The Soul Engine Ch. 25 (Original Fantasy) (Patreon)

A/N: Mikael and Bula meet up with Avina and Thayla to discuss next steps in the wake of Zadicus' flight~

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“Sir Mikael, over here!”

The city is on fire when he and Bula make their way out of the Colosseum. Not literally just yet, but figuratively speaking, the fighting has already spilled out onto the streets and the people of Alether are in full revolt against their Lord and his army of goons.

Unfortunately, by the time he and Bula had made it to the Lord’s Podium by taking the long way around, they hadn’t seen a single glimpse of Zadicus Quinn. Mikael almost wished he’d tried to leap up onto the platform from the arena floor so he could maybe have caught the bastard before he slipped away, but he hadn’t been sure that Bula could follow, not with her still slightly dazed from the concussion he gave her and the after-effects of the way in which he’d shredded her slave collar and magical contract.

As a result, Zadicus was in the damn wind and Mikael wasn’t entirely sure where to go next. Fortunately, the moment that he and Bula hit the streets, a familiar voice called out to him, identifying him in a way that only one person had so far. Rushing over to where Thayla is stood over near the entrance of an alleyway, Mikael steps into the alley with Bula at his heels, even as Thayla leads them to a veiled woman who can only be one person.

Avina confirms it a moment later when she flips back the veil to reveal her face and then lunges forward, grabbing him by his chestplate.

“You i-idiot! What were you thinking?!”

Mikael blinks, preparing to ask for clarity. But before he can Avina grabs him by the front of his armor, looking like she's ready to pull him into a surprisingly desperate kiss. Then she notes the fact that he's still wearing his mask and her face scrunches up in consternation. Had she been that worried about him? He wasn’t entirely sure why. He was never actually in any danger. Thanks to her and her Soul Engine, Mikael was the most dangerous thing in the Colosseum today. And he’d proved it over and over again.

Still, he’s not going to turn down a kiss. He's just about to pull off his mask right then and there, when his Soul Mechanic abruptly changes course and starts working open the straps on his armor.

“Err… Avina, this really doesn’t seem like the time…”

“Shut up! I’m checking on the Engine!”

Oh. Actually, that made a lot more sense. Mikael flushes at the misunderstanding, not really sure why his mind went there of all places at a time like this. Indeed, the sounds of civilians clashing with guardsmen and angry rioters running through the streets fills the air all around them. Now is not the time for any hanky panky, that’s for sure.

Getting his chestplate off of him, Avina pulls open his shirt to reveal that the device embedded in his chest is glowing so brightly that it causes the entire alleyway to be awash with teal light. Bula’s eyes widen from off to the side when she sees it, and she looks at Avina in a new light.

“Huh. I’d wondered how you survived. She’s the one the bastard’s been trying to hunt down all sly like.”

Avina scowls but doesn’t give Bula the time of day. The Soul Mechanic is already completely focused on Mikael and his Soul Engine, checking it over and peering at it closely. She doesn’t have time for outside distractions, even ones that are shaped like Zadicus’ half-orc bodyguard. Thayla on the other hand frowns at the half-orc, placing herself between Bula and the two of them.

“What are your intentions now that Sir Mikael has freed you? You owe him a debt of gratitude. Will you pledge yourself to his service?”

Mikael winces at Thayla’s sharp, cutting tone. But he doesn’t speak up, because rather than get upset, Bula tosses him an amused glance before snorting derisively at the Knight of the Rose.

“Not big on debts right now. Or pledges. Or contracts.”

Thayla flushes at Bula’s deadpan tone. Letting out a grunt, the half-orc tilts her head back and thrusts out her chin.

“But killing Zadicus Quinn? Aye, I’m all for that.”

For a moment, Thayla looks indecisive, almost like she wants to push for more. But before she can, Avina finally pulls back from Mikael’s chest and scoffs.

“That’s all well and good. I’m sure we’d all like to get a chance at Zadicus now. But the likelihood of that happening has dropped to zero, hasn’t it?”

Wait, what? Mikael furrows his brow in consternation, even as Avina pats the Soul Engine and gives him a smile.

“It’s taking to this level of power better than I thought it would. So are you, Mikael. I think it probably has to do with you being a Summoned Hero. The old legends said that Summoned Heroes were like sponges. If they lasted long enough, they inevitably became powerhouses each in their own right. But I think out of all of them, you’ve taken it the most literally. You’ve become an actual sponge, absorbing all of that excess soul energy.”

Well now. That was good to hear, but it was distracting from the issue at hand. Nodding to make it clear to Avina that he’s hearing her loud and clear, Mikael nevertheless changes the subject back to the important thing.

“What do you mean by what you said before Avina? That our chances of getting to Zadicus have dropped to zero?”

Letting out a sigh, Avina looks towards the mouth of the alley. All around them, fighting can be heard. The people of Alether are taking their city back… or at least, that’s what Mikael is hoping anyways. Truthfully, he has no clue whether this will be good for Alether or not. The line between revolution and riot is a thin one, isn’t it? When the dust settles, how many people will be dead?

Though, one thing is certain… after all is said and done, they’ll be better off without Zadicus Quinn as their ruler. Mikael has to believe that. But for that to even be possible in the first place, the bastard has to be deposed. And Mikael very much wants to be the one to do it, for obvious reasons. If anyone else gets to him before they do, there might not be enough left of the evil wizard for Mikael to get what HE wants.

“… He’ll have retreated to the Lord’s Tower in the center of the city by this point. I didn’t mention it before because it wasn’t supposed to be relevant. Basically, every city in Ocreatha is built around a Lord’s Tower. Alether is no different. Each Lord’s Tower is warded with powerful magical protections that are centuries old. And they’re centuries old because they’re just that strong. Nothing anyone has come up with in hundreds of years can break through them.”

Avina points and Mikael follows her finger, her words washing over to him as he sees the pinnacle of a large tower he’d noticed before. Just as he’s looking at it however, the top of the tower, a large shimmering gem, suddenly glows and massive waves of magical force flow down from it, covering the tower and disappearing out of view behind the building that stands between them and the rest of the structure.

“There it is. He’ll be holed up there and now that the protections are active, it’ll be largely impenetrable. On the plus side, by activating those protections, he’s automatically alerted the rest of the Lord’s Towers across Ocreatha. Meaning that the Council of Lords now knows something is going on. He won’t be able to hide this from them, and when they find out that he’s fucked up badly enough to put the city in open revolt against him, they’ll probably send a force to remove him from power themselves.”

That sounded good, but obviously it was only good if one ignored the fact that Mikael needed to get to Zadicus personally. Avina’s shoulders slump, making it clear that she at least understands the issue here. Zadicus might be ultimately brought to justice, with the Council of Lords being forced to make an example of him when they find out everything that happened. But justice was never the primary goal. Mikael wanted his memories back. He wanted to go home. Both were things Zadicus couldn’t do for him if he was languishing in some prison cell or worse, executed before Mikael could talk to him.

“… Shit.”

Avina just nods, before slumping back against the alley wall with a huff. The Soul Mechanic looks surprisingly defeated. Though she also keeps glancing at his Soul Engine, seeming quite pleased with how well her invention had performed.

“Hmph. I see no problem here.”

Mikael, Avina, and Thayla’s eyes all snap to Bula at those words. The half-orc lifts her bared shoulders and then brings them down in a shrug as she grunts.

“Bastard Lord has holed himself up in Tower, yes? Put protections in place so none can get to him. None but us, that is.”

Furrowing his brow, Mikael feels a spark of hope ignite in his chest.

“Bula… what are you saying?”

Grinning savagely, the half-orc lifts her battle axe up off her shoulder, hoisting it in both hands.

“Bastard Lord taught me quite a bit. Showed me even more. More than he thought he was teaching me. More than he thought he was showing me. I know a way in to Lord’s Tower that goes past defenses. A way that goes under them.”

Bula’s grin feels infectious, because Mikael can feel one growing on his face as well as she speaks. It seemed that freeing the half-orc was already beginning to pay dividends.

“And how can we trust you, exactly? After all, you signed on with Zadicus willingly. All we have is your word that he ‘tricked’ you into that contract of yours.”

Avina’s voice cuts through the growing excitement like a knife and Mikael looks at the freckled young woman askance. She really wanted to go there. Fortunately, Bula seems incapable of taking offense. Or maybe she’s just in such a good mood that she can’t bring herself to get angry right now. The half-orc lets out a bark of laughter at Avina’s accusation, shaking her head.

“Hah! I’m not the kind to stab you in the back, little human. This one… Mikael was it? He laid it out quite plainly the first time we fought. Zadicus Quinn never intended to let me live to see the end of my contract. He would have made sure I died while I was still under his control, rather than let me be free. That much is plain to see at this point. So rest assured… I don’t intend to let him live to see the end of this day.”

Nodding, Avina seems to appreciate Bula’s conviction… but she’s not done prodding the half-orc, it would seem.

“I believe that you’re prepared to kill Zadicus. But are you equally prepared to let him live?”

Bula’s brow furrows for the first time at that, even as Avina waves a hand in Mikael’s direction.

“We need to take Zadicus alive so he can help Mikael here. The Lord of the City is the only person in all of Ocreatha, if not all of Vaclatora, who can possibly help Mikael.”

Right. Bula still didn’t know his true identity. Zadicus didn’t either, which was something Mikael was more than happy to have in his back pocket going into this final battle against the bastard of a wizard. But still… reaching up, he pulls away the metal mask covering his features, letting Bula see his face.

The half-orc peers at him curiously for a moment before her blue eyes widen in recognition. Then, she glances to Avina.

“Oh-ho. Summoned Hero. That’s what you said earlier. Hah! The bastard lord was fucking angry when he thought one of his other underlings lost this one’s body! But here he is, alive once more… and all because of you. Oh, the look on his face is going to be great…”

It probably would be. Still… Avina had a point.

“Bula. I need Zadicus to return my memories. And I need to tell him what condition he set when he summoned me so I can fulfill it and return home. Can I count on you to stay your hand and let him live long enough to get the answers I see? Avina is right that I need him alive for at least a little while longer… and possibly a lot longer depending on what condition he set.”

Mikael didn’t know what he would do if the condition Zadicus had set was something like ‘ensure Zadicus Quinn lives a long, happy life’. That would be… an issue. But Mikael was willing to cross that bridge when he got to it. Or burn it to the ground. One or the other.

Still, he watches Bula carefully, wanting to make sure she’s fully on board. To be fair, he doesn’t think the half-orc has a deceptive bone in her body. Especially with how long she’s having to think about it. Finally though, Bula nods sharply.

“Aye. You can count on me. Freed me and spared me, didn’t you? I might not be in the mood for pledges of service… but I can do this much for you at least. Whatever happens after… well, we’ll figure that out when we get there, won’t we?”

They would indeed. Giving Bula a thankful smile, Mikael places his metal mask back over his face and then straps his chestplate back on over the Soul Engine. The others check their own gear and get ready to move out as he readies himself. In short order though, they’re all good to go. With a grunt and a simple jerk of her head telling them to follow, Bula leads them out into the streets of a city in turmoil.

Luckily, they don’t look like City Guards, but they DO look way too well-armed for most people to fuck with them. A few recognize Bula as Zadicus’ bodyguard, but none want to tangle with a half-orc wielding a massive fuck-off battle axe. A couple of guardsmen try to conscript Bula into whatever defense they’re attempting to mount while their boss hides in his tower, but Bula just laughs and punches their lights out. Honestly, Mikael feels like she shows surprising restraint in doing so.

Eventually, they dip down off of the streets into a nondescript cellar. And then, much to all of their amazement, Bula leads them into the sewers. None of the three of them say anything, but a quick glance at Avina shows that she’s quite annoyed to discover that they were literally using the same network as the secret entrance into the Lord’s Tower. Still, it made sense. Even a magical, centuries-old tower needed to have access to the sewers, right?

Soon enough, true to Bula’s word, they come up inside of the Lord’s Tower in spite of the magical barrier blocking access from above. Seems like a massive oversight on Mikael’s part, but then, he supposed a Lord in question might want an escape route all the same.

The Tower itself is very sparsely populated. There’s one or two guards who apparently made it inside before the protections went up, but they’re easy enough to take down. And with Bula leading the way, they can avoid any of the traps and pitfalls meant for would-be thieves.

Ascending the Tower is a walk in the park. But then they come to the top, where a pair of large double doors stand between them and their quarry. Mikael can feel it in his bones, thrumming right alongside the Soul Engine through his veins. Zadicus Quinn is on the other side of those doors. And who knows what sort of bullshit the evil wizard has cooked up?

But he refuses to let that stop him. It’s finally time. Time to get his mind put back straight. Time to get answers. Time for the Lord of Alether to pay for what he did.

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A/N: Tune in on Monday for the confrontation with the big bad wizard lord!

Though I will say... we're not even halfway through this story yet so strap in because the ride only gets crazier from here, regardless of what happens on Monday~

Leave a Like if you enjoyed pleasure, and if you have the time be sure to let me know what you think!

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