Dao 3 Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Dar moved quickly out of the Prince’s manor, heading back the way they had come in.

“Milord, what are we to do?” Amber asked.

Dar knew them trailing him all day probably wasn’t great for them, but they also didn’t have a clear enough plan to know at what time they should regroup. And he was worried what trouble Neko might get into wandering the city.

“You can stay at my place.” Tami blurted out. When Dar turned to look at her, she added, “There’s no inn in the city that will take you, and I’m interested to hear the full story of what you saw about my brother. I’ll need to report it back to the family.” She added the last bit as if she was scrambling for an excuse.

Dar wanted to argue, but in the end, she’d been friendly and he didn’t see much harm in accepting her hospitality. And she deserved to know what had happened with her brother. “Fine. Girls go with Tami. I need to check on Karn.”

Neko snapped a playful salute while the two maids bowed. “Yes, Milord. We’ll have a place ready for you after your day.”

Tami raised an eyebrow at their submissive behavior, but Dar ignored it, not caring to explain. He turned and strode through the city, heading towards Golum’s place. It wasn’t far, within the same block.

The door to his place was already ripped off when Dar arrived, and shouting could be heard within.

Slipping in and down the stairs, the confrontation was obvious. Several wizards blocked Karn’s path.

“You cannot enter here. Not without Golum’s permission.”

Dar winced. Soon enough, they’d find out that Golum wasn’t going to be giving anyone permission anymore. But for some reason, Karn appeared to be holding himself back from outright killing the three wizards.

“Golum is dead.” The Prince tried to mediate. “We need to see what he was working on.”

“Dead?” One of the wizards asked. “How can he be dead?” They all wilted.

Prince Gregor used their distraction to walk past them and slide open the door. Karn and Dar followed.

The space was bigger than Dar remembered. Golum had expanded. The reason for the expansion became clear the second the door was opened.

Inside the laboratory, two caged trolls dominated the room. The back of the room dug out to make room for their large bodies. But other aspects of the laboratory remained the same. There was the workbench full of tools for testing, and the other bank of cages still remained.

The trolls were slumped over. Whether drugged or exhausted, Dar wasn’t sure. But the bars weren’t warped. Given the troll’s brutish strength, Dar was surprised Golum had managed to contain them.

The Prince was not happy. “What is the meaning of this! Why are those here in the city?” He pointed a shaking finger at the trolls. “You were given permission to work with the gremlins, not trolls. Do you even realize what would happen if those got out? The casualties they could cause?” He continued to chastise the wizards present.

Dar agreed with The Prince. If the trolls got out into the streets of Bellhaven, they could kill dozens before they could be brought down and dealt with. If people didn’t have weapons readily available, it might even be worse. And all of that could be exacerbated if panic broke out and crowds trampled each other. It would be a mess.

“The trolls were necessary for his work. Golum was on the verge of changing humanity, allowing us to fight devils on the same level.” One of his apprentices pleaded, clearly in awe of their master.

Dar wasn’t surprised at the motive. The wizards had been trying to find a way onto the dao path, so far unsuccessful. They still had to use enchanted items in order to wield dao, limiting their power.

The apprentice’s statement piqued Dar’s curiosity. He wondered if they’d really been close or if it was just more of the same insanity that had possessed Golum the last time Dar had met him.

“I have no report of any breakthrough. I’ve only seen the same inane ramblings of wizards. Move aside and let us remove this danger from the city.” The Prince demanded.

“Welcome back.” Karn noticed Dar. “Was it like this when you were here?”

Dar stepped through, and luckily, the cage that had once held the spirit was empty. “That cage there used to hold a spirit. They had a small bowl of water and another for food, which is like how they treat pets.”

“Master’s spirit was killed in a trial.” One of the wizard’s supplied, not understanding why Karn had come to the city and the impact his statement would have.

Before Karn could remove the man’s head, Dar lifted the wizard up and tossed him into a nearby cage. “Spirits are just as sentient as humans. Tell me, how do you feel about being in the cage?”

“I’d just let myself out. As a human, I have that capacity. We are free, never meant to be bound to stupid oaths.” The air in the underground laboratory shifted.

Dar wasn’t sure how to describe the change, but it was like a prickling across his skin. A fight was about to break out.

Rattling metal sounded behind them. A wrought-iron gate closed, trapping Dar, Karn and the nobles inside the laboratory. One of the other wizards had pulled a lever against the wall.

“What is the meaning of this?” Prince Gregor nearly screamed. But his question was answered as the cages holding the gremlins and trolls clicked open.

The caged occupants took a moment, staring at the doors. A few moved forward, testing the door as they pushed against it. It swung open easily.

Karn looked at the devils for a moment before turning back to the wizards, his intentions clear across his face.

Dar wasn’t interested in watching another wizard be brutally torn apart, so instead, he focused on the trolls coming out of their cages. “Stay back.” He warned the noblemen who had drawn their swords.

Dar could go head to head with a troll. He’d done that before and won, but he had progressed his dao considerably since then. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to show the full range of his abilities to this group, either. He certainly couldn’t show any of his Black Knight weaponry in front of The Prince given the bounty on his head.

As he decided on his next move, Dar settled into a fighting stance.

Stomping on the floor, he created the same stone javelins backed by granite missile batteries he’d used to take out the serpents.

He fired one into the room; the sound blasting louder than before as it echoed through the underground corridor. He released the others right after.

The javelins blew through gremlins and sent chunks of stone flying throughout the laboratory.

The two trolls were slightly smarter and hunkered down, protecting their face. Their skin held a glossy sheen that told Dar they had used the dao of hard. It was common enough for trolls. They were made much tougher than any gremlin or serpent monster.

“They are still alive.” The Prince commented. Dar thought that was pretty clear from the still moving trolls in front of him.

He sighed, moving on to his next plan. It seemed that he’d have to get his hands dirty after all.

Striding into the room, Dar was confident in his ability to win the fight. While he might have had trouble with trolls once, he was significantly stronger than he was then. Part of him was interested to see just how he now stacked up against two lesser devils.

A troll picked up a table and swung it at Dar.

Dar let mana pool through his system, increasing his weight and making his skin as hard as stone. He smiled as he gave them a taste of their own medicine.

Dar caught the table with one hand, stepping inside the troll’s swing and putting a palm to its chest. As he touched it, he activated the dao of combustion.

The troll’s chest exploded under Dar’s hand, and the troll toppled backwards as the other came forward, swinging desperately.

Ducking under the swing, Dar stomped on the ground. A pillar of granite shot up, catching the devil in the gut. Dar followed that hit up by dodging the troll’s next punch and swinging a reckless haymaker into the troll’s jaw.

The troll went down with a satisfying crunch. While it might have also had the dao of hard, it wasn’t a match for Dar, who had now mastered a greater dao.

“Sword please.” Dar held out his hand to the Prince and the men with him. He remembered when he had that bent bronze blade and had to hack it through a troll’s tough hide.

One of the men rushed forward to give Dar his sword. Dar pivoted back, cleaving the trolls’ heads from their bodies in one strike.

Finished with his task, he turned back to the broader group. The wizard who had pulled the lever had already been dispatched.

“Now, Prince Gregor. While I understand the utility of your wizards, I have to wonder if they haven’t become too dangerous as they are.” Dar looked distastefully over at the remaining wizard on the other side of the gate. “After all, they are complacent in all we see here, and they had no problem trying to kill us..”

“I do believe that one man isn’t representative of an entire group?” Another wizard that had been in the Prince’s meeting argued.

“You’re going to pretend this was all Golum?” Dar wasn’t buying it.

The wizard grimaced. “I am not proud of what he was doing, but he had his reasons. And he was powerful. We weren’t strong enough to challenge him.”

Karn seemed bored by the chit chat and stepped forward, but Dar interceded. While Dar and Karn could kill them, it would be up to the prince to make any lasting changes. He needed to make this call.

“Each man is responsible for his own actions and must bear the resulting consequences.” Prince Gregor proclaimed. “Golum dug his own grave, not that of all wizards. These men are to be unharmed.” The wizards relaxed at his statement.

Karn huffed loudly, a brow arched. He stared The Prince down, reminding him that he did not follow the man’s orders.

“This has been a poor introduction to Bellhaven.” The Prince continued, trying again. “Allow us to host you for another few days and try to change your mind. And we have news that The White would be interested in.”

“Tell me the news.” Karn stated, his focus quickly shifted. It seemed mentioning The White had a profound effect on his temper. Dar filed that away to use later as needed.

“We need to discuss in more detail. Only just before you arrived, I received another set of missives.”

Karn was not satisfied with that answer. “Fine, we will discuss later. But I have news of my own that will be quick. Frost’s Fang rescinds its protection over Kindrake.”

“What?!” Prince Gregor lost all composure. “You can’t.”

“I was given explicit permission to declare this. This is not the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last time, that Kindrake feels it can take advantage of our kind. I spoke with those that fled your city not a few weeks ago. Their stories were difficult to believe, but after what I have seen here, I have the confirmation I needed. Our protection is rescinded.” Karn laid out his thoughts.

Dar had been told that The White and her home, Frost’s Fang, held power that could crush entire cities overnight, leaving no survivors. And he believed it now after meeting only one resident of Frost’s Fang. But he wasn’t sure what sort of broader protection they offered.

“Please stay a few days. Let us change your mind.” The Prince tried again.

“I will stay for several days, but only to understand this devil problem that you have. While our protection is rescinded, the devils must be held at bay.” Karn walked over to the metal gate that had blocked their path and touched it. Dar watched as frost spread throughout it. With a single kick, Karn shattered it. “If any of your people have demons or spirits… please bring them to me. I will lead them from the city when I go. If I find any have been withheld or hidden, there will be consequences.”

Prince Gregor looked to Dar, pleading. “You’ll help us?”

“You forget that I was run out of this city. You have absolutely no right to ask for my help, nor am I inclined to give it.” Dar scoffed. “I came here to protect you from Karn’s wrath should the city have improved. So far, I don’t see that as the case. Leadership is clearly lacking, and Karn’s decision is his own.”

“But it will effectively destroy Kindrake.” Gregor pleaded with Dar.

“Sounds like a problem for Kindrake and its leadership, not that of a small village leader.” Dar pushed the man off of him and stepped around those gathered. “I’d start by rounding up the spirits and demons in the city like he asked.”

***

It wasn’t too hard to find Tami’s place. The home was attached to Prince Gregor’s. As he arrived, Karn shadowed him.

“Karn.” Tami’s face was dour as she took in the extra guest. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been asked to stay in the city for a few days.” He answered simply.

“Yes, but why are you here? Specifically, why are you at my home?” Tami was out of her armor, relaxing on a sofa with Neko while Amber and Marcie worked to make dinner.

“Do we need another serving?” They asked Dar.

“A few extra, I imagine. Karn has a big appetite.”

The bear shrugged. “I had a snack earlier.” The demon gave a big, toothy grin. A piece of flesh stuck between his teetch.

Dar froze, realizing he meant Golum. “Do you normally eat humans?”

“Not often, well… not often anymore. Now that they are organized, it is like disturbing a hive. You often get stung, and it can be annoying to deal with that problem.” Karn took a seat on a couch, and the other side lifted off the ground from his bulk.

“This is why my family doesn’t associate with you or the rest of Frost’s Fang. You are animals.” Tami threw her hands up. “Eating humans? They are more than bees.”

Dar had to agree with Tami. That Karn considered humans equivalent to insects was concerning.

Although Karn’s mindset explained several actions. He’d have to keep in mind that Karn and the others at Frost’s Fang may consider the human cities to be more like castle pens or hives.

“Better than being a pet.” Karn grumbled, but it held little bite considering the tone Tami had used with him. Despite their differences, they seemed far more at home among each other.

Dar interrupted their banter with a question of his own. “Karn, what exactly does Frost’s Fang offer protection from?”

Tami quickly jumped in, answering the question. “From the other celestial demons. She doesn’t rule Kindrake, but her presence inside of it keeps The Deep and Crimson from stepping into the nation.”

Tami paused. “Why are you asking?” Her eyes, full of worry, flitted to Karn.

“The White, having heard the rumors, authorized Karn to retract her protection should he not be satisfied with what he found here. He just did that.”

Tami reacted just about as poorly as The Prince had. “You can’t.”

“She can and has. The White explicitly commanded me to come here and assess if it was needed. After Toldove, second chances cannot be given. We must deal with the problem before it gets to that point again.” Karn explained.

Tami buried her face in her hands as her thumbs worked the edge of her jaw. “You realize that might as well destroy this city. The Deep One will learn of this and stretch its tentacles up into Bellhaven.”

“Now, if only the city had the support of demons and spirits to beat it back to the watery depths. Unfortunately, they killed or drove away all of those who could or would.” Karn’s face was hard. “You cannot be this blind.”

Tami threw her head back in frustration, her antlers scratching the back of her seat. “You cannot be stupid enough to think that The Deep One won’t cause trouble for The White if she lets him encroach upon her territory.”

“Excuse me.” Dar cut in. “Can somebody explain who The Deep One is for me?”

Both demons paused in their fighting, stunned as they slowly turned to look at Dar. Clearly The Deep One must be well known.

Dar quickly explained, “I’m young for a demon. I haven’t been out of Kindrake.”

Both demons studied him a bit longer before Tami spoke. “South of here there lies an archipelago of human tribes.”

“Mahaklan.” Dar supplied the name from Mika’s stories.

“Precisely. It is ruled by demons, though most of the citizenry is human. But under the sea, around the archipelago, there is a massive swarm of demons. And they are led by a celestial demon that hides on the floor of the sea. The Deep One.”

Seeming to have little faith in Dar’s knowledge, Tami added, “Crimson is another celestial demon that claims the territory that borders the North of Kindrake, on the other side of the mountain range that Frost’s Fang resides in.”

Turning back to Karn, Tami resumed their argument. “So, what is The White going to do when they begin to feel ambitious as they succeed in claiming what was once her territory?”

Karn shrugged. “They are no longer a concern for The White.”

“No longer a—she has a second celestial dao?!” Tami nearly leapt off her seat. “How?”

Karn shrugged. “I have yet to see it, but she was visited by Lilith recently. Since then, she’s had a breakthrough.”

“Lilith is in Kindrake as well?”

Karn nodded. “She was at Frost’s Fang only several months ago. I do not know if she is still here.”

“The Black Knight was in Bellhaven just a week ago.” Tami added. “Which would mean she’s likely still here. The two were often seen together.”

Karn’s eyes pinned Dar to his seat, but said nothing.

She paused, working through the new information. “Maybe she continued on to talk to The Deep One and help them with their next celestial dao, too. You know she rarely chose sides, willing to help any who would fight the devils,” Tami tried to throw doubt into Karn’s decision, but the bear wasn’t buying it. “Unlikely. They do not have that kind of relationship. The Black Knight though… I do wish for a rematch.”

Dar tried to keep his face passive, staying out of their discussion. He didn’t jump in to supply that Lilith was, in fact, dead, because it would force him to explain more of how he knew the woman so closely. But he was interested in how he’d defeated Karn previously. He must have been stronger back then.

He needed to continue to collect dao and return to that strength if he had any chance of leading Hearthway to a better future. He didn’t foresee anything getting easier or less messy in the near term.

And he wouldn’t get stronger without killing more devils to create fruits and maybe even find another Mo for his little dao tree to absorb.

Wanting to change topics, Dar spoke on what he’d learned. “Karn. I looked at the map before I left. The devil problem they have here is primarily gremlins and trolls. Their scouting reports say that they are coming from the hills northeast of here.”

The bear looked down at his hands. “Northeast?” He sighed, commenting to himself, “So the seal there has broken as well.”

Tami sat up. “What do you mean as well?”

Karn looked at Dar for a moment, seeming to decide how much to say, before turning back to the woman. “I came through Dar’s village. They had set their forest on fire to deal with an enormous ettercap hive.” Karn couldn’t meet Dar’s gaze. “The White knows where all the Mo are sealed in her area. There are two. One was where that ettercap hive had been, the other is in the hills we are discussing now.”

“Mo? There are Mo in Kindrake now? How can Frost’s Fang pull out now?” Tami was beside herself. “Do you realize the destruction they will reap if they get loose?”

Neko, who had been quiet throughout the entire discussion, puffed herself up. “Don’t worry, Dar killed the big spider. He can kill another.” Neko stood proudly. Amber was on her in a flash, putting a hand over her mouth.

“Don’t listen to her.” The maid told the group.

“You might have injured the creature, but the Mo cannot die. That is why Lilith went around sealing all of them.” Karn shook his head, taking Neko’s outburst for a misunderstanding.

Dar nodded, happy to let Karn believe the Mo was alive. “Then what do we do?”

“Leave it to Lilith.” Tami interjected. “If she’s here, it is probably to reseal them.”

Karn nodded. “That seems highly plausible. She’s been at this for longer than either of us have been alive. But she failed to reinforce the seal near Dar’s village, so I am not sure we can count on it. And I do not know if she will be there in time to reinforce the Mo leading these trolls before they are able to wreak havoc and become a mess to contain.”