The Newt and Demon

If not for the elves lurking in the distance, the realm the space elves had established was beautiful. The heat was almost too much, but the sprawl of tropical trees and the scent of salt air in the distance was pleasant. They had taken some section of a beach area from the real world, commanding not only a beautiful strand but all the world’s shards at the same time.

Theo ran his hands through his hair, watching as more elves snuck out of the jungle, only to freeze like statues. He stood atop the stairs to a ziggurat, contemplating the purpose of these shards. The information he had was vague. Each shard stabilized the world… somehow. But the world had done well without them for a long time, heading down whatever messed up path since the elves left.

“So why isn’t the world exploding?” Theo asked, turning to Xol’sa.

The only space elf in the realm with his mind intact shrugged. He seemed to pick up on the topic. The giant, dead shard behind them was enough to inspire such knowledge. “I feel like a child researching advanced magic. This is all well beyond me, no matter how hard I try.”

“We have the system, the monitor system, gods, and now the ascendant thrones. What purpose would crystals serve?” Theo asked with a sigh.

“Perhaps a conduit. Ah, perhaps you should consider motives.”

“The motive of who, exactly?”

“Void, actually. I feel like an idiot or a genius, thinking I’ve put it together. But he needs something from you, right?”

“I’ve made that leap,” Theo said with a nod.

Theo turned to his companion, raising an eyebrow. He couldn’t remember the last time someone was ahead of him on assumptions like this. It was an easy jump to make between Void needing something and that effect on Void as a person. As a god.

“Seems obvious now,” Theo said, scratching his head. Although he had considered the shard to be massive lodestones for something, he was unsure of what they bore the load of. “The gods need the shards. But what good would that do them? A way to exert their will on the mortal world? Or a way to gather power?”

“This is all conjecture. The more the gods cloister themselves, the less we’ll be able to probe. But we have to assume the gods do something, right? Actually…” Xol’sa trailed off, knitting his brow. “I need to take some readings when we return. You got me thinking about something troubling.”

“Really? How are you ahead of me… again?” Theo asked. “My Wisdom should be able to figure this out, right?”

“The test I want to run should be brief. Let’s capture an elf and leave.”

Xol’sa’s personality shifted slightly, and Theo didn’t miss it. The elf might have been ahead with theories about the gods, but that tiny shift was enough to send the alchemist’s mind down many pathways. But he halted his thoughts as Xol’sa descended the steps.

“This should only take a moment,” the elf said, raising his hands in the air. A pair of glowing blue chains sprung from the ground, subduing the nearest elf. The other space elves edged toward the jungle at the sign of magic, moving as though played frame-by-frame. “Shove the potion down his gob.”

Although they had talked about this, Theo was surprised at the swiftness of Xol’sa’s approach. They didn’t want to transport an elf through the void unless that elf was out. The Reforge Mind potion would put them out for a while, if the Reforge Soul potion was anything to go by. And it didn’t pass their notice that the soul potion might be needed, since Xol’sa needed one himself. But there wasn’t time to think about that. The elf was struggling against the chains, his mouth open as though to scream but emitting no sound.

“Stay still, you little…” Theo uncorked the potion and poured it down the man’s throat. His eyes went wide as his body went stiffer than before. A moment later, his entire body went slack, falling into the net of magically enchanted chains. “I guess that works.”

Elves rushed from the forest, pausing before taking a few steps.

“Let’s go,” Xol’sa said. “Quickly.”

Theo dropped them into the void, dragging the sagging elf along with them. He breathed a sigh of relief the moment they were in the void, looking back at the glittering ball that represented the elven chunk of reality with concern. How many elves would they need to do this for? The Newt and Demon’s capacity to produce powerful potions like this was hindered.

“I might vomit,” Xol’sa warned, his face turning a pale shade of green. “We’ve been here too long.

Theo urged them forward faster than before, spotting the mortal orb before long. His eyes locked onto the sun at the center of the system. A sense of approval flooded through him. If Void hadn’t locked himself away, he would have shown up with some quip. Perhaps the god could leave once they were done doing whatever they were doing. But for now, the void was for Theo to explore as the Dreamwalker. And the mortal world came rushing up moments later, greeting the party.

The moment Theo brought the group back to the mortal world, the space elf sucked in a breath and groaned. But he didn’t wake from his slumber. The plan to bring the first elf back had shifted over the previous weeks. Theo’s first idea was to bring the elves to the House of Healing, but it was now cut off from them. His next idea was to bring them to Tero’gal or Khahak, but something niggled in the back of his mind when he thought about that. Their gamble was to bring a test elf back to the mortal world.

“Sulvan!” Theo shouted. He had landed them slightly off from where they told the priest to meet them.

The big man came rushing over moments later, laying his hands onto the space elf. Silver-gold light sprung from his hands and he shook his head. “Is anyone surprised with the amount of damage he has in his body?”

“Not even slightly,” Xol’sa said. A crowd was forming in the area, encircling the group as they inspected the prone man. “How extensive is the damage?”

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Sulvan pulled away from the elf, offering a shrug. The man’s blue robes were tattered. Every feature seemed touched by the void. From the gaunt expression to the thinness of his limbs. “Organ damage. Malnutrition. Mana poisoning. Another type of poison I don’t recognize. His soul is also damaged beyond repair, so there’s that.”

“Sounds good,” Theo said, looking to the sky. “Hallow?”

“That’s not how you pray,” Sulvan said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

“Okay, fine. Show us how it's done,” Theo said, gesturing to Sulvan.

“Well, that’s the thing.” Sulvan took a few steps back, tilting his head to the side as he assessed the elf. He passed his hand through the air, leaving a trail of gold-silver mana. It seemed to catch on a current, floating up into the sky. “I’m guessing this is void energy bleeding from his body.”

“Can’t be. That falls under my domain,” Theo said. “My Dreamwalker’s Core would have activated.”

“Maybe. Except we don’t know how that core works,” Xol’sa countered. A spell array sprung up before him, creating an intricate circle. His brow knit. After swiping his hands through the formation a few times, he pressed his hand through to activate the spell. The void energy became visible for all to see. A black cloud rose from the space elf, going into the air and off to the west. “That’s… Hmmm.”

Theo watched the energy float away. But it wasn’t just following the current of magic in the air. It appeared as though something was coaxing it in that direction.

“I must return to my tower,” Xol’sa said, hiking his robes up and rushing off.

“Okay, thanks!” Theo shouted after him. “See ya later, buddy!”

“Elves, am I right?” Sulvan asked. He scooped the unconscious space elf up, carrying him off. “Help me restrain him.”

“Restraints?” Theo asked. “Do you have a secret dungeon in your house?”

“I have a secret dungeon in the temple. Built for this purpose, since you asked for my help.”

“That makes more sense,” Theo said. He tried not to prod Sulvan much. He jogged along, allowing his Wisdom of the Soul to process the situation. There was something strange about how the void energy acted.

Sure enough, Sulvan had a secret dungeon. It wasn’t a true dungeon, just a living area underneath the temple. Theo wasn’t sure when someone had dug the place out, let alone lining the walls with stone, building individual rooms complete with restraints, but he wouldn’t complain. The padded manacles within the darkened room would keep the elf secure. If the potion failed, he would wake and be unpredictable. The alchemist helped chain the elf down.

“I didn’t want to say this out there, but there’s some time magic in him,” Sulvan said, pressing his thumb into the elf’s forehead. A soft glow emitted from the point of contact. “You don’t mess with time magic. But that potion you gave him repaired that damage. Otherwise, he would’ve awoken insane and out of time.”

“Do you have people to watch him?” Theo asked. “Around the clock.”

“I’ve scheduled some people. Minor priests looking to serve my Lord,” Sulvan said, pressing his palm into the elf’s face. Another glow and a sigh of relief. “This might take a while. How many more elves do we need to cure?”

“A few hundred. Or thousand, I don’t know.”

“What a helpful range…”

“None of them are well. They’ve all lost their minds in the void.”

Sulvan hummed, releasing a heavy sigh. “This is a pious endeavor, Theo.”

“How so?”

Sulvan clapped a hand on the alchemist’s shoulder. Theo remembered that grip being stronger when he served the Burning Eye. It was now warm and gentle, bringing with it a sense of comfort that reminded him of Glantheir. “You could have collapsed their small world, right? But you want to save them.”

“If I have the means, why not?” Theo asked. “Is it hard? Yeah, I suppose. But not so much that any of our people will get hurt. And we save a race by doing so. See, here’s the thing. The space elves had a culture for some time. Xol’sa was born in the void and was sent back when he was young. So these people cared about their own at one point. Before they lost it entirely, that is.”

“You would save them because of that? Because they’re not merciless?”

“I think that’s accurate,” Theo said. “I’m happy to save anyone who has at least a small amount of compassion.”

“Except Uharis,” Sulvan corrected.

“Let’s not walk down this road again.” Theo held his hands up defensively. “We both agreed he is beyond saving.”

“Is he, though?” Sulvan asked. “That’s an honest question, Theo.”

“I guess he could’ve killed me back in the day. And he didn’t.”

“Yet there he remains. On the moon, of all places. The dark moon at that.” Sulvan shivered.

“Oh, man. I’ve been meaning to ask you about the moon-people,” Theo said. “Are they under the domain of the mortal world, or what?”

“I can’t answer that question. They were kind people, although there was more than one race present. One insectoid race and another diminutive, similar to broglings. I enjoyed the second race, though. They were short, fat, and jolly.”

“Moon dwarves?” Theo asked.

“Not dwarves. Elven ears, pot-bellied, rosy cheeks.”

“Reminds me of Void…” Theo trained off, swiping his tail behind him. “So, what’s the treatment plan for this guy?”

Sulvan cleared his throat. “Purging magic as often as needed. I also put him into a deeper sleep than your potion provided, which will help his mind heal. The void energy leaving his body is substantial, so that will take quite a while. His other conditions will be healed within the day, though.”

If the patient was stable enough, Theo’s potion could go to work. He didn’t know how a reforge-style potion would work on someone that was sick. But he didn’t think it would work as well as if the person was healthy. The Reforge Soul potion took the base of a person’s soul and rebuilt it from scratch. A soul contained a lot of information in this world, including a person’s attributes and class cores. But it also held meta information, including void exposure. That condition was more like a scar on a person’s soul. It wasn’t fatal for Xol’sa, but his condition would have worsened without intervention.

“We should be concerned about his soul. I have a few Reforge Soul potions in my lab, but only a few.” Theo shook his head. This would get messy if he needed more. The reagents to craft that potion were rare, only blooming when the shifting moon, Telbaris, was green. That only happened once a week, and the supply of the flower was thin.

“I sense damage on his soul,” Sulvan said, spreading his hand over the man’s chest. “But not as much as you’re describing. Perhaps that will come with time, but even his cores are intact.”

“Really? They survived that long, locked in a time prison?” Theo clicked his tongue, withdrawing some paper and writing utensils. “Could you please record everything you observe? I want as much documentation as we can get. Since we have to do it again. Also, expand this holding area as far as you can. Fifty beds minimum.”

“That sounds expensive.”

“Request the funds from the town and I’ll provide them,” Theo said. “I’ll spare no expense.”

“Right. Sounds good,” Sulvan said, turning back to the elf.

Theo went to leave the dungeon, spotting a few people in blue and white robes near the entrance. They bowed their heads as he passed, but said nothing. That must have been the first crop of the faithful to the new Hallow. The alchemist wanted to know more about the old Hallow, but that wouldn’t be possible. With a sigh, he pushed out into the town.

A bell rang in the distance, steady at first but more frantic as it went on. It took Theo a painfully long time to realize what bell that was. It had been so long since he heard the frantic slamming of the alarm bell. A message appeared.

[Aarok]: This is not a test. Anyone who can take up arms should report to their nearest commander. If you can’t find a commander, assemble at the western gate.

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