Dim Prisons and Drakes, chapter 43. (Patreon)

Here we go, the first chapter of the month. Marvel at much ado about nothing!

So, home again, home again, as the chant goes. My front yard never looked so welcoming - if a bit crowded, what with all of us around each other basically hugging. Some of those hugs were a bit vomit filled, as the reaction to being converted into light and magic and pulled hundreds of miles away, only to be reconverted on the other end caught up with them.

Matt was the only one who kept what he'd eaten. Well, Matt and the dwarf, who was looking around curiously.

In a voice that somehow reminded me of taut steel cables, Karl asked: "Muse? Please explain."

I sighed. Here we go. "The spell needs a location to go to. A well-known location. Anything else bumps up the chance that either we don't make it or we find ourselves part of a tree or rock or something. I was already pushing things with how many of you, how much weight I was trying to take... running the math in my head. So I sort of forgot to set a destination until the last minute, and had to grope for one. So, here we are. If you give me some time to rest, I'll pick another spot closer to where we were and see us back there."

Karl's grip lessened. I was sure there would be a bruise there, come morning. Maybe I could get Les to heal it, if it was too bad. At least he looked less angry than everyone else... save Matt, who looked fine with being here. He was likely grateful, like the rest of them should be.

I mean, I got it, but it was only going to be a delay of a day. Maybe two, if we really wanted the rest. I didn't, but I was willing to listen. Either way, it was better than being eaten to death by zombies or some other undead. This village, our village, was easily the safest spot we knew of, especially after our steps taken to protect it before we left.

"This is not cool. This ain't cool at all!" Phil looked pretty nervous. Even more nervous than he had been yesterday. I wonder who he'd pissed off?

Sigh. "Just let me rest a day, and I'll get us right back to running for our lives. We can use this opportunity to resupply. Karl can even give a report to our powers that be."

Karl glared even more: "Yeah, thanks for that."

We were noticed; even in the night, some people were around. A guy I barely remembered was coming toward us: "What the hell? What are you guys doing here?"

Yeah I better speak up before someone else throws me under the bus. "We had a bit of an emergency, so I brought us home."

Matt got close, to whisper: "How bad is it? How tired are you?"

That was an easy question to answer. I could just barely feel my legs, and I wasn't sure they would hold me. Or if I could hold them. "Very bad, and all the way."

Matt just nodded, casual as could be in the face of me admitting my weakness, and wrapped a hand around me. "Let's get you inside then. The others can handle themselves, we know it's safe here. Well, except for you, Ethan. You can come with me, I've got a pretty sturdy couch you can sleep on."

Ethan adjusted his gear and followed without a word; he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

Matt tried the knob, which wouldn't work of course. "You got the key?"

I moved his hand, placed mine on the knob, and spoke the word required to open it under my breath while turning the knob. The door moved inward with a creak.

Matt was giving me one of his looks, an eyebrow raised. He must have heard the word I'd used. "It's a good word. Unlikely to be guessed."

"Right," he answered, and helped me inside. He plunked me down in a kitchen chair, then turned to my stove. "I assume you don't want to go to bed just yet. I'll make you some tea."

"Make enough for all of us." I didn't think I had to remind him, but I would.

Ethan plunked himself down to one side of me, giving the place a critical eye. "I expected more... delicate construction."

Heh. "Nah, I'm the only elf here, for whatever reason. This house is human built, and whoever built it wanted something it would take true effort to break."

I could see the approval in the dwarf. "Only way it'd be better is if it was stone. And underground."

"Yeah, most people aren't moles and like sunlight."

Ethan scoffed. "Sunlight is overrated. But this... this is nice."

He'd been living in a house much like this one, perhaps a little less 'sturdy'.

Hm, come to think of it, his house, his village, wasn't really that far from here. "Do you want to go home?"

The dwarf's eyes widened a bit, before he shook his head. "Na, I've nothing back there. At least not until we sort this entire mess out."

Right, he and his village didn't really see eye to eye; he wanted to live, and the villagers wanted to kill anything not human. Well, not quite that bad, but it had been a tense place when we visited. It was probably worse now, since it seemed that time only increased the hold our other memories or thoughts or whatever they were had on us.

I was still fighting the good fight, as were my friends and companions, but I wouldn't bet money on that lasting. Some of us may escape that fate, but I wouldn't lay odds on all of us.

Matt plunked my teapot down; then plunked three cups in front of us. Ethan fingered the earthenware: "Utilitarian."

I nodded. "Everything here is. Not much in the way of frills or decoration, just use."

Ethan grinned. "I expected differently, given your clothes."

As if. "My clothes are nice and functional. They need to have a bit extra involved in them to hold the magic they have. Same as any other enchanted item, like my sword."

Ethan snorted. "That toothpick suits you."

I decided not to take offense: "Of course, it was made for me."

The tea was ready, and I poured; for all three of us. "It's a pretty piece," Matt said, trying to stare Ethan down.

Ethan held his hands up in a staying motion. "I give over, I give over. I've seen you use it to good effect regardless, and that is all that matters."

I couldn't argue with that. Hm, the tea was good, as expected, but Matt had used the right amount, for an old style steeping teapot. Interesting to know, I wouldn't have expected he had it in him.

"So what gives?"

Matt shrugged: "I just didn't want to hear them slander you, and I know you didn't want to either. I for one am grateful we aren't all zombie chow. What do you think?"

"I think it's our old friend, the one we saved the villagers from... wow, was that two months ago? I also think he won't give up, which is why we will need to move on, before he gets a bead on us. The last thing I want is to bring him here, we won't be able to prevent his crap here. Maybe in the state capital, with all the mages there."

Matt's nod was casual, as if we were discussing the weather. "I'm more a fan of setting a trap somewhere well away from people, if we can manage it. We can always ship in allies, somehow."

I was game.

So was Ethan, it seemed. "Something to discuss for another day." He drained his tea in a gulp and stood up: "Come on Matt. Let's leave our friend to her rest; she looks like she needs it."

Oh, really? "Screw you very much."

That brought out a grin. Two grins; Matt also finished his tea and stood up. "Alright. If you need anything, you know where I'll be."

I did. Right across the street.

Ethan didn't though, and so he asked as Matt led the way out: "Where will you be?"

"Right across the street, same as you."

"Well, at least we don't have to walk far. I'm a little tired myself from all the running."

I didn't hear Matt's response, so he probably nodded. I did hear the door shut, which meant I needed to get up and lock it.

The house was silent again, save for the slight fluttering of Poe, standing in his cage and preening.

I didn't even have the magic to light the lights, but there was a flint and steel nearby for that very reason, and candles and lanterns. This entire place could be run without magic, because that had been important to alternate me - and now I knew why. Experimenting with magic was a tiring endeavor, after all, and I was done for the day. Planning while tired was a bad idea anyway.

I struck the nearby candle alight, and that was light enough, and made my way to the bedroom. Everything was as I left it, because I'd spelled it to be so. The bed even smelled of freshly washed sheets.

All the windows were still closed, so I was free to strip down. I did so, then put on a gown fit for a grandma which would prove armor against the cold.

I was still restless. I doubled back, leaving my clothes and worn equipment on the floor; it'd be fine there till tomorrow. My spellbook was in my bag, where I'd left it, by the door. I snagged it and went back. I could make notes while on my bed... if I was careful.

Knowing me, I'd likely be cleaning ink up come morning. All morning.

I needed to make these notes, before I slept on it and forgot. Come to think of it though, I could write them on loose paper and then transfer them into the book once I'd had a night to reflect on it.

Loose paper would require my desk, so I made my way to it. Again, everything was as expected, just as if I'd stepped away five minutes ago. I'd need to recast the same magic upon leaving again, to preserve my food if nothing else, but I wasn't sure I could do that and then teleport our merry band of idiots a thousand miles away. Either way I'd be drained at the end of the trip, which I wasn't looking forward to. It would leave us vulnerable, after all.

There needed to be some way to mitigate that, or some way to make the spell more efficient. There had to be something I could do, but the notes I could think up consisted of just a few bullet points, and maybe an experimental way to pull some of the energy from nature itself - tacked onto an already experimental spell. I was no druid.

There was a potion I could make, potentially, that would give me back some magical power... but it was an alchemical thing that I'd never made before, and it would require at least a day to brew, even if I could do it here. There were some tools for the process I'd be missing, after all. I did have all the ingredients, if memory served.

No, my head was resting on the desk now. That was not good, but luckily I'd missed the drying ink. I sanded the page and got up. The candle was low now, but it would do. I took it with me, and went to bed. I covered up... surely that would be all I would need against the night's chill? It had been enough for last night, so...

Whatever, I rolled away from the set but not lit fire, blew the candle out, and tried to make good on my need for sleep.

It still took a bit of doing.

The morning proved me wrong of course, because while the bed was almost warm enough, my breath was frosting, ever so slightly. I'd regained my power, but I dared not use it, not for trivial things. My slippers were proof enough against the cold floor and my flint and steel made short work of the tinder in the fireplace. There were a few more I could light, but I'd need to reset the kitchen.

The lighting told me I'd overslept, just a little, which made sense considering my bed was my bed, and not a sleeping bag set on the ground. One of those wild type elves that hung out in the forest and slept in trees, I was not.

I was surprised I hadn't already received a knock on my door.

Oh, there it was, right on cue. I held the sigh in, better to do that when I had an audience.

It was Matt and Ethan. That was something, at least. They had warm clothes on, but no armor; which was a little weird to see. I went back to the stove. "I overslept, so if you haven't had breakfast, prepare to be disappointed."

"No that's fine, we ate." Matt responded.

Ethan scoffed. "If you call that eating, boy."

"You weren't complaining when you wolfed it down, short man."

"Hmpf." said short guy responded, plunking himself down in the same chair as last night. He clearly thought he'd lost that exchange, and I agreed with him.

"You didn't light your fires? Adventurous... your nipples must be hard enough to cut glass right now."

...What did I just hear? Surely I didn't hear what I thought I heard. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

No, I'd heard it. "You know, if you want to find out so badly, I can give you a pair of your own. Won't take but a minute."

That wiped the smirk off the man's face. "No, that's quite alright. How about I make some tea again?"

Idiot. "Sit down, I got it." It wasn't like I didn't know how to make tea. something energizing, then I needed to get to the brewing process, if I wanted to make that potion. I'd never brewed one of my own before, but past me... other me? Whatever, it was confusing: either way some part of me had done the job before.

If I only brewed it for a day, the gain wouldn't be much, but any little bit would help; the longer I gave it, the more I'd get back.

What to have for breakfast... the bowl of fruit was still here, and there were peaches in it. Apples and peaches sounded as good as anything else right now, so I snagged two of each. Which of course, broke the preservation spell I'd had on the entire bowl.

Whatever, I needed to restock my bag anyway, and fresh fruit was as good as anything else, at least for the next week or so.

Matt was all but drooling... no scratch that, he was actually drooling, and he could continue to do so. My fruit was mine, he wasn't destitute, he could buy his own.

Ethan was also staring at my peaches with an unhealthy looking obsession; I was tempted to move it around in front of him, and see if he followed it like a puppy might. But no, he could go ahead and also get his own. Possibly. It was surely too late in the season by now, even for most apples, let alone something like peaches.

I bit in, and it was just as great as I'd hoped. I had some in jars in my cellar, maybe I could break those out? There was a difference of course, but some peaches were better than none.

No, that was my winter reserve... if we didn't solve this mess, then I'd have to come back here and winter like this. Which meant any food I took now, I wouldn't have later. I also likely wouldn't have time to buy more, even if more was available.

Which reminded me: "Matt, how are you fixed for food over the winter? Just in case?"

Matt fidgeted, so I knew he was in trouble.

"I've got some oatmeal, if that counts? A few spices that kept, and some crackers that preserved. A little stale, but edible."

It was worse than I'd feared; he was a total grasshopper.

"Right, we probably don't need it anyway. We'll be back to supermarkets and delivery in no time."

Matt did not look convinced, but he nodded along dutifully anyway. "Yeah I can't wait. I'm sick of unprocessed oatmeal. I need my steel cut with powdered flavor and questionable fruit bits inside."

I could... not agree, but I'd let him have his win. "I want waffles. Nice large Belgium ones. With strawberries on top."

"Or miracle whip! I miss miracle whip."

Matt would be Matt: "It's a miracle your arteries didn't harden by twenty."

"Pancakes," Ethan whispered.

Odd, pancakes were something we could still make easily. "You mean the ready mixes? Because we can still make those, if we want."

Ethan nodded, wiping away an actual tear. "Not without great effort. I miss being able to just heat a skillet and pour a mix in, and get tasty pancakes. I haven't had any in months, now."

I found myself patting his hand, and stopped. "The next town, maybe we'll find a nice inn or restaurant willing to make them."

"One can only hope," Matt said. He was patting Ethan's other hand, and... was that a tear in his eye? What was even going on?

The two looked into each others eyes, and I could swear for a second I saw the scenery behind them changed to a sun-drenched wheat field. I could almost hear the stalks grow and the birds sing... and then it was gone.

Maybe my fruit had been fermented while I wasn't looking.

No, it still tasted fine, not alcoholic at all.  Maybe I'd somehow taken crazy pills this morning. "Enough, all this food talk is making me hungry. Well, more hungry. So, to what do I owe this pleasure? Trying to get here before Karl does?"

Matt sighed, ever so slightly. "You know me too well. How recovered are you?"

I hadn't really given it that much thought. "Recovered enough. I think I can get us back to where we were, or close enough to it. It'll wipe me out completely though. No offensive magic left for whatever we meet on the other side, at all. I'm going to argue we take a day and resupply... and I'll use that time to brew a potion that will help in that regard."

"You know Karl won't be happy."

"I honestly don't care if Karl is happy. Or if anyone else is happy about it. I made that call, and I'd do it again. We might have been able to fight our way out of that mess, but I didn't like our odds. Especially with an enemy mage of some flavor around there somewhere. a stronger one than I am, I might add."

It didn't hurt to admit my lack of power... Much. I would rather admit I was outmatched then end up dead from some useless pride.

As expected, another knock sounded on my door.

Unexpectedly, it was Thom. "Hey. Karl is on the way. Thought you'd like to know. Also, you got any tea for me?"

Interesting. "Sure. But if I'm getting more company, we better move this outside. Matt, get my chairs please, would you? You know the ones."

I had some folding chairs in a closet, and the new house matched my old one enough that I was sure they were still there in some form.

"On it." Matt called from inside.

Ethan came out, bearing the tea kettle and a small stand from... somewhere else in my house. The living room maybe?

Matt came out as well, and by the time Karl decided to grace us with his angry presence, there were chairs and cups enough for all. Even Les, who I could see making his way to us in the distance.

I was being a bit unfair; Karl wasn't furious this morning. Or not enough to show it. He sat down and took his offered cup without so much as a hello, but he wasn't screaming, so that was something.

Time to go right to it: "So. how did you sleep?"

Karl glared at me a second, but just as he opened his mouth I continued: "Because I slept great, knowing none of us had died thanks to my quick thought and risky action."

Karl paused a moment, then sighed. "Fine, you might have been right. That still doesn't let you off the hook though. Do you know what I had to do last night, while you slept like a baby?"

How would I know that? Wait, maybe I did... "Talked to the mayor?"

"Talked to the mayor," Karl confirmed before adding "and all of the city council. All dozen of them, some of whom I barely remember existing, they are so forgettable. All giving me an earful and asking questions I can't answer yet. That none of us can answer yet."

Yeah, that sounded like a fun time. "Sorry."

Karl took a drink, which seemed to throw him off for a moment, then tried again. "Don't apologize. Don't be sorry, just tell me you can fix it. Get us out of here, before I have to deal with them again."

I take it negotiations did not go well. Time to explain, for the third or fourth time.  "I can't. I can get us out of here now, and I have a spot in mind, bolstered with my familiar's memory - but if we go now I'll be completely tapped and we will be close to all those hordes of undead. Daylight or not, that's dangerous. at least in my opinion."

Karl sighed again. "I know you. So how do we fix it?"

He wasn't wrong. "We brew a potion. A day, maybe more. The longer I wait on the brewing process, the better it works."

"That's something at least." Karl replied, and drained his tea.

Les finally reached his own chair and cup. "Maybe I can help, just a bit. I can pray on it, and perhaps with some help you can save some of your mana."

I'd not heard anything about that, but I was willing to go along with it. "I'm game."

"It'll require a day or more to do," Les stated with a grin and sidelong look to Karl.

"It's like a mini-rebellion," Karl said. "You're all rebelling against me."

Absurd. "Think of it however you like. Any ideas on how to re-arm for undead? We are going to need some things. traps, holy water, anything like that?"

There were some herbs, some better living through chemistry options, but I could only do a bit more than Randolf.

"Right, we should all be working on that. Let's go, let's go, break."

I saw something Karl wasn't going to be happy about. Discretion was the better part of valor: "Right, I should get brewing; the sooner I start, the sooner I get it done."

I ducked back inside, right as Karl turned around to see the mayor and the entire village council heading for him. I didn't even feel bad locking the door behind me.