128, 2/2

“Come on, Syllea. I know you’re back.”

“Go away, Bayth” Syllea curled tighter into the comfort of her bed, shoving her face further into her pillows. “Tell them I can’t make it.”

A great weight settled on the bed. A hand touched her shoulder. No one said anything for a long while.

And then Syllea moved her hand onto Bayth’s. The floodgates opened again, and this time Syllea let herself be pulled up by her best friend, into a hug. She cried into Bayth’s shoulder, as Bayth patted her on the back.

After a while, Bayth asked, “You ready to meet the chieftains?”

“… I threatened grandpa. I knew it was the wrong thing to do— But he!” Syllea sniffled, then released Bayth. She stared into the dry eyes of her best friend, and said, “I told him about Erick’s Worldly Path. It was a necessity, because of what the Path is—” She breathed. She said, “You remember. You remember how it was. And grandpa he… I told him to stay away from it all. To minimize interaction.”

Bayth said, “And then your grandfather decided to do the exact opposite of your suggestion.” She got up off of the bed, and extended a hand. “So let’s go yell at him.”

“… Okay.”

Syllea dried her tears, then took Bayth’s hand. With a yank and an undignified yelp, Syllea came right out of her blanket cocoon. A few spells later and she was presentable.

She brushed her hair back with her hands, then said, “Thank you, Bayth, for being there for me.”

“You’ve done the same for me.” Bayth said, “I’m sorry about your brother.”

“I’m not.” Syllea said, “He’s alive. He’s under some Fate-cursed path— Or ‘blessed’, I guess. Though that spell certainly does seem like a curse, to me. Whatever the case, Omaz can repent for a decade or four, and that will be good enough. Better than being dead.”

Bayth’s calm face turned a bit harder. “It would be easier if he were dead. If he shows around Treehome, he might get dead. I heard they caught his trail after Erick sent him away, but he lost his trackers.”

“… It would be easier if he were dead.” Syllea said, “But… I can’t… I can’t, Bayth. I just can’t.”

“You won’t, and that’s different.” Bayth said, “Omaz has used your knowledge and your magics in order to kill citizens of Treehome. He’s given knowledge to the Enemy. He’s a danger to us all. And you ‘won’t’. Not you ‘can’t’. You’ve done the hard shit before, and we both might need to do it again.”

“I… I know… But…” Syllea breathed in. She grimaced, then brushed away another tear.

Bayth changed the topic, saying, “So Erick did by himself what took five teams of five each, last time.”

“Oh gods in green.” Syllea groaned, desiring the warmth and comfort of her bed again. But she resisted that siren’s call, then said, “I owe him big, don’t I?”

Bayth shrugged. “Not really. Best not to get too much more involved with his Path.”

“Well. Yes. That is true, too.” She huffed. “So! I’m thinking I really like the idea of punching grandpa in the face. Yes. Let’s go do that.”

Bayth smiled. “Better not let him see it coming, or else he’ll start talking all about ‘acceptable losses’.”

“… Good idea.”

Twenty minutes later, Syllea greeted her grandfather in the hallway between two offices. And then she punched him in the face. Peron sat up and cupped his jaw, both in surprise, and in pain. His jaw was broken.

Syllea declared to her Chieftain and everyone else within earshot, “When I tell you important shit, grandpa! Don’t do the opposite of what I say!” And then she walked away.

– – – –

In a large room chosen for the occasion, with a number of chairs and a table appropriate to the party’s size, there were a handful of people. All of them knew each other. No one was sitting down, for this was a meeting of friends.

Mephistopheles greeted another with a happy tone, slapping his hand into the other man’s, saying, “So you made it out, ya big fucker?”

Toruke grabbed Mephistopheles’ hand and shook it, saying, “Of course I made it out ya flamboyant fern.”

“Not so flamboyant these days.” Mephistopheles stepped back and put his hands on the lapels of his nice suit, saying, “I’m trying to be respectable.”

“Yes yes. Fine fine. You two can fuck later.” Zaraanka demanded, “What about Edolphis? Did he survive? I’ve been waiting all day for him to show up!”

Toruke broke the news fast. “Probably dead in the crossfire. Sorry, Zaraanka. I heard he was planning on offering himself up to Erick for his Blessing, but if no one has heard of him by now, then he’s dead.”

A pall descended upon the gathering.

“… Damn. A real pity.” Zaraanka said, “I will miss his deep voice. I think that was what finally brought me out of my fugue. Reminded me of my father, I think.”

Deckari said, “He helped me when I was having trouble with the guards. He ran interference. Saved my life twice, I think.”

Mephistopheles said, “And probably organized those guards against you, too.”

Zaraanka slapped Mephistopheles on the shoulder, saying, “He’s dead. Be kind.”

“He played every side,” Toruke said. “If he had done what he wanted to do, then our little group would be known. A lot of our people would be known.”

“I understand that.” Zaraanka waved them off, holding back her emotions, as she sniffled, and said, “It’s… It’s fine. I only knew him for what I thought he was. He was a good man to me.” She added, “But… It’s just as well if he did not survive. The Cult has no place like it used to have, here in Candlepoint. Probably for the best that he went to the Darkness and didn’t leave us with a mess to clean up.”

“Exactly,” Mephistopheles said. “We’re already cleaning up, getting many people to leave the Cult. We don’t need even more complications.”

Deckari, surprised, asked, “You are?”

Toruke said, “I’m leaving the Cult. Going to try my hand at that [Reincarnation] thing. The commune was a wakeup call.”

“What?” Deckari looked to Toruke. “You’re leaving?!”

“You should think about renouncing your vows, too, Deckari. The world has come a long way since you came into Candlepoint with those former ‘friends’ of yours,” Mephistopheles said.

“Melemizargo has been nothing but good to me.” Deckari defended, “He’s a world of better to deal with compared to all the rest of them.”

Zaraanka said, “There’s a purpose to leaving the Cult, though. We’re all out of it. Not a single person in charge in Candlepoint is a part of the Cult anymore. We simply cannot be, for we’re meeting envoys from other nations now, and they all bring truthstones.”

Mephistopheles nodded, saying, “Clinging to the Darkness was a survival tactic that has outgrown its usefulness. That’s what I’m telling people. And it’s true, so that helps.”

Deckari said, “No… I can’t. I… No.” He decided, then said, “I don’t need to be in public office.”

Zaraanka said, “We can’t be seen with you, then.”

“You’re already not.” Deckari said, “That’s why we meet like this.”

“Less meetings than this, after today.” Mephistopheles said, “I’ve greeted a few converts besides yourselves today and told them all the same. Most have listened. You should too.”

Toruke said, “I need to not be a shadeling.”

Zaraanka and Mephistopheles nodded in understanding.

“After all that work you put in for those fruits?” Deckari asked, slightly offended, “After everything Melemizargo has done for us?”

“Yes.” Toruke said, “I’ll always be grateful, and I might still light some candles in some closets, but I’m done with this monsterized life. I don’t think food tastes as good as it used to taste. I’ll miss the easy leveling but I learned enough tricks from the Cult that I can level well the next time.”

“We can actually feed you proper rads, Toruke. Those taste really good. Better than the 5-pointers you got at the commune. You don’t have to turn back to orcol if you don’t want to, and it’s not a guaranteed thing.” Zaraanka said, “Join my Guild. Fight with us out there.” She saw Toruke’s face fall a fraction, and changed her tact, “Or give up your newfound freedom and power. Your choice— Oh! Yeah! I almost forgot. Before you do give up your shadeling life, you have to come by the pools! Both of you. Archmage Flatt set up this Shadow-shifted [Kaleidoscopic Radiance]. It’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, and it’s like a balm for the soul for any shadeling. Every single one of our wanderers is healed!”

Toruke whistled low and small. “Now that is interesting.”

Deckari said, “See! The Darkness takes care of us better than the other gods ever could.”

Mephistopheles said, “You’re gonna have to cut that talk out, Deckari. Even when we’re alone.” He added, “I’ve seen a lot of people join the Shadows before, but you’re just… You just went right for it. Sorry your life was so shitty before.”

“… It wasn’t that bad.” Deckari said, “I just didn’t know that it was that bad until I saw the Dark. This world is messed up. The Script enrages the monsters. The monsters kill the people. The people harm the monsters and each other in the process of the struggle for life. It’s all such a vicious cycle that cannot be undone with the methods we have available to us. The next world will be better, and I plan to be there when those [Gate]s finally open. Shadelings are immortal. Orcols are not. It’s simple math, for me.”

Mephistopheles turned serious for a moment, saying, “Those were the words we said to pull you in, but know this: The Shades and the Brightwater and Ar’Kendrithyst and even Melemizargo… They were all insane and dangerous. Beyond dangerous. The Dark is comforting, until it isn’t. Until it prods you to new growth and new depths that you weren’t ready to travel. Hopefully your own prodding will not be nearly as vicious as our own.”

Zaraaka nodded, saying, “You’ve only been in this life for a few months, Deckari. We know what we’re talking about.”

“With all due respect,” Deckari said, “You do not. You are a human and an incani. The Red Woman is not… She is not a good god. You do not know what the alternative is for me.” He looked to Toruke, saying, “And I find it hard to believe that you want to go back to that.”

Mephistopheles hummed small, then almost said something.

Zaraanka frowned. She held herself back from speaking, too.

Toruke said, “I’ll miss being able to control my Rage. But I don’t need that power, either. Power leads to just as many problems as it solves. Whatever worlds Erick feels like germinating, I hope that we can try the Old Ways, and nothing more. No Points, nor Levels, nor Health or Mana.”

Zaraanka said, “I would like a few spells. [Cleanse], [Mend], [Telekinesis].”

“Just give me the ability to grow an Elemental Body to full strength,” Deckari said, “Like they used to be able to. I can get everything I need for myself, from there.”

Toruke said, “[Stoneshape] and [Grow] for me. Housing and food is all I need.”

With a glint in his eyes, Mephistopheles asked, “Do you two want to go see Yggdrasil?”

Deckari laughed, then asked, “Oh my Dark God! Can we?! Really?”

Toruke’s eyes went wide. “Can we?”

Zaraanka smiled, saying, “From afar, yes. But you have to treat him like a real Arbor. His power is locked away, but he will undoubtedly remember everything that happens to him.”

“Eh?” Skeptically, Toruke asked, “They’re more dreamlike in their early years, right? Will he actually remember anything?”

“Come on, Toruke!” Deckari said, “He’s a World Tree! Even if his power is locked away, he will remember everything, no doubt.”

“Dreams leave lasting impressions, and Melemizargo is out there every day. All the more reasons not to do anything but watch from a great distance.” Mephistopheles looked to Deckari again, and asked, “And where’s your book, anyway? You never went anywhere without that thing.”

“It’s still here.” Deckari held a hand up. Shadows swirled in his hand, turning into a tome that was black as night, with a binding crusted over in opals. He flicked his hand again, and the book vanished. “Any chance you can get me into Archmage Flatt’s personal library so I can copy everything?”

Mephistopheles said, “No. Don’t ever ask that again.”

Zaraanka shook her head. “There are some boundaries you should respect, Deckari. Erick’s approval is literally the only thing that is keeping us from falling to the [Grand Fireball]s of the rest of the world.”

“Okay!” Deckari held up his hands in mock surrender, saying, “Heard and understood! But I had to ask, you know.”

“You didn’t have to,” Mephistopheles said.

Toruke frowned, then said, “I want to meet Yggdrasil, and then I want to try for a [Reincarnation].”

Deckari said, “You should get a Greater Elemental Body before you do that, Toruke.” He turned a hand to water, and then the other to stone, saying, “They’re very useful.” He dropped the spells, saying, “Once you give up the [Shadowblend] of your shadeling self, then it’s gonna be a lot more dangerous to get the Elemental Essences you need.”

Mephistopheles said, “He’s right about that.”

Zaraanka said, “We’re working on plans for a Stone Dungeon. A Water Dungeon, too. We’ve already got alchemists trying to make [Polymorph] potions.”

Toruke frowned. “Eating slime cores, eh?”

“It’s the best way.” Zaraanka said, “No wasted materials on making armor.”

“No Shadow Dungeon?” Deckari asked. “I was hoping to get [Shadowalk].”

“Shadow slimes spawn around here, sometimes. We get them every day in the Shadow-shifted [Kaleidoscopic Radiance] room.” Zaraanka said, “But we’re not expanding that room. Maybe not ever.”

“Too controversial. We’ve already had people try to [Dispel] it on us, but we put up protections after that first attempt nearly knocked the thing out. It came back, though.” Mephistopheles said, “We got lots of time to talk about all of that, if you drop this necessity of being a Cultist out in the open. We do not need that around here.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Deckari said, “I can tone it down. I can hide.”

“Not hiding, Deckari.” Mephistopheles said, “Renouncing.”

Deckari frowned.

Toruke asked, “How did you even get past that Mind Mage? You’ve been in this longer than I have, by a long while.”

Mephistopheles said, “We heard about that, and I’d like to know that answer as well.”

“Mind Mages are usually the deaths of us,” Zaraanka said, “I’m surprised he let so many of us through.”

“He did label every single Cultist. That was no small thing.” Toruke said, “But you’re right. the usual killing didn’t happen.”

Mephistopheles said, “Slip is watching you guys. Be careful. If you’re staying in this, Deckari, I can’t be seen with you ever again. I mean that.”

“Me either,” Zaraanka said.

“Dark Gods, I didn’t know it was that bad. Yet another reason to formally leave the Cult.” Toruke turned to the younger orcol, saying, “Poi should have clocked you, easy.”

Deckari said, “Poi knew. He knew everything. Your guardmaster, Slip, even called me out, saying that he has me ‘in his book’. He said that that way on purpose. But I’m no killer and I never want to be, despite the needs of the moment back there in that battle… And other times. I think he let me off easy.” He asked, “How’d you get through Treehome’s interviews, Toruke? I knew if I went that way, I was setting myself up for automatic failure.”

Toruke digested that, then said, “I got through the same as anyone who managed to get through. I had the good fortune to never have killed in the name of Melemizargo, and I plan to keep it that way.”

Mephistopheles said, “Then I might have room in my administration for you, Toruke.”

“Good. Thank you. I could use a job.”

Zaraanka said, “I could use some more people to hunt mimics, Deckari, but I can’t be seen with you if you pursue this path.”

“Fair enough. Maybe I’ll take up farming. Or help with those dungeons?” Deckari said, “But let’s go see Yggdrasil, for now. Or, should I go on my own?”

“Probably both of you go on your own.” Mephistopheles said, “Don’t get too close.”

Zaraanka said, “Be seeing you! And welcome back to Candlepoint.”

The room, which was not actually a room at all, dissolved into shadow and nothing, as the people therein departed, each already doing their own thing, in a different part of Candlepoint.

… Most everyone departed.

Melemizargo said, “That’s the one to watch.”

Justine, completely out of her depth but still treading water, said the only thing she could say, “Okay.”

“I have plans for him.”

Koyabez asked, “And what plans are those?”

“The only plans I’ve ever had: To expand the cosmos and to bring life and magic to all, of course.”

“That’s not as assuring as you think it is, old friend. Perhaps you should take a step back for a while. Center yourself around a few good mortals.”

“… Perhaps.” Melemizargo sighed, and the world sighed with him. “Perhaps.”

– – – –

Erick sat back in his chair in his hotel room to watch the light fade across the Forest to the north. Reds became purples, becoming dark blues, full of stars. The moons were out there somewhere, perhaps to the west, but they were out of sight, and not that bright. Though they were getting there. The only real brightness out there came from O’kabil’s pale silver light, and the light of civilization from the silver buildings down below, and from under the green canopies out ahead.

Treehome looked much the same as it had when Erick first arrived. Though the city had suffered a wide-scale attack, the Cult and the opportunists had been caught or killed. Very few actually got away, especially when Koropo asked Erick to help find those who had escaped, and Erick had obliged.

That was only an hour ago. Erick had just finished with that job.

He looked down at his hands. They were clean, but he imagined the blood on them, and that thought would not go away. So he grabbed a blueweed cigarette and lit the thing. It was not enough. So he put together a pot of soul-tea, and that helped calm his nerves more than anything.

Jane stepped next to him.

Erick smiled to see his daughter beside him. He offered her the blunt.

She took it, took a drag, then handed it back, saying, “This is pretty amazing, dad.”

He knew she was talking about something else, but he said, “It’s good blueweed, yeah.” To keep the conversation off of difficult topics, he barreled ahead, saying, “And that dress looks great on you. I think everyone took you girls a bit more seriously with those getups. I should have dressed up, too.”

“Hmm.” She sat down on a nearby chair, saying, “If you want to deflect, we can do that.”

“I’d like to, yes.” Erick said, “For now, at least.”

“… Okay. What do you want for dinner?”

“I want you to decide.”

“Then I’ll do that.” Jane got up, then went to the kitchen to look over menus, adding, “Don’t get too wasted!”

“Sure thing.”

What Erick didn’t say, though, was that even four of those blueweed sticks wouldn’t even take the edge off. Not today. Not right now. He was wired, frazzled, and a whole mess of other emotions that he barely could categorize, let alone understand.

So he let his mind wander while he waited for dinner to show.

He considered the spells he had seen today.

He planned out magic.

He wondered just how much he was going to be blamed for enabling Treehome to solve some of their long-standing problems. If it got bad, he’d talk with Silverite. She’d know what to expect, and he could trust her judgment, for sure.

… Maybe he should talk with her, anyway. She had been the Mayor of Spur for centuries, after all, and those centuries had been filled with powerful people. No doubt there were other archmages with similar problems—

Ah. No. That was probably untrue. Maybe in a small way, Silverite had experience with this, but even she hadn’t seen the destruction of the Clergy in her previous centuries. She had even tried and then failed to kill them all, herself.

Erick wondered if part of Silverite hated him for what he had been able to do, that she could not.

He let his mind wander again.

As he sipped his tea, he saw his soul heal, just a bit. It wasn’t much. He had certainly set back some of his healing, for sure. Maybe by a few days. Maybe longer. Long enough to plan some better spells to combat all that he had seen, and to make some better plans to ensure that he wouldn’t be used like this again…

This book’s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

But… But Erick liked being useful to others. He liked helping. He liked being that guy that solved problems, and maybe monsters and murderers were a bit out of his previous wheelhouse, but he was getting there. Had his desire to help led to some of the day’s deaths and side effects? Yes. Undoubtedly. But… But a lot of good was done, too.

Acceptable losses, perhaps?

Perhaps.

Erick decided he would continue to work with Treehome in the future, but he would definitely have a private conversation with Peron about his desire to throw Erick under the bus about the day’s events. Maybe Syllea would have to be present for that conversation, too. Maybe one more? But who?

Before he knew it, dinner had arrived.

Dinner was good. Great, actually. Much better than any other meal served at the hotel. Beef tips that melted in the mouth, with a red wine sauce made with berries and nuts. Small, savory muffins. Mashed root vegetables that were close to potatoes, but they were not potatoes. They were ‘whiteroot’. Erick smiled upon hearing of that vegetable. Sirocco Zago had spoken of white root back when Erick introduced potatoes. And now he finally got a chance to try them. They were good. A bit like a smoother, maybe glutenous potato. Lots of cheese in the white root, though, so maybe the taste was not genuine white root, but everything was better with cheese.

Kiri spoke of Koropo approaching her while Erick was hunting down escapees. Koropo had seen her Sunny, and asked after her capabilities. She had told him that Sunny was not at the level of Ophiel, but only because Kiri herself was not up there, either. Kiri offered to help clear out monsters, just like Koropo had been edging toward, and her help had been accepted. She would be worked into the system they came up with, when they came up with it. Sunny was ready for some action, for sure.

Erick was glad for that.

Jane spoke about that Kordon guy, the one who had escorted the three girls to the commune. He was apparently a higher ranked guard than others, with ample adventuring experience, and would likely also be joining the effort to clear out the Forest of Moon Reachers and Deathsoul Shrooms. Jane was eager to show him up again when she did the same. He barely understood his [Radiant Ash Body], though she allowed that perhaps she didn’t understand his Elemental Body, either.

“What would make a person want to get Radiant Ash?” Jane said, “I don’t understand that combination at all.”

Kiri said, “Shadow, Fire, and Light. For blending in to the Forest when you want, and for burning it down when you don’t?”

“He was good at that.” Teressa said, “Hid rather well when he wanted, and the incorporeality of Ash lends itself well to defense versus physical attacks. Most monsters are most dangerous due to their physical attacks.”

“Probably cheaper to use than [Prismatic Body], too.” Jane said, “But cheap is not powerful. The monsters could barely hit him, but he also couldn’t hurt them as much as he needed to, either. Now. If he were a [Polymorph]ed lava ooze with [Radiant Ash Body], then that might be something. Not enough adventurers do the [Polymorph] thing.”

“That’s because it’s disgusting, Jane.” Kiri smirked. “You’re an ooze or a spider half the time! Eww!”

Erick chuckled, saying, “I have a hard enough time being a light slime.” He shivered. “I keep thinking that someone will try and splat me for the Experience.”

“It’s not that bad!” Jane flexed her aura and armor appeared, like a ghostly imprint in the manasphere. She said, “And this [Mutable Aegis] means that I’m never without armor, so there’s little chance of anyone mistaking me for a real monster. And if they do, then I can just tell them to lay off. I’m getting better with adding vocal cords to my Familiar Forms.” She dismissed her coalescing aura.