring at it. Nauda just looked to Theo with a grim expression.

"Do you think there are more? Are predators going to be coming for my light?"

"Both are real threats," he said. "Turn the sleigh upright, and if it still works, we have to move. What we need t-"

With a sudden spasm, the deflated sphere suddenly shot its spines toward them. They weren't all that fast, so Nauda swiftly deflected many with her staff, and a fraction of a second later, Theo had applied a gravitational field that sent them to the ground. The attack had been neutralized almost as soon as it began.

Between them, Fiyu gave a soft gasp and looked down at the spine piercing through her stomach.

For a moment, Nauda was too stunned to act, horrified by the sight of the spike protruding from her back. Theo acted first, doing something that made an unpleasant crunching noise around the spiked creature. It must be dead, which barely seemed to matter compared to Fiyu slowly dropping to the ground, her fingers holding the injury.

"What..." Nauda took a deep breath and forced herself past the emotions. "What now?"

"Grab the corpse and take it to the sleigh. I can navigate, but I can't provide any medical attention without knowing what that thing was." Theo spoke with no expression or inflection, which struck her as almost monstrous.

Yet as she forced the deflated creature into a bag, she saw him kneel down beside Fiyu with great tenderness. By the time she had the sleigh upright, he was cradling Fiyu in his arms. Seeing someone touch her was almost shocking, yet the way she lay limply against him...

As soon as they began moving, Theo glanced back to her. "No more cantae aura. Use a lamp and do what you can for the injury."

Nauda grabbed one of the unidirectional lamps and then knelt down where Fiyu lay across one of the seats. They'd said using the lamps was generally a low but unnecessary risk... clearly not an issue with Fiyu's life on the line.

She lay terribly still, not even stirring, and Nauda feared for a moment until she heard Fiyu breathing. It seemed that Theo had cut away some of her clothing to check the injury, which was bleeding over her stomach. Without all the layers of clothes, her body looked so thin and fragile, the dark spine protruding viciously through it.

Blinking away tears, Nauda retrieved the bandages to do what little she could.

~ ~ ~

Tossing and turning, she strained to push her senses beyond herself, but she felt only nonsensical patterns that could not possibly be real. At times she was so delirious that she couldn't remember where she was or what journey she had been on. There had been something very important, she knew that, and a danger...

Fiyu remembered in bits and pieces as the throbbing light within her gradually gave way to calming darkness. Of course, the strange floating beast that was invisible to her. She had felt an intense pain and then a heat, which could only have been an attack. Normally she would have taken emergency measures, but she remembered that she had reliable companions with her.

At one point, when she emerged back into darkness, she found herself lying in someone's arms. It should have been quite alarming, yet she knew that it was Companion Theo. Her companions would not harm her, and this was the appropriate time for such things.

She lapsed back into confusion and when she woke, it was to intense pain in her stomach. Companion Theo gave her something to drink and it helped deaden the pain, which only made her realize that he was removing the spine and treating the wound. After so long avoiding ever making her uncomfortable by touch, he worked efficiently and without hesitation. His fingers on her skin should have inspired intense revulsion, yet instead she felt only a strange warmth. Within the delirious fog of light, she marveled at that, not quite sure what to think.

Next time she touched consciousness, she found herself lying on her back in the sleigh. It was uncomfortable and she was too weak to move, though she felt soft materials around her and assumed someone had tried to make a bed for her. Companion Nauda sat beside her, all her muscles vibrating with tension, wanting to draw closer and yet staying back.

Why didn't Companion Nauda touch her? Fiyu recognized that there was something strange about that thought, but within the bright fog she didn't care. Times of great injury were abnormal, so it was time for abnormal behavior. She could feel a tense hand very close to her, so Fiyu reached out to touch it.

Companion Nauda gasped and said something Fiyu couldn't understand. She squeezed back and Fiyu felt the same strange warmth traveling up her arm. To hold hands like this with a companion was much too intimate, but Fiyu was not sure if she would die and needed someone beside her.

Though her eyes remained closed, she felt them enter a cavern and then others descended on her. She flinched away from the touch of the cavesteaders, the clamminess of their hands seeming to seep into her. Yet she was too weak to struggle, and a warm hand of one of her companions soothed her forehead, and she felt cantae flowing into her, so she drifted back into the light...

~ ~ ~

When she next woke, Fiyu no longer felt as though her mind was blinded, but her body remained weak. There was a pleasant wind in her hair and she was aware of the landscape around her, though the ground was too far down. She was actually able to open her eyes, and was relieved when everything was dark around her. Trying to sit up failed, but produced a small noise, and Companion Nauda's tension sprang to whirl toward her.

"Fiyu?" she asked.

"Quiet... dangerous..." She again struggled to get up and Companion Nauda put a hand on her arm, but Fiyu flinched. Immediately she felt her companion's arm tense as if betrayed, so Fiyu forced herself to keep speaking. "It's okay... Nauda... thank you..."

"I need you to tell me how far I'm off course." Companion Theo spoke from further ahead, apparently focused on the path forward, but there was a pain in his neck as if he had often turned back in her direction.

"Really?" Companion Nauda spoke sharply. "She's barely awake!"

"If we get too far off, this could be fatal for all of us."

"I'll... help..." Fiyu lay back and extended her senses, which no longer felt burned out. Companion Theo had done a good job of navigating while blind, but he had begun to veer. She gave him directions and then settled back, exhausted.

"Fiyu, are you still with us?" Companion Nauda asked. Fiyu let out her breath as a whistle, her mind still active but her body too weak to move. Though Companion Nauda remained tense, Companion Theo understood and the tightness in his arms relaxed.

"She's stable, just tired." He twisted back to look at her, even though he couldn't see anything, which was not a mistake Companion Theo generally made. "The spine through your stomach was coated in venom. They purged it at Sweetfruit Cavern, but their healers couldn't repair the damage done to your body. I think you're on your way to recovery, but you'd be better off with Blacksilver healers."

Companion Nauda started to reach out to touch her and then pulled back, not habitually as she had once done, but as if she had done so many times while Fiyu was asleep. Fiyu was not sure how she felt about that, and her mind was growing hazy again, but she wanted to keep listening to them, especially since Companion Nauda was talking.

"Can you soulcraft for us, Fiyu? I want to check if there was any damage."

She couldn't nod, but Fiyu managed to reach out to touch her soulhome. That was another layer of pleasant darkness around her, so she drifted further from them. Outside, she heard Companion Nauda breathe a sigh of relief.

"None that I can see. Her soulhome really is durable."

Remembering the accident again, Fiyu tried to apologize, but she was much too weary and slipped away into the bright fog. This time, some portion of her mind remained, and she suspected that a long time had passed. When she returned, she could move a little more, but she was desperately hungry and thirsty.

"I..." When she tried to speak, Companion Nauda hurried to give her food and water, before she could even ask. While she partook of those, Fiyu checked the environment again and gave Companion Theo more directions, though he had stayed mostly on course toward the gate.

Once she had drunk her fill, Fiyu managed to speak. "I apologize to you for my ignorance. I had never encountered such a creature before. This is why it is irresponsible to range in unknown areas, but I wanted to send a message to my relative..."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Fiyu." Companion Nauda said swiftly. That was untrue, but Fiyu did not have the strength to press her point.

She had been a responsible child, and had only rarely thought that Relative Guchiro was too strict with her. Now that she had encountered a beast that she had never imagined existing, she felt especially grateful for his guidance. If she ever cared for children, she would be just as careful with them. It was fortunate that Child Senka had not joined them on the journey.

For a time she rested, then she returned to her soulhome to test for damage. Fortunately, there really was none, it was only her body that had been injured. Relative Guchiro had told her that her soulhome would resist damage and she had never truly tested that statement until now. She hoped that he would find her message soon, and return to her, and she could introduce her companions.

"You're soulcrafting again," Companion Theo observed. "Now that you have more stone to build with, I think you could easily ascend to Archcrafter."

"Theo!" Companion Nauda spoke louder than she should have and tried to swat at him in the dark. "This is not the time for that!"

"I'm just saying that she could."

Though Companion Theo was too polite to speak it, she understood what he did not say: if she had ascended to Archcrafter long ago, she would not have been injured. It was true that she was delaying, while the two of them soulcrafted further and further away from her. Yet she hesitated to ascend without her relative's aid, especially after seeing how poorly things could go wrong when she took risks on her own.

However, her companions were about to argue, so Fiyu spoke up. "I do not believe I am ready. I would need to build a structure above my first floor."

"Not with your base skills," Companion Theo said. "The first two ascensions aren't actually that hard, relatively."

"What would you suggest?"

"A pillar with supportlines." She did not know his word, but thought she understood his meaning. "You take a single narrow material and force it upright, then tie ropes from it to your roof and the ground. They all pull on it, and the pillar stays stable in the center. Someone with your willpower could easily climb up it and ascend."

"I see." She understood what he meant, and even possessed some appropriate materials, but the idea of plunging ahead remaining too troubling. "Thank you for the suggestion, Theo, but I do not think I am ready. My relative had a specific plan to help me ascend, and now that he is coming, I can wait for it."

"If you insist, but there's no disadvantage to doing it now."

After that, Companion Nauda made very clear to Companion Theo that he should stop lecturing, but Fiyu only smiled at the two different ways they tried to care for her. His suggestion was a reasonable one that she could not bring herself to attempt. Still, since she could do little but soulcraft, she felt inspired to return to work.

Not with further polishing to her first floor, instead something more daring. Her relative might not have shared his full plans for her ascension, but he had described certain advanced techniques to prepare for it. Walking up her stairs to her roof, Fiyu began to shape the stone around the edges into an arcing ridge. When she ascended, however she did, it would help capture the cantae from the process and make her more able to assist her companions.

By the time their journey was complete, Fiyu felt strange only when she exerted herself physically. Able to assist with the navigation, she quickly guided them the final distance to the gate. Terrible as Fithe could be, she would be glad to see that world again.

When the red arch in the sky finally came into sight, Fiyu thought back over everything that had happened and was overwhelmed with emotions. As soon as they stepped out of the sleigh, she grasped the sleeves of Friend Theo and Friend Nauda and led them back through.

-

Chapter 30

Less than a full day after Theo had returned to Norro Yorthin, he found himself racing back out of the city in their sleigh. The damage to the back hadn't even been fully repaired yet, though it worked with his gravitational fields helping. There'd been time to get Fiyu to the Blacksilver healers, since that was essential, and time to unload their cargo, since the House had insisted. But there was absolutely none to rest or recover, much less to adjust back to the normal pace of his schedule.

Instead, they needed to rush back to the quarry to take part in House Teal's contest. It felt a bit petty compared to the expedition into Ichil and Fiyu nearly losing her life, but the three hours in the quarry couldn't be replaced with any other three hours. So off they went.

Two months. It felt like another lifetime, but the fact was he had just under two months until the duel.

"Do you think I could ascend to Ruler?" Nauda asked the question abruptly while they were still on their way and he glanced at her in surprise.

"You might be able to force it, but I wouldn't suggest trying this soon." He tried to meet her gaze and she refused, though they both knew what she was thinking. "I'm not sure either of us could have defended Fiyu as a Ruler. The higher tiers are much better at surviving themselves than helping others."

"Maybe that's how it usually is." For a while Nauda didn't say anything else, then shook her head sharply in the way that always sent her hair shifting. "It doesn't matter now. I think I feel confident about the whirlwind this time, so if I can do well enough, then we'll talk about options for me to ascend. Deal?"

"Deal, but I'd just suggest something similar to what I did for Fiyu."

When they arrived beside the quarry, almost too late for the beginning of the competition, there was no one sinister waiting for them. Just a normal crowd of first tiers and Archcrafters, hoping for whatever the prize was. They leapt out practically before the sleigh had stopped moving, and Lady Baryara frowned disapprovingly, but it seemed they had arrived in time.

"I will not repeat any instructions, but the rules will apply to all, tardy or not." She sniffed and then looked over the rest of the crowd. "There is little more to be said. Anyone who reaches the top of the summit will receive the esteem of House Teal, but the first three will receive additional compensation, and the first to scale the summit will be awarded this month's prize: a sublime skull from the fabled direstorm, directly from the vaults of House Teal."

"That actually sounds like it might fit." Nauda tossed her staff from hand to hand and shifted her weight. "I'll help you gather those gems for a while, but support me when I make my attempt."

There was no need to for her to ask: after what they had been through in Ichil, working together was a foregone conclusion. Theo actually had more tornadogems than he needed for his current design, though he intended to collect more just in case. Overall, he was mostly interested in seeing how well he could dodge the rocks with his new speed.

"Begin!" The instant Lady Baryara started the contest, Theo and Nauda sprinted for the side and skidded down the slope.

Moving at his full speed and with Nauda beside him, Theo reached the bottom without hitting a single rock. That part had been easy, but he wasn't so confident with the central whirlwind. Nauda moved in first, spinning her staff freely and batting aside everything that came her way. She seemed a bit more confident striking rocks she couldn't see clearly, perhaps due to all the time straining her senses in Ichil.

For his part, he was just concerned with raw speed. Yet as he stepped into the whirlwind, he was surprised that the rocks no longer seemed to be moving as quickly because his perceptions had changed. That was the real danger of higher tier soulcrafters: not raw power, but a massive increase in functional speed.

Just as he started to adjust to his dodging, he noticed several others coming down the side of the quarry. Many were struck and fell, but one man swept down at a confident pace. At least, he thought it was a man: they wore loose clothes, a hood, and a mask that covered the lower half of their face. He would have thought they were trying too hard to look mysterious if not for something off about them, though he couldn't put his finger on what.

The mystery figure crossed the bottom of the quarry in the flash and started up the other side, and that was when Theo got worried: they didn't seem to be having any more trouble in the more intense winds. Nauda noticed too and ran to get ahead of them, so Theo decided to do his part and dropped several gravitational fields on their competitor.

Though the figure stumbled, a bolt of cantae crackled back at him. Theo's eyes widened as he saw it shoot toward him in an irregular line, leaping unevenly in a way he'd never seen before. He managed to dodge, despite the bolt flickering back in his direction at the last moment.

Nauda pulled ahead, but the figure released another bolt after her. She dodged, even with it fired at her back... and the bolt leapt backward to strike her legs. As she winced and skidded partway down the mountain, the hooded figure pushed past her.

If they'd wanted to, that bolt could have been much more destructive, since he suspected the mystery competitor might be a Ruler hiding their strength. When he tried to examine their soulhome, he saw only spiritual static. Throwing aside such concerns, Theo decided to try a riskier trick and used reverse gravitational fields.

As the figure fell upward, one of their legs stretched downward and grabbed a rock underneath. While Theo was taken aback, suddenly realizing that this figure was something that only pretended to be humanoid, it twisted its upper body all the way around and shot a much larger bolt of spasmodic cantae at him. By the time he'd dodged, the figure had escaped his field and was racing Nauda for the top.

Theo headed after them, taking a few hits from rocks because he was more interested in seeing the results than in a bit more training. He made his way through the vortex to the clearer area, unsure what he'd find.

The hooded figure extended a hand wordlessly to Lady Baryara, who handed him the skull. That accomplished, it rotated unnaturally stiffly and returned to the quarry, passing through just as easily as before. Nauda leaned on her hands and knees, catching her breath. She was soon awarded a sack of money by Lady Baryara and didn't look happy about it. Theo kept his head down so that he wouldn't be declared third place and waited for her.

It took longer than he expected before Nauda slid down to join him with a strange expression on her face. "I guess I should have pulled back, but I thought I could pass him at the end. He ran oddly, but his last sprint was even faster than mine."

"Did you get any information about him?" Theo asked. He hadn't noticed anything off about the running style, but that might make sense if his suspicions were true.

"If you mean with my telescope, he completely blocked it somehow. The only thing I heard with the official was that he represents the House of the Lost. This is the first time I've seen them take much of a role in anything in the city."

"They're supposed to be one of the main powers." Theo stared after the hooded figure for a moment, then turned back to the whirlwind. "Help me grab some tornadogems if you can."

Nauda took her frustration out on them, snagging the golden stones out of the vortex one after another. Theo spent his time dodging, pleased at how it had become easier, right up until the point that Lady Baryara descended beside them, wrapped in a dark green aura.

"Just what are you doing?" she demanded. Theo immediate slid back down the central slope and gave her a polite bow.

"As you can see, I'm struggling to dodge the stones. I saw that those gems were related to the speed of the tornado, so I thought that perhaps I could lower the speed. Is that not permitted? Forgive me if I have assumed too much of the generosity of House Teal."

"Hmph." She glared down like she didn't believe him, but in the end turned away. "Do as you will, but you cannot have past winners assist you. Be gone, girl."

As Nauda reluctantly left, Theo just returned to his dodging. It still wasn't easy, and he knew that Esaire would be even faster. Still...

Theo's hand shot out and he snagged one of the gems from the storm. The sharp edges bit into his palm, but he he tightened his fingers around it and smiled.