The Newt and Demon

“Was that so hard?” Tresk asked.

“Hmmm? What?” Khahar asked.

Zan’kir was glued to the battlements of the wall. He shuddered as though he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. The absolute power Khahar held over his people was impressive, if not frightening. Theo had it in his mind that An’tal was Khahar from the start, but he couldn’t find a motive. If what Zarali said about him was true, why the hell would he row a boat across the ocean to visit Broken Tusk? Or was it as simple as needing a vacation, as the alchemist had suggested.

“Letting us know who you were!” Tresk said, clapping her hand over his shoulder. “Oh, you’re real firm for an old guy.”

Khahar smiled.

“Could you do something for him?” Theo asked, pointing at the quivering mass of Khahari that was Zan’kir. “And give me a little backstory on why you want to visit Broken Tusk so badly.”

“We shall work,” Khahar said. “As we discuss this.”

Khahar vanished from the wall again, reappearing at the edge of the pit. Zan’kir gained some of his senses again, but was still muttering nonsense. Theo and Tresk jumped over the wall and joined the leader of the Khahari near the harbor.

“Hey, no vanishing while you’re on the clock,” Alise said. “Back in the pit.”

Khahar bowed and jumped back into the pit. He moved his blocks into place, setting them with the magical mortar. It was as though the reveal meant nothing to him, so why travel under an assumed name?

“I didn’t mean for you to find out so soon, Theo,” Khahar shouted from the bottom of the pit. “I wanted to take the measure of a new leader. What better way than to see how they treat their workers?”

Theo helped transport more blocks into the pit. Those who had inventories were valuable for that task. He loaded his inventory up with stones then climbed down the makeshift ladder the laborers had assembled. Those citizens of Broken Tusk that were working at the bottom of the muddy harbor seemed confused about this turn of events.

“I found your shores easily, but I have been watching for a week,” Khahar said.

Whatever he said was music to Theo’s ears. It didn’t matter what the leader of the Khahari did, just that he came clean with the alchemist. That mattered more than anything.

“What kind of man is Theo Spencer? I asked myself that question,” Khahar said, lifting a marble block with one hand. He set it in place, pushing aside the mud with his free hand. “Why is he interested in trading with the Khahari?”

“I heard no one trades with your people,” Theo said. “Didn’t expect contact until we had the port running.”

Khahar paused, turning to smile at Theo. There was a warmth there that radiated outward, bathing that stinking pit with a cleansing light.

“Thoughts travel my way. Sometimes,” Khahar said, setting another block in place. “Intent. Dreams. Errant wills. Most are consumed by the Will of Khahar, but your willingness to establish contact was too strong.”

Theo doubted that. He bought some of the leader’s story, but had learned to look out for other motives. Even if Khahar heard him from across the ocean, it seemed like a strange way to make contact. Still, there were more interesting questions he could ask an ancient leader.

“What level are you?” Theo asked.

“Ah, that’s a good question,” Khahar said. He was softening by the moment. “You should have seen the world when it was forged, Theo. Chaos. Did you know levels go into the thousands?”

In fact, he suspected that was the case. But there seemed to be a tendency of people on this planet to fight for godhood when they reached a certain level. The alchemist understood Khahar’s thought process was likely incomprehensible. It would take his entire willpower to even speak like a normal person, let alone engage in a conversation.

“I thought it might,” Theo said, hoisting another block for Khahar to set. “How hard is it to think like a normal person?”

“Always smart,” Khahar whispered, not low enough to avoid Theo’s ears. “It’s almost impossible. Like instructing an ocean how to dance. Or… Ah, well. It’s difficult.”

It should have been intimidating talking to someone so powerful. But since Drogramath had become a familiar bedfellow, Theo didn’t find himself put off. He just wanted to get as much information out of Khahar while he was here. The man’s whims could send him off, back to the Khahari Desert, at a moment’s notice. Even now, the alchemist realized the small rowboat was a diversion or a coincidence. It was part of a plan that fell apart too soon for Khahar.

Then something struck Theo. This was all planned. Khahar’s [Intelligence] attribute was at a level that made coincidence impossible. He’d have everything planned out to an unknowable stage.

“It would never take you long to figure that out,” Khahar said, chuckling. The laugh seemed fake and Theo was taken aback. Either from Khahar’s foresight, or ability to read his mind. “I can’t read minds. I just make predictions.”

“I’m not sure which is worse,” Theo said.

Khahar nodded, suddenly sullen. Then he righted his expression and smiled again.

“No need to worry about all that,” Khahar said. “My people don’t even know I’m gone and I’ll be back before you realize. I’m just here to watch.”

Theo nodded. Overwhelming power like this couldn’t be fought, and he was lucky Khahar seemed friendly if a little distant. He relaxed in the presence of the god-like figure, helping him set the stones in place and trying to strike up a conversation. He was glad to give a brief history of his people, including a first-hand account of the forging of the world.

60,000 years ago, the planet was formed. Khahar skipped some details about how everyone was brought here, but it was a scramble for survival. The system was set in place the moment they set foot on the planet, then hell broke loose. Everyone was encouraged to fight to the death until only a few survived from each of their race. Khahar paired with a woman, and they formed the Khahari people who had endured for all those millennia without changing much. Their desert was surrounded by a field of power, known as the Will of Khahar, which acted as a shroud.

“When my wife joined the Prime Pantheon, I remained,” Khahar said, staring in the distance for a breath. “One moment.”

Khahar vanished for less than a blink. Then he was back. He smiled again.

The story went on for a while. As the years passed, Khahar became distant. He blamed the increase in attributes, namely an [Intelligence] over 1,000. Things got harder for him, but he pressed on. Theo felt like the godlike cat-person was pouring his emotions out, but nothing resembling sorrow played on the man’s face. It was a strange contrast, but the alchemist was there as a shoulder to cry on. Even if there weren’t tears in that mud-strewn pit.

Theo would have flagged long before quitting time if not for his enhanced [Strength] and [Vigor]. Even if he didn’t have those stats to bolster his body, he would have remained for another word from the leader of the Khahari. It was too strange of a situation to pass up, but he could sense something deep within Khahar. The simplicity of labor sent him back to a simpler time, where people weren’t bowing at his feet to gain his favor. That was something Khahar went over. The constant begging for attention from such a powerful being, it was why people normally ascended to godhood.

“You give them one ounce of help,” Khahar said, welding another string of blocks together, “then you owe them for life. It’s exhausting.”

“Broken Tuskers are different,” Theo said, running his hand along the perfect mortar. There were sections with images of a cute rendition of Khahar himself, dancing in the sun. “We’ll beg you not to help us.”

Khahar smiled. The surrounding laborers laughed, shouting their words of support. People in Broken Tusk were known for their independence. It was a reason they were so destitute when Theo got there. But it was a strength now, and Theo would do everything to preserve that strength. They were unimpressed with the leader of the Khahari, treating him like any laborer they had ever worked with. A Broken Tusker wouldn’t bow to anyone unless they offered a steady job and a plate of hot food. There was a charm to that.

“Good to hear, Theo,” Khahar said, grinning. “I can feel that monster wave coming on.”

“Bet you could deal with that in a breath,” Theo said, laughing. “Sorry. The loot is all ours.”

The work went on for hours. Khahar was clearly holding back, trying to limit himself as much as possible to work at the laborer’s pace. Ziz overcame the effects of his stamina potion before midday, coming down into the pit to give directions. He was in no condition to lift the blocks and set them in place. Throk’s artifices were working wonders, but the ocean hadn’t come to play. The alchemist was worried about that, but they were at least a day away from worrying about that. Even with their new rapid pace.

There was a slight tension in the air when Theo called Khahar’s true name from the battlements of Broken Tusk. Once the leader of the Khahari returned to the harbor as though nothing happened, the tension lifted. Shortly after, it was as though he was equal to any laborer in the town. The Khahari population in town wasn’t high, so no one saw him for anything more than he was. A hard worker, quick with a smile and kind. Before working hours were over, he invited Khahar and Alise to dinner at the town hall. They’d have the open area of the hall to themselves, the crackling fire giving excellent ambience. Khahar accepted.

“He’s WHAT?” Zarali asked.

The Drogramathi Priestess caught Theo outside the Newt and Demon. He needed to check on his gardens and golems, rearranging the plants to encourage the highest level of cultivation. Zarali followed him to the rows of greenhouses, huffing at him the entire way. A mix of excitement and fear painted her face.

“He could rewrite what we know about history, you know?” Zarali said, trying a different tactic. “If I could ask him a few questions, I could publish the results. An interview with Khahar? That hasn’t happened. Ever. No mortal remains from the Forging, I could be—”

“I get it,” Theo said, interrupting her rant. “You’re welcome to come to dinner tonight. Pick his brain, but don’t be rude.”

“Can I bring Xol’sa?” she asked, eyes glittering with excitement.

“Yeah. Alise wants to bring a guest,” Theo said.

Zarali looked herself over, scoffing. “I can’t wear these. I need to change—when are we eating?”

“The same time we eat every single day,” Theo said, giving her a flat look. “Just chill out.”

Zarali did not chill out. She stormed off, headed to her lab.

Theo was happy to get back to something at least tangentially related to alchemy. The reagents in each greenhouse were doing well to cultivate themselves. The buildings provided the ideal environment for them to grow, even if most of those buildings were almost entirely empty. Meanwhile, the mushroom cave was almost ready for full production and the golems had collected enough random ingredients to do a few runs. They were targeting the [Marsh Tubers], but grabbed whatever they saw. It was mostly [Stone Flowers], [Water Lilies], and [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root]. The alchemist took his mind off the sudden events by starting 2 of his stills with 500 units of [Stone Flowers], and [Water Lilies]. They weren’t the cultivation quality he wanted, but more for the store was better. Salire would be happy.

“Hey!” a voice called from downstairs in the shop. Theo recognized it as the rough sort of thing Sledge would say.

“What’s up?” Theo asked, descending to the first floor.

Sledge stood with her hands on her hips, that permanent scowl on her face. She was covered in sawdust.

“The sky. Ha ha,” she said with exactly no emotion. “Got a question for you, fancy pants.”

“You can’t know I’m wearing pants,” Theo said, tugging at his silken robe.

“Are you purposefully underutilizing my vast abilities?” Sledge asked, narrowing her eyes. “Or are you just dumb?”

“You’re running the mill, right?”

“I need [Fabricator] work, Theo! Dammit!” Sledge said, slamming her hand down on the front desk. “I need inspiration!”

“Sledge, that’s on you,” Theo said. “You’re the taskmaster for the sawmill, but I gave you free reign. Assign a person to run it for you, then take fabricator jobs.”

“No one wants to hire me,” Sledge said.

Theo gestured for the angry little Marshling to follow him upstairs. He was certain that most Marshlings were just angry people, but he saw them for what they were. Hard working, dedicated individuals who had a keen sense of community. She followed him upstairs and took a seat by the window, letting out a breath. The alchemist joined her.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Theo said. “I’m working on a project. Everyone in Broken Tusk is going to want one, and we need you to attach the pipes through the houses.”

“I wanna do more than just lay pipes, mayor,” Sledge said, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, but you need experience to get more skills,” Theo said. “Let’s start over. What skills do you have?”

The [Fabricator] class was based around the idea that seed core buildings couldn’t be modified. If a person took a brick from their house, it would vanish and then the building would rebuild itself. [Fabricators] could modify the structure of a seed core building, and perhaps a town’s seed core and so on. Sledge explained that she wasn’t even level 5 yet, as she was too busy with the mill. Her only ability was [Modification], which allowed her to rearrange the structure of a building without it rebuilding itself. It was a long road before she’d be doing what Theo wanted her to do.

“That’s when you’ll get the [Tamper] skill,” Theo said. They took a while to review which skills seemed like the best ones. The alchemist found the skill in his endless list, thanks to the search feature, and inspected it.

[Tamper]

Fabricator Skill

Epic

Allows the user to change the nature of a seed core.

Effect:

Apply unaligned mana to any seed core to change its nature.

“Look at the wording,” Theo said. “It says ‘seed core’, rather than ‘seed core building’. That’s big.”

Theo didn’t want to go into where he thought this would go. This was the first step to becoming a [Coresmith], he could feel it with his intuition. Like most things with the system, it was training wheels for something bigger.

“So, what can I do with this?” Sledge asked.

“Hard to say, but I think we’ll be looking at some serious upgrades,” Theo said. “I want you to take that ability at level 10, then if you can spare the point at level 15 take [Synergistic Links].”

Theo inspected that skill, which seemed like the real winner here.

[Synergistic Links]

Fabricator Skill

Legendary

Apply production chain links between seed cores.

Effect:

Apply unaligned mana to establish bonuses to production chain buildings.

“Production chains mean things like mining to smelting to blacksmithing,” Theo said.

“I understood that,” Sledge said, glowering. “You don’t have to treat me like a baby.”

“But baby asked for help,” Theo said, grinning. He continued before she could slap him. “You’re busy. I get it. Talk with Alise or one of her henchmen if you need help restructuring the sawmill. Remember, you’re the most important piece to my boat-building puzzle.”

Sledge swelled with pride at that comment. She puffed her chest out and smiled.

“I am, aren’t I?” Sledge asked.

“You are,” Theo said, patting her on the head. He explained what was so important about the [Fabricator] class with his air conditioning plan. Sledge didn’t understand it entirely, the heat didn’t hinder the Marshlings as much as the other races. But with Humans, and other cold-weather enjoying races coming to town, this would be important. People would pay a premium to keep their houses cool and seed core houses didn’t have upgrades to regulate the temperature. Theo just hoped Xol’sa wouldn’t sell his magically cold fire.

“Yeah, I saw an Elf,” Sledge said. “An Elf. Living in Broken Tusk. Well, they look hard as shells, so there’s that.”

Theo nodded. He needed to remember to check in with Sledge more often. She needed more direction than the others, and she wouldn’t come to him for help unless it was dire. The Marshling was happy with his advice, and his promise that she would lead the air conditioner project. The alchemist wasn’t sure if the project would pay off, but that didn’t matter. Leveling his [Fabricator] was more important, so he would push ahead anyway. Work like this often led to other work. It revealed a hole in the needs of Broken Tuskers that he could exploit.

“I’m off,” Sledge said. “Thanks. Oh, and you’re the baby. I’m not a baby.”

Theo couldn’t even remember what he was doing before Sledge arrived. His mind felt scrambled from so many weird things happening today, but he righted himself when Tresk sent him a private message.

You coming to dinner, or what? Zarali’s about to melt. She can’t even talk to this Khahar dude, Tresk said.

Theo rushed out of the lab, making his way directly to the town hall.

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