Chapter 12 Part 2 of 6 (Patreon)

Kameela scoffed and shook her head.

“Alva will take Eighty Percent, and  we will take the most direct path to the Transition point. Have you any information on the layout inside that place?”

“Forty is the highest I can go,” Edmond grit his teeth.

“Agreed,” Kameela said. “If we gave up our share would you consider us joining Alva? It seems that we don’t have a home anymore.”

“Kameela,” Edmond growled.

“We can think about it, we aren’t recruiters, but we’ll give you a fair shot,” Erik said.

“You should make it in.” Roska assured her.

“Now, we were talking about the inside of this place, Edmond,” Erik pressed.

Edmond grimaced, rubbing a hand over his face, his beard had become rugged and there was more dirt than makeup on his skin.

“At the peak of the facility, there is supposed to be a command center that controls this sub-realm. In the bottom of the facility there is supposed to be the transition points. There are several. Even if one doesn’t work then there will be others. There are also storerooms throughout, crafting facilities and-“

“We have those back in Alva, we don’t need to get sidetracked to find some trinkets,” Erik cut him off. “Roska, what are you thinking?”

“Well, there won’t be no stopping once we get out there. Once we’re inside, that place looks big but we’ll have blown our cover, we should get moving and quick. Hit the transition points. Gonna have to do it in one run, we don’t know if there will be creatures chasing our asses or not.”

“Rest up, get everyone ready and then go for it in one go.”

“Yup,”Roska said.

Erik looked at the hall in the distance.

In all of that Rugrat and I are the weakest link. Damn this body.

“That makes sense. Make sure that everyone uses up their monster cores, might make the most of our time and be as ready as possible for what’s coming. We have what, five days until we’re closed off? We’ll move in three.”

“You got it boss.”

Roska headed out of the room with Kameela. Erik held out his hand in a ‘give’ motion. Edmond put the binos into his hand and turned to leave.

“Seems that the Ten Realms changed you, or maybe it was just being a noble back in France.” Edmond laughed.

“I wasn’t much special, a son that wouldn’t inherit anything, a man that thought that joining the army would lead to adventure, pretty women, station,” Edmond snorted. “Instead I ended up in this place. I made friends, I was a decent person. No. I think it was when Bartan died, that’s when it all changed.”

Edmond walked out of the room with hunched shoulders.

Erik was on watch, looking out of a window and the broken roof at the city beyond, he sat in his chair, his rifle across his legs.

He scanned the street and went back to looking at the Glider beast silently passing through the air. It banked and ran across the buildings without a sound.

It kind of looks like its inhaling the air when it does, but its body doesn’t expand

He heard the shuffle of feet seeing Esther walking up.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Erik asked as she approached.

“No, just too much on my mind.” She pulled out a chair from her storage ring and sat next to him.

They sat in silence with Erik checking the streets and the city beyond. There was the sounds of fighting in the distance for a split second, it faded as soon as it arrived. Erik and Esther didn’t flinch.

“I’m sorry about my Uncle, he’s well,” She sighed, smacking her thigh. “A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks.”

“You could say that.” Erik caught the flicker of the glider again.

He saw Esther shudder.

“Sorry, they interest me, just odd how they look like they’re breathing in but then don’t expand and they are always banking scanning the ground.”

“Just be happy that you are on the ground and not being hauled up by one of them. Also they have gills under their stomachs.”

“Huh, so the air is going through them, wonder if they are using it to stay aloft, or decrease their noise maybe? Does that even make sense?” Erik frowned, caught up in his own thoughts.”

Esther laughed and pulled out her canteen.

“Anyone tell you, you aren’t a typical lord?”

“Pfft, you think I want to be one of them, thinking of schemes and ploys and working alliances and the cost of grain and do you know how much those rounds cost?” Erik smirked, somehow Delilah’s voice seemed to overlay his words.

“Nah, that’s not for me, thankfully there are many people that support Rugrat and I. Really we aren’t the leaders of Alva, just figure heads.”

“You sure that it is wise to tell me that?” Esther said.

Erik shrugged his shoulders.

“We don’t get anywhere if we don’t trust one another at all. While they might disagree, Rugrat and I know the truth, we wouldn’t be where we are without them.” Erik smiled.

“I guess that is the difference between you,” Esther mumbled.

“Wait, hold onto that,” Erik said, sitting up as the Glider flapped its wings, coming to settle on a mound of debris in the distance several floors high.

Erik watched his binoculars as the Glider bobbed its head and opened its mouth. Something was pouring out of its mouth. Erik pulled on his helmet and looked at the Glider, switching the formations to pick up mana.

Nothing, elements?

Erik switched to the next formation, a gasp escaped him as a potion fell from the Gliders mouth. Erik sat back and then leaned forward and studied the beast through his binoculars again. He scanned the area quickly, Esther had her hand on her pistol, ready for a fight.

“Sorry, nothing to be alarmed about, just. I think,” Erik trailed off. It must have been sweeping through the air to gather the elements it needed to create the potion within its bodies. From the faint elemental signatures it must haveyoung up there. Feeding them elemental potions. No that was incorrect, the Glider’s spit was the poison, it was simply the collected elements that were combining with it, increasing its elemental properties, turning it into a training potion.

“She was right. Damn, alchemy the combination of elements into a substantial form,” Erik sat back in his chair, scanning his arcs.

“Alchemy?” Esther said.

“Delilah, my Student, she did this lecture about how elements affect concoctions, she theorized that concoctions are really a blend of mana and elements in a substantial form balanced out for our bodies to accept them instead of being destroyed by them. It makes sense with the mana cultivation pills, the things that have the most mana and the least impurities pulled together into a concoction form and entered into your body. Though healing pills, maybe their like healing spells, requiring a lot of Water, Earth and Wood elements combined with mana?”

“What are you talking about.”

“Oh right, I guess pure mana theory is not taught outside of Alva, just buying spells and using them.” Erik scratched his head.

“Basically it has to do with alchemy on a really small degree and building it up from there. I guess that the chemistry of the ingredients interacting might be enhanced by the elements in the concoction that can thenbe eaffected by the elements in the surrounding environmjent of the person that is taking the concoction.”

Erik wanted to race to tell Delilah, instead his world came crashing down as he thought of her expression after the lecture. His stomach turned in on itself. I ambushed her, she wanted to show off what she had learned, she mentioned me, proud of her theory and I didn’t even congratulate her. I just ambushed her, I wanted her to give me permission to go to the eighth realm. I manipulated her. He leaned forward on his knees, pulling off his helmet and looking at the street beyond.

How many people did I hurt being an asshole?

Erik cleared his throat.

“Sorry, alchemy things,” He gave Esther a smile. “You were saying before, something about difference?”

“Oh, well, you Alvans work together to support one another. The Sha used to be like that, but as more people joined and the clans remained clans, they started working against one another. With the Black Phoenix Clan having to take a step back, there was no external threat and the clans turned on Edmond. You lost your cultivation didn’t you?”

Erik sat up, looking at her.