The Newt and Demon

Crossing the 100 Wisdom threshold had extended Theo’s precognition to an absurd level. It had more than doubled since he last tested it, making Tresk’s attempt in the Dreamwalk almost futile. Even when she looked through his eyes, she had trouble keeping up with the predictive effect. The alchemist was most surprised at how uncomfortable he felt with this level of power. He realized how difficult it must have been with Khahar. If that man hadn’t found some kind of Soul potion, he would be shocked.

“Thank god for the Wisdom of the Soul potion,” Theo said, sighing as Tresk tried another futile attack. “Hey, do you think I should try to find the space elves today?”

“I don’t care! How about you stay still so I can hit you?” Tresk asked, grunting as she lunged forward.

Theo had seen the attack long before it was made. He stepped to the side, dodging it with little effort. “I think I can make it there, but something tells me getting the shards back will be harder.”

“Why?” Tresk asked, tossing her dagger and hitting air. “Damn it!”

“I can’t assume the shards are just waiting for me to pluck them from their resting place. The space elves would have put defenses.”

Tresk growled, crouching as she prepared to launch another attack. “Maybe you can just drag the whole place back here.”

Theo tapped his chin. That wasn’t a bad idea. The issue with moving the thrones was more a matter of moving a piece of the realm with them. But that was before the gods had returned, putting new restrictions on the way the void worked. He wasn’t certain he could do it again. But he expected the Throne of the Dreamwalker to be there. “Perhaps I can just claim my throne and exert my authority to move the whole realm.”

“Yeah, that might work,” Tresk said, stabbing at air with less vigor than before. “Man, I hate you. I’m gonna summon something I can hit.”

Tresk spent the rest of the Dreamwalk fighting against monsters. Theo stayed behind. He had already dominated an absurd amount of undead, bolstering his willpower to new heights. Instead, he spent time with Alex.

“Has Tresk even examined you in a while?” Theo asked, patting her on the head. “How did you even absorb the power of a dragon?”

Alex giggled into his mind. “She hasn’t examined me in a while. Each time we went into the underground, I sipped some energy from that dragon.”

Theo examined the goose again.

[Alexandria D’Goose]

[Goose]

[Familiar]

Stage:

[Proto Dragon-Goose]

Master:

[Dreamrealm of Tero’gal]

Level 40

Description:

Geese are known as the most loving creatures in all the realms. Any rumors spread to disparage these honorable creatures will be met with a flurry of feathers and bill.

Affinities:

Fire

Nature

Her level had advanced a lot, but her stage had changed. She was at the Proto Dragon-Goose phase. Whatever that meant. The goose was becoming something between a goose and a dragon, which was interesting. Theo didn’t know if this was the right path, but she was her own goose. She could do what she wanted.

“Wanna come with me through the void?” Theo asked, nudging the goose with his elbow.

“That would be fun. Are you bringing Tresk?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to tell her until breakfast. You know how she gets.”

“Oh, yes. I know very well how she can get.”

Instead of grinding more willpower, Theo spent time with Alex. She wanted to display what she could do now that she was a Level 40 Proto Dragon-Goose. Her speed on land and in the air had increased significantly. While her progression with Fire and Nature weren’t predictable like other magic systems, she was getting good with both of them. Alex could combine both affinities, creating flaming vines. But the most interesting thing she could make was a flaming tree-creature that shambled across the ground. As long as she had enough material, she could create something close to a golem.

Theo broke the news to Tresk when they woke from the Dreamwalk. She seemed okay with it, eager enough to guard her partner in the expansive void. The marshling wasn’t great at navigating the void, but she had the authority of the Dreamer. That was good enough for Theo to feel more comfortable before they went. After breakfast, he checked on Salire and got her started on a few things without him. The void still moved at a slower pace than the mortal world, meaning he would be gone for only a few minutes.

“Stay safe,” Salire said, waving as he departed.

“Thanks,” Theo said, heading out.

Theo, Tresk, and Alex assembled outside of the Newt and Demon. Tresk seemed slightly bored while Alex was excited.

“When was the last time you went to the void?” Theo asked.

“I go directly to Tero’gal when I used my ability. I don’t go through the void like you. Ya weirdo.”

“It has changed,” Theo said, wrapping his bubble of shadows around them. “Just hold on. It’s a bit of a ride.”

Tresk shrieked as the group fell into the maelstrom of the void. Theo appreciated his increased willpower, realizing he wouldn’t have been able to hold onto everyone if he hadn’t been grinding it so much. The marshling wrapped herself around his leg as they soared to the void’s edge. It had a distinctive edge now, allowing the alchemist to see the difference between the near and far void. Before long the seas had calmed, giving way to the expansive nothingness.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Tresk said, her voice echoing through the darkness.

Theo gestured forward. On the horizon, he could see a speck of light. It stood out against the eternal gloom, shimmering like a gem. “Do you think that’s our place?”

“How should I know!?” Tresk shouted, still on edge. “You’re the master of the void.”

Theo smiled to himself. He knew this was the place he needed to reach. It called to him, pulling him forward. The last throne that needed to be claimed to complete the council that would oversee the world. With true gods now in place, he didn’t know how they would work. None of that mattered now. The expansive space between him and the gem shrunk. It grew larger, revealing itself to look much like the other realms when they had been sitting on the ribbon.

“Here we go,” Theo said, angling them toward the orb. A moment later, they passed through the veil and alighted on a beach.

“Oh, this is lovely,” Tresk said, looking around. She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the ocean.

Theo looked around. They were standing on a tropical beach with crystal clear waters lapping against their feet. The weather was hot, but not overly so. There was no sun in the sky, and tropical palms lined the beach where the sand turned to sparse grasses. But there were no people on the strand. The alien realm was vacant. At least in the immediate area where they had landed.

“I suppose we should look,” Theo said, heading to the inland area. He felt himself being drawn in that direction.

“I’ve never been more ready to stab someone,” Tresk said, her daggers at the ready.

The beach gave way to a tropical jungle. Thorny bushes mingled with tall grasses, punctuated occasionally by both tall and squat palms. The group walked for hours before they found anything of note. They approached a sandy clearing. Rising to the sky with a blocky form was a ziggurat. The wide gray stones that made up the structure had been weathered by untold years. Most curious of all, was the silent bara’thier that stood outside.

“Hello!” Theo said, getting a closer look at the elf. He wore simple robes that had fared just about as well as the temple in whatever untold time had passed here. His expression was gaunt, eyes cast to the ground. The alchemist lowered his voice. “This is creepy.”

“I’m getting bad vibes, captain,” Tresk said, gripping her daggers tightly. “Let’s leave.”

“But we came so far…” Alex groaned.

Theo approached the lone figure, counting on his precognition to keep him safe if needed. The figure didn’t move. At all. The alchemist had to observe him for some time before he realized the guy was breathing. He drew long breaths that were almost imperceptible. “Hello. Anyone there?”

The figure didn’t move.

“I don’t wanna be here,” Tresk said, shaking her head. “Can I stab him?”

The figure twitched slightly. Theo watched as he held his hand out, as though to gesture to the ziggurat.

“Yeah, let’s just do what the creepy statue man says. Sounds like a great plan,” Tresk mocked.

Theo ignored her, approaching the foot of the structure. Stairs ran up the middle, but he couldn’t feel anything within. Even when he extended his shadow senses, he couldn’t feel anything inside. The throne wasn’t here. So why did the elf want them to go? The alchemist ascended the stairs, joined immediately by Alex. It took Tresk a moment, but she screamed up the steps after being left behind.

The group ascended the last of the steps, laying eyes on what rested inside the temple. A house-sized crystal sat within a dark stone room. Whatever power had created the thing had long-since faded, leaving only a husk of what it once was. Theo scrutinized the crystal for some time, wondering if this was the shard he was looking for. There was more than one though, wasn’t there?

“We’ll come back for the crystals. We’re looking for the throne.” Theo said, making his way back to the entrance. He stopped, gritting his teeth. The elf had moved and was now standing at the foot of those stairs. “Still got those daggers ready?”

“Duh!”

“Good. I’m feeling the creep factor going up.”

Theo heard something. An echoing voice filled his mind as he stood atop those steps. Only a moment later he realized it was the phantom voice of someone about to speak. He turned, spotting Void popping into existence behind them. The small, spiral-faced man seemed surprised.

“Oh, yeah. What a pigsty, huh?” Void asked.

“Interloper,” Tresk said. Without considering the implications of attacking a true god, she lunged forward. Only to be frozen in place, unable to thrust forward.

“Har har. Good try,” Void said, waving a dismissive hand. “I was wondering when you would get to work, Theo. You’re doing a great job, by the way. Promotions all around!”

“You stink,” Tresk grumbled. She pulled back, relaxing her posture.

“What are you doing here?” Theo asked. He tried to act unphased before the god, but it was hard. The power emitting from this guy was nuts. He felt like an ant under a boot.

“Making sure you’re doing the job. Honestly, I was kinda interested in this place. These guys have been isolated for fifty-thousand years.” Void shook his head. “But this is a proto-realm. They never got the shards working, so it never became a true realm.”

That was frightening. Time hadn’t been kind to the denizens within. Well, at least the one guy standing at the bottom of the stairs with a vacant expression on his face.

“Do you think I can pull the entire realm back?” Theo asked.

“I doubt it.” Void looked around. The air shimmered with power. “Even with the throne, your authority won’t extend to this place. Hell, my authority doesn’t extend here. I’m only able to stand here because it is kinda half-void.”

“What about them?” Alex asked, tilting her head to the figure below. There were two of them now.

“Their brains are so cooked, I dunno if you can save them.” Void sighed. He turned to the side, brows knitting. “Hey! No interventions! This area is off limits to you, buddy.”

A tall, hooded figure appeared nearby. The cloak it wore was pure darkness. It was slightly shorter than Theo, but held a presence that seemed to draw in all light around him. The alchemist felt as though the reaper had come to collect his due. Another god, no doubt.

“Aren’t celebrations in order?” the figure asked, his voice as cold as the grave. “The holders of the throne will meet us eventually. Why not provide introductions?”

“Ugh. Fine. Hey guys, this is some idiot that I hate. I thought we killed him back in the old world, but would you look at that? He’s back. Hooray.”

“After all, we’ve been through, Pib. You wound me.”

“No real names.” The dark spiral on Void’s face spun.

“Theo Spencer. Tresk. Alex. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The man bowed, revealing nothing under his cloaked form. “While you weren’t the man I was looking for, I’m glad it was you that emerged first.”

“I don’t know you,” Theo said, shaking his head.

“He’ll figure it out eventually. Like you said, he’s gonna grab the throne. Today, more than likely.” Void shrugged as though defeated. “It doesn’t break the rules, and I’m not your boss.”

Theo realized how much this was like playing with fire. He would have thrown himself to the wolves with the ascendants, but these were true gods. The newest one that had appeared had an obvious name. No one had to spell that one out for him. Death stood before him, lording over this realm like a hungry buzzard.

“As Theo has deduced, my new name is Death.”

“And your old name,” Void shrugged. “Before we usurped you.”

“I promise to be a good boy this time.”

“What are you people, anyway? What is the other place people talk about on Earth?” Theo asked.

“If someone could answer that question, they would put millions of years of research I’ve done to shame.” Death sighed, pushing the sleeve of one arm up. Despite Theo’s expectations, it wasn’t a spooky skeleton hand. “I woke up in that other place. I ruled a kingdom I didn’t remember with a wife I didn’t know. When ascendancy opened up, I found the most powerful realm I could command.”

“Yeah, until you started siphoning souls from the real world.”

Death shrugged. “Theo, you’ve had trouble with lingering souls, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I’m guessing that’s your job.”

“It was then and it is now. I am the shepherd that ushers souls to the places they belong. Whether that is the afterlife in a godly realm, or reincarnation, it is my job. So you don’t need to worry.”

“Feels like he’s couching something here,” Theo said, speaking to the members of his Tara’hek.

“Full transparency here,” Void said, holding his hands up. “We can hear that.”

Death laughed. A laugh just as cold as his voice. “I told you how important I am so you wouldn’t be upset. I am forbidden from issuing orders about the mortal plane, but I can tell you this. Tarantham is now without their emperor.”

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