Chapter Four-Hundred Twenty-Two (Patreon)

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Doppler

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As he waits for the other scions to arrive, Doppler finds he doesn’t mind the idea of translating as much as he thought he would.  The delvers are currently sitting at the desks, idly chatting about what they hope to learn, and he enjoys the insight he gains into how they think.

Is this why the Composer will observe them delving?  Possibly.  He stands leaning against the wall of chalkboards, his body of poppers imitating a pose he’s seen some of the other delvers do while waiting: arms folded, head down, leaning against something.  It makes him wonder if he can pull off a cape.  The pose is very similar to one that has leaked through the bond with the Composer, of a figure standing atop a building at night in the rain.

He may need to ask Teemo for details about that one.  Before he can pursue that thought, Rocky enters the Lecture Hall.  He gives the delvers a friendly wave, even as a few of them tense up momentarily.  It’s one thing to accept tutelage from Rocky as a concept, but another to actually be in the room with one of the Composer’s most dangerous scions.

The zombie waves at Doppler as well, and moves to chat with him before addressing the others.  “Thanks for translating.”

Doppler snorts.  “As if you couldn’t do that on your own by now.”

Rocky grins and doesn’t even try to deny it.  “I’ve got the new ones, hmm?”  He glances at the foxkin and elf out of the corner of his eye.  “What do you think of them?”

Doppler shrugs.  “I don’t have much experience with delvers.  They helped remove the delvers that the Composer wanted gone, so they’re probably strong, and they asked for your help in learning to fight.”

Rocky’s grin widens, and the two delvers flinch as he turns the grin on them.  “I like the sound of that!  You two!” he grunts, pointing at the two, earning another flinch.  “Let’s talk in the corner about what I have to work with.”

Doppler belatedly translates.  “He wants you to follow him to the corner to talk about how you fight, so he can make suggestions.”  The elf and foxkin exchange a look before steeling themselves and moving to the corner to talk.

“What affinities do you have?” translates Doppler as Rocky eyes the two.

They look uncomfortable, so Rocky waves a gloved hand, suddenly shutting out the chatter of the other delvers.  “They won’t overhear,” assures Doppler.  “He needs to know your affinities to know what he has to work with in improving your fighting prowess.”

They still both look uncomfortable, though the elf shrugs.  “We did ask for help.”  The foxkin sighs and speaks up.

“Illusion and kinetic.”

“Light and Arcane,” follows up the elf.

Rocky grunts, and Doppler fights the feeling of awkwardness as he translates.  “And your names?”

“Jana.”

“Driough.”

Even Doppler can feel the awkward tension in the introductions, and is all too happy to abandon Rocky with a small swarm of poppers to translate as he spots Fluffles glide into the Lecture Hall.  He’s pretty sure Rocky gives him a rude gesture as he leaves, but the gloves make it difficult to tell.

Fluffles coils atop the lectern and nods at Doppler as he approaches.  “The Denmaster wanted me here for something?”

“Yes.  The large delver there wishes to make a totem of you.”

Fluffles tilts his head in confusion and hisses, which Doppler translates.

“What does making a totem entail?”

The large bearkin stands from his desk and pulls a large piece of wood from his pack.  “Mostly, I need to keep him in sight as I carve.  The tree this wood came from was struck by lightning, quenched by rain, and toppled by wind.  I’ve been saving it for… some time now, searching for the proper creature to carve into it.”

Fluffles nods at that and adjusts his position as he taps into his Stormeater title.  With his wings slightly open, winds tussle his features and lightning arcs along his scales as he holds a small raincloud before him.  Without another word, the bearkin starts carving.  Doppler nods to himself after a few moments, leaving the two to it.  Fluffles usually has to pose for Nova, but it doesn’t seem he minds doing so for a delver.

Before Rocky can pull him back in for more translating he can definitely do by himself, Leo pads in and goes to sit in front of the goblin delver, giving him a measuring eye.  He wuffs as Doppler approaches, and he translates.

“He says hello, Gerlfi.”

The goblin squints, earning a grin from the wolf.  “You know my name?”

Another bork.  “He often speaks with Titania.  He’s also surprised you didn’t want to learn from her.”

Gerlfi exhales in a long sigh.  “She’s a strong summon, and I do specialize in fey, but I want to be able to help my friends in battle, too.”

Leo nods at that and makes more wolf sounds.  “Were you hoping for some kind of spell or special technique, or do you want to learn the finer points of strategy?”

He doesn’t answer immediately, which Leo seems to approve of.  “I mean, if you’re offering, I’ll take anything, but I don’t think my affinities will support much in the way of techniques for this.”

Leo tilts his head at the goblin.  “He says you’d be surprised.”  Doppler pauses to put up a sound barrier like Rocky had.  “He also says you’d probably appreciate some privacy to discuss your affinities.  Communication, correct?”

Gerlfi stares at Leo for a moment before slowly nodding his head, getting a wolfy smile from Leo.  “He thinks you might be able to get knowledge affinity, and with those two, you’d be able to direct any battlefield however you like.”

The goblin’s eyes unfocus for a moment as he imagines that, before shaking his head.  “I’d need to advance my class to even have a shot at a new affinity.”

“Not necessarily."  The goblin stares as Leo chuckles.

“Rocky might be the savant, but he’s not the only one who can do it.  He thinks communication could easily expand into knowledge.  Communication is sending or receiving knowledge between those who can understand it, correct?  Knowledge is gaining information without needing to ask for it,” Leo explains.

Gerlfi looks like he wants to argue, and manages a few aborted sentences as he tries to explain how that won’t work, before giving Leo a confused look.  “How would I even do that?”

Leo yips in laughter.  “He doesn’t know.  Rocky usually says to focus on a small piece of your affinity and figure out what it’s doing, and then try to flex it into doing something more… or sometimes less, come to think of it.”  Doppler shrugs.  “Perhaps try with a rock or a stick, to get whatever information they have to offer.”

Gerlfi looks at the two scions like they’re gone mad, then shakes his head and chuckles at himself.  “One-way communication with a rock, heh…”  He looks at the two, a spark of hope in his eyes.  “Do you really think it’ll work?”

Leo nods.  “He does, and so do I.  It will not be simple, but if you keep at it, we’re both confident you will manage it.”

“And… once I do?”

Leo wuffs.  “Take up chess or similar games, and practice battles with your friends and summons.  Positioning is one of the most important parts of a battle.  Learn how to best create a united front, how best to form an organized retreat, ways to draw a foe into an easy flanking maneuver, and… take a piece of wisdom from the Alpha.”

“Alpha?  Oh, Thedeim!”

Leo nods.  “Appear weak where you are strong, and strong where you are weak.  If a foe doesn’t know where to attack, they cannot position, and as he said: positioning is important.”

Gerlfi mulls that over for a few moments, before looking back to Leo.  “Do you play chess?”

Leo grins.  “A bit.  Mostly against Honey.  He’d be willing to let you play with them, if they both have time.”

The goblin laughs and shakes his head.  “I think I’ll need to practice against Vieds and Wold before trying to face either of you two.”  His vision goes distant again as he mutters to himself.  “Positioning… weak and strong… chess… knowledge, heh.”  He focuses once more on Leo and Doppler.  “Thank you.  I’ll try that, and get back to you if I somehow gain knowledge affinity.”  He still doesn’t look convinced it could happen, but it looks like he’s going to try.

“In that case,” speaks up Doppler, “I must go see to your changeling companion and let him talk with Nova.”

The goblin smiles.  “Vieds is gonna love getting some new fire tricks.”

Doppler nods and steps through a shortcut, quickly making his way to the cathedral, where the changeling and Nova are waiting, the former looking excited while the latter looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here.

“Apologies for my lateness.  The others just got situated.”

Vieds waves his concern off.  “That’s fine.  I was expecting to be a bit delayed since I had to come here instead of the hall.”

Nova rumbles a quiet “Help me…” that Doppler mostly ignores, though he does pay closer attention to the changeling.  While he is pretty sure it’s just Nova being shy, if the changeling is harming her, he will do what he can to remove him.

“What were you hoping to gain?”

Vieds brightens up at that.  “I want to know about her name!  It speaks of the sorts of flames that could wipe the very stars from the sky!” he says excitedly.  “I was trying to explain it to her, but I don’t know if she got what I was trying to say.”

Doppler nods in understanding of Nova’s discomfort.  “I see.  Unfortunately, it’s also the sort of flames that would render the entire world to ash.”  The changeling’s excitement gives way to confusion, so Doppler continues.  “That is not a metaphor, either.  It would scour everything you’ve ever known into nothingness.”

Vieds stares for a few seconds before sitting down heavily.  “Oh.”

Doppler nods at his warning seeming to have found purchase with the changeling, and he watches as Nova crafts a simple flower from magma and cools it to obsidian for Vieds.  It takes him a few moments to notice, but he smiles and accepts it.  “Well, I guess an obsidian flower is a fine consolation.”

Nova looks at him for a few seconds before rumbling, making Doppler look at her in confusion before he translates.  “She says there is a different fire she might be able to teach you, hotter than anything else you’ll ever encounter.  Hot enough to evaporate iron.”

That gets Vieds’ attention, so Nova continues.

“The sun is a huge ball of fire, but do you know what the hottest part is?”

“The center,” he immediately answers, and Nova shakes her head.

“No.  The hottest part is the corona.  It’s… complicated why, but it’s a hundred times hotter or more than the center.”  She manipulates some more magma into thick obsidian glasses.  “She says wear those and glance at the sun.  She doesn’t know how thick to make them to let you look for long.”

Vieds looks baffled, but obeys, and winces as he looks at the sun through them.  “Still very bright.”

Nova rumbles in apology.  “She’s willing to keep trying, or you could try to find some magical glasses to let you look at it.  The only other way she knows to look at it would be in an eclipse, and those are not exactly common.”

Vieds snorts at that and nods before looking up into the sky, not at the sun, and thinking.  “You really think looking will let me make this new fire?”

Nova bobs in a nod.  “Yes she does.  Coronal flame should be used sparingly, but if you are determined to continue to push the boundaries of fire, that should probably be your end goal.”

The changeling laughs at himself and nods.  “Yeah, I can handle a hot fire, but I don’t want to burn everything to ash.  I’ll leave nova knowledge to you.”

Nova rumbles in happiness and starts working on another set of glasses, and Doppler decides to stick around and observe.  Getting to see Veids try to put on a massive obsidian helmet to look at the sun proves the wisdom of watching delvers.  They get into such interesting situations.