Elrin’s technique for cultivating the energy was to partially disable his system. But he hadn’t figured out how to block it out entirely. The lady who figured it out to begin with, ya, didn’t start with a system. She had never entirely figured out how to pass her technique down, aning that she was sohow even stronger than Elrin.
“I don’t think I’m going to get this in an afternoon,” Elrin said, frowning as he looked down at a chocolate pastry. It was his third. “Perhaps we need to do more sessions.”
Theo shrugged. “You can co into the paper dinsion with .”
“I’d rather die.”
Belgar chuckled nervously. “I’m just happy to be here.”
Theo turned to the leader of his world, folding his arms. “Well, you’re doing a hell of a job here. You have a lot to be proud of, Belgar.”
“Thanks. I’m doing my best,” Belgar said. “Mostly, my job is about talking with the planet.”
“Talking with a planet,” Elrin said. “Sounds weird.”
“Says the guy who talks to crystals for fun,” Theo said, poking an accusatory finger at the elf. “We’re all doing weird stuff around here.”
As much as Theo wanted to spend more ti on his own planet, there were mortal affairs to tend to. Worst of all, now that Elrin’s master plan had been enacted, there was so bad news. The system wasn’t hold up very well, and wanted to reset the world as soon as possible. That ant they needed to transport the remaining shards as quickly as they could, rushing the gas to a conclusion and transporting all the mortals to their respective planets.
It was a big pain in the ass. But most of all, it made Theo fall into a state of nostalgia for his new ho. He hadn’t been on Iardein for long. But in that ti, it had beco more of a ho than Earth ever was. Instead of a place dood since his birth, he was on a planet of limitless potential. He and the town had risen from nothing, to so of the most important people around. All this was little comfort when it ca to thinking about what would happen next.
Another wave of destruction. But perhaps the last wave of destruction for so ti. At least Death was fully onboard now, even if it took a little force to get him there. The mortal- and god-side of things had never been closer, and it was a blessing the alchemist wasn’t quick to overlook.
“Ready?” Elrin asked, looking thoughtfully at Theo. “We need to move a few crystals today if we want to hit the deadline.”
Theo nodded, taking one last bite of the cream-filled chocolate treat he had been snacking on. “Yeah. You got the tab, right?”
Belgar looked around, blinking in confusion. “No.”
“Well, I don’t have any space money,” Theo said, withdrawing a few coins from his inventory. “Do they accept this stuff?”
“I’m sure they won’t mind,” Belgar said. “You own the planet, after all.”
“Good point.”
Moving the shards was pretty easy by this point. Elrin had placed all the beacons on the planet, and all they needed to do was guide them through the void. Theo and Elrin worked together, spending a few hours shunting them from one realm to another. When they moved the last shard, they found themselves in a wide, rocky area on Iardein. It was a hostile landscape once marked by almost nothing, and now notable only for the massive stone tower that had appeared out of nowhere.
“That’s all I can handle for the day,” Elrin said, slapping the side of the tower. “I’ll need to add my own authority to these before they’ll work properly. Now that I don’t have anything else to do, it should be easy.”
“Well, if you need a hand… Ask soone else. I don’t know how this crap works.”
“Fair enough,” Elrin said, reaching out a hand.
Theo shook it, giving him a curt nod. “You know where to find if you need anything. Let’s not make this weird. We’re both looking out for the interests of the sector.”
“Agreed,” Elrin said.
With that, Theo departed from the strange landscape. He t up, as planned, with Alex on the far edges of Broken Tusk. Even with all their caution, people in the distance shouted with fear. The alchemist shook his head, patting the dragon on the side and leading her along the northeastern border. They picked a track outside of the wall to avoid frightening too many people and it mostly worked. The problem ca with Alex’s new size.
She had gone from ten, to thirty, to fifty-so feet in a matter of hours. Not only had she grown in size, but her appearance was now that of a true dragon. Theo didn’t truly understand what a true dragon was, but he guessed it had sothing to do with the physical appearance and size. Perhaps there was so demarcation of strength with that title, but it was hard to say.
“Is that a dragon?” A familiar voice called from behind Theo.
The alchemist turned, spotting Miana jogging down the footpath with a wide smile on her face. “This is Alex. But I guess… yeah. She’s a dragon now.” Follow current novᴇls on novel⸺fire
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“Can I touch her?” Miana asked, fidgeting with her hands as though she could barely contain herself.
“You may touch ,” Alex said, turning her slender neck and bowing her head so it rested on the ground.
Miana jumped back in fright. “She used to just honk! Now she talks!”
“Indeed I do,” Alex confird, blowing a ring of smoke from her nostrils. “Now, scratch my chin, mortal.”
“Oh, and no shortage of confidence,” Miana said, a broad smile on her face as she skipped over. She reached out a tentative hand, running her fingers along the dragon’s scales. Making a delighted sound, she scratched as hard as she could under Alex’s chin. “These scales are thick. I’ve never seen a live dragon up close, but I’ve seen dragon hides. You must be really powerful, because I’ve never seen anything like this. And she’s so friendly.”
“She’s still Alex,” Theo said, folding his arms. “Her form changed, not her personality. Well, not entirely. She’s acting all mysterious and stuff, but that’s because she’s putting on an act.”
“I am a mighty dragon,” Alex rumbled.
“Yes, you are!” Miana said.
“You’re welco to walk with us,” Theo said. “I’m parading her around so people don’t freak out.”
“Too late for that. Word of a dragon ca to right away,” Miana said. “The guard will be here soon enough.”
It didn’t take long for Aarok’s people to arrive. Theo had to explain what was happening, but at least they didn’t attack before thinking. They were smart enough to know that Alex had been evolving, so a friendly dragon showing up in town was enough to tip them off. As expected, those adventurers with the guard wanted to pet her, scratching different spots on her scales to the point where they got her to kick. The sound of her rear limb thundering against the ground made the excitable half-ogres giggle with delight.
Eventually, Miana, Theo, and Alex removed themselves from the tangle of guards and worked their way to the causeway. The alchemist hadn’t seen the problem of moving a massive dragon across the narrow pathway, forcing her to fly from one end to the other. If the goal was to stay under the radar, they failed entirely. It wasn’t the reaction he had expected, though.
Instead of the running and screaming Theo had beco used to, people rushed over to scratch the dragon. Alex’s half-dragon, half-goose form was pretty horrifying. The dragon form she now assud was frightening, but now she had a majesty that was undeniable. Before long, the crowd was around her, getting her to slam her foot into the ground yet again. That got extrely excited laughs from both locals and the outsiders here for the gas.
“Are you guys fine here if I go to the announcer’s booth?” Theo asked.
“I can handle myself,” Alex said, drawing herself up to her full height and blasting multicolored fire into the air. That got a cheer and claps from the crowd.
“She’s loving this,” Miana said with a laugh. “I’ll keep a good eye on her. Don’t you worry, I’m not letting a real dragon out of my sight.”
Theo nodded. He didn’t rember Miana getting so excited when they had their very own dragon under the town. Then again, that dragon wasn’t very friendly. When Pogo had assud her position in the underground town, she was there as a guardian. From what he understood, she was also extrely old and not willing to entertain sothing so degrading as getting her scales scratched. Alex was all too willing to accept the attention.
“Did I miss anything?” Theo asked, poking his head into the booth.
“Yeah, most of the gas,” Tresk said, popping another fried treat into her mouth. “Where have you been?”
Theo waved his hand through the air. “Oh, here and there. Looks like we’re on good terms with Elrin.”
Fenian swiveled in his chair, tilting his head to one side. “I wasn’t aware we were on bad terms with him.”
“Maybe not you, double-agent,” Theo said, pulling up a chair to the table. The scene of the arena below was a ss. Most of the ground floor had been destroyed, large chunks of stone scattered through the area. Even the stands had a bit of damage, a line of damage tracking up the south-facing side. “What happened down there?”
“Just the most amazing fight of the century,” Fenian said. “Also, you wound alchemist.”
“Oh, co on ya stinker,” Tresk said. “Everyone knows you’re playing at least two sides.”
Fenian rubbed his chin. “Perhaps as many as four sides.”
“The face of a guilty man!” Tresk shouted, jabbing her index finger into Fenian’s face. “Admit it! You’re a bad boy!”
“Yes, I’m super bad,” Fenian said. He looked as though he had more to say, but whatever thoughts bubbled to the surface faded as he turned to look out the window. “Is Elrin here? That’s a big dragon.”
“Oh, that’s Alex,” Theo said, wincing as he looked through the window. “Alex, who is currently being ridden by Miana. I didn’t think she’d do sothing so reckless.”
“Snap! Alex got her ideal form!” Tresk shouted, pressing her face against the window. “When did that happen!?”
Theo patted his hand on Tresk’s back, lowering his head to press his forehead against hers. The flow of information was free, and the marshling nodding with approval when the transfer was complete.
“That’ll do it,” she said. “She got that technique down, huh?”
“Yup. So, when are the next gas? We gotta make a trip after these are over,” Theo said.
Tresk shook her head, gesturing down toward the damage. “We need to clear away the debris before we start again. The damage is too great for the building to repair, so we need to do it the old fashioned way.”
Theo gestured between Tresk and Fenian. “Two of the most powerful mortals alive. Sitting around while the good people of Broken Tusk clean up a ss! What an absolute sha.”
Fenian and Tresk shared a look.
“Well, I didn’t really think about it,” Fenian said.
“You’ll need to put on your thinking cap,” Theo said. “Elrin wants to teach you and Khahar how to turn your systems off and accept the energies of the universe or whatever. But first, we gotta get down there and fix the rubble. Don’t worry, I’ll use my Earth Sorcerer’s Core.”
“Thank the gods,” Fenian said, breathing a sigh of relief. He held his hands up, flashing his nails. “I just got these done.”
Theo offered Fenian a flat look, blinking a few tis. “Cool. You’re extrely pretty. Let’s get to work.”
Fenian preened. “I am pretty, aren’t I?”
“Painfully so,” Tresk said, punching him in the arm. “Get moving, ya idiot.”
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