Argrave had been skeptical if giving the Fruit of Being to Artur to use in a crafting project was truly the best use of the item. A masterpiece was infinitely less useful than a skilled master, by his estimationâsomeone that could continue to make ingenious project after ingenious project. Instead, in the twisted fate the fruit had chosen, heâd received two wonderful artifacts, and shared with Anneliese some of the power he received after eating the Fruit of Being.
After a while, they were prepared to depart.
âWhat would you like as payment, Artur?â Argrave asked, gauging for the manâs reaction.
âJust pay me what you think my work was worth,â Artur said. âAnd tell everyone who asks that I made the weapons that make you what you are. Ohâand let me out of that research team.â
âWe can.â Anneliese nodded. âBut youâre very insightful, Artur. Are you certain you wish to stop coming?â
He seemed to waver briefly, but ultimately shook his head. âNo. Iâm as insightful running this place as I am in that research team, and I have to entertain fewer fools that I canât put in their place.â
Argrave offered his hand to Artur. âI think you deserve more than money for what youâve doneâbut youâll get plenty of that, I assure you. Iâm certain we can produce some rose gold magic coins. And I can guarantee you, until the day we dieâwhich may be never, after what youâve doneâweâll be coming to you for anything truly important.â
âWell enough,â Artur said, seizing Argraveâs hand for the handshake. âI look forward to it.â
After leaving Artur, they decided to visit Raven for his scrutiny into what mightâve changed in Anneliese. Artur may have been exceptionally keen, but he lacked the perception of Truesight and the insight of someone millennia old.
âShe is not as changed as you or Durran,â Raven informed Argrave. âShe has not subsumed spirits into herself, imitating divinity. She might still be considered an ordinary spellcaster in most ways. But you two now exist in a closed loop, sharing many things.â He looked at Argrave. âAnd just as her abilities changed, so too did yours, more subtly. Your blood magic can still erase magic spells, even divinityâbut instead of burning them to ash, all that you destroy will return to her as energy.â
He looked to Anneliese. âAnd through you, that energy can return to him. You can heal his wounds or replenish his magic. Or, you could use it for other purposesâyour own spells, your own shamanic magic, or even distributing it to others. All of that is at your discretion, it would seem. Fighting together, you would become an unstoppable machine that grows eternally. I can think of nothing more fitting to tackle the Shadowlands.â
Anneliese accepted all of that grandiose responsibility with a simple nod. Argrave was certainly reconsidering his perspective on what should be done with the last fruit.
On top of all this, Argrave now had the remote GPS tracking feature installed on his wife. It might have been a touch overbearing if she didnât have the same feature installed on himâwith the right wording, it might even be considered romantic. No matter how far they travelled away from one another, they knew where the other was. It even worked through divine realms.
âWe have our siege weapon, it would seem.â Argrave walked around. âBut weâll need others.â
âTheyâve all been preparing,â Anneliese reminded him. âIt wonât be long until we find him. Iâm rather eager to see that sociopath dismembered.â
âNot a sentiment I thought Iâd ever hear from you,â he remarked.
âBut you share it,â Anneliese said with certainty. âAs do countless others, I suspect. Letâs give the people what they want.â
âYou seem a little better after I brought the Theorist back,â Garm spoke to Durran as the man had a small breakfast in a public dining area at the parliamentary hall.
âYeah.â Durran nodded. âItâs all a bit easier to sideline, now. Itâs like being in a crowded bazaar, rather than being stabbed repeatedly in the gut.â
Garm sat across from Durran. âCare to help me with something?â
âFigured I couldnât expect small talk alone.â Durran studied him. âI think Iâm being plenty help just sitting here. Youâre alive, arenât you?â
âItâll help you be free of things more immediately,â Garm promised.
âHit me,â Durran said, then sipped his soup.
Garm leaned in. âI want to resurrect all of the heavy hitters of the past to give Argrave an elite troop to tackle the Shadowlands without fear of losing anyone important. Iâm rather positive I have the capability to emulate the Alchemistâs ability to reconstruct spell pathways.â
Durran set his spoon down. âAlchemist goes by Raven, now. And you should just ask Argrave. Iâm sure he can pick out some choice names with whateverâs lying dormant in his head.â
âYeah, sure, whatever. Iâll ask him when he needs to be asked. But Iâve got the whispers of a thousand dead in my head after my stroll through the Low Way of the Rose. I have enough information about who would be good to bring back.â
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Durran narrowed his eyes. âWhy in godsâ name did you go to the Low Way?â
âArgraveâs idea, twit,â Garm rebuked. âBut⊠listen. The body that Raven made⊠itâs good. Itâs fine. Itâs passable. But itâs not quite what I had in mind, and it took forever to get.â
âPoint being?â Durran pressed as he dipped some bread in the soup.
âYou want to stop hearing voicesâI want to get my hands on a lot of body parts. What do you say we team up, massacre a village, and then prepare a nice little present for Argrave?â Garm smiled.
âI know youâre trying to get a rise out of me by saying something disagreeable, but that one was a little sad.â Durran shook his head and peered at his food as if disappointed. âYou really canât muster anything more believable than that? Just tell me what youâre really thinking so I can eat.â
âAlright, letâs not make it personal. Iâm a little hurt,â Garm said, though it wasnât clear if he truly meant it. âWhat if I know a place we can find a lot of undead? Ready-made parts, with the damage already done,â Garm whispered. âWould you come along? You said that the Fruit of Being gave you a combat-related ability, but Iâve yet to see any insight on that front. Why not come with me, put that glaive of yours to good use?â
âIâll figure my power out,â Durran insisted. âItâs complicated.â
âSure, sure. But nothing like real combat to stir up that instinct, eh?â Garm nudged his elbow. âI promise it wonât take very long. Especially not for a real S-rank spellcaster. Especially not for someone who deserves the position.â
âYouâve misread my personality if you think goading can make me do something dumb. Find someone else,â Durran suggested. âOr better yet, donât do it at all. Just wait. Argraveâs generally got the right idea about things.â
âIâll kill myself if you donât,â Garm said plainly.
âWhat?â
âI will. And then, Iâll end back inside your head.â Garm tapped his temple. âOne way or another, this is getting done. Iâm not going to let that hulking monstrosity make those disgusting little asexual creatures again and again. Necromancy is an art. It deserves some respect.â
Durran tapped the side of the bowl with his spoon. âDonât bluff me.â
âI already did it once,â he pointed out. âDo you want to risk it? Iâve got the reins, Durran. Horses that buck live painful lives.â
âI won the lottery, and Iâm the least lucky person in this city.â Durran scratched the back of his head, then tossed the spoon down onto the table. âFine. But Iâm a bit different than I once wasâI wonât go behind anyoneâs back. Iâm telling people what weâre doing. Only if I get permission will I leave.â
âAlright, fine.â Garm lifted his hands up, conceding. âYou should be excited. Weâre going to build the greatest troop of spellcasters the worldâs ever seen.â
âHmm⊠sure,â Durran said, not quite convinced. âYou should let me do the talking. Thereâs not a chance Elenore or Argrave will agree if you give them that same pitch.â
Llewellen was scanning through the vast number of notes that had already been taken by the assembled research team. On some level he was impressed by the advancements of magic in his long absenceâin other regards, he was appalled by the stagnation. He was rather surprised that he hadnât been the first to discover druidic magicâand in it, he saw the long history of the Veidimen reflected in their magic.
But whether it was merely doing this research or speaking to the people here, Llewellen was having a great time in this strange second life. Once he caught up on the past sessions, he had great hopes for joining the research team and contributing his theoriesâand indeed, he already had some ideas forming. Illusion magic was a dead end, he felt. Druidic magic held the key to unlocking the psyche through magic. He would prove it.
But besides the research, he was especially enjoying Onychinusaâs interrogation sessions. Her clumsiness and lack of social graces was quite charming, in her strange way, and she was the last of his race⊠but he couldnât let himself get too close. He was here for a last hurrah, as it were. There was no need to make the parting difficult. It would be an undue burden on her, and she had plenty of those already. She was very alone, both in body and mind. He hoped, at least, he might help her break that.
A knock came at the door, and he looked over. Onychinusa never knocked; she merely broke in. Llewellen called out, âEnter.â
The door opened, and a hulking human walked through the door. He had a large mane of obsidian-like hair, and stony gray eyes. He wore golden armor that Llewellen had seen as the royal guard of this kingdom.
âAre you a relative to the king?â Llewellen asked at once. âAm I needed?â
âYes. Iâm Argraveâs brother. My name is Orion, sir.â He bowed, then walked deeper inside. âI had some questions for you, if now is a good time.â
âCertainly.â Llewellen put the paper down, then turned his body fully. âAvail yourself of my knowledge freely.â
âWill this research team bear fruit quickly?â He asked bluntly. âOr are we all expecting too much?â
Llewellen tilted his head, considering the question earnestly. âThe people here⊠Anneliese especially⊠are the brightest minds in the world.â He shook his head. âI donât say that because I was told itâI say that because Iâve been reading what they write, and come to that conclusion on my own.â
âBut bright minds can only manifest so much,â Orion argued.
âYouâre wrong, Iâm afraid.â Llewellen smiled. âBright minds can overturn the universe, if theyâre working together in harmony. I believe the solution will come far sooner than you think.â
Orion grinned brightly, white teeth gleaming through his black beard. âIâm very pleased to hear it, sir.â
âWhy do you ask? A routine check-in for the king?â
Orion put his hand to his chest. âI have the feeling that something is approaching, sir.â
âGerechtigkeit?â Llewellen guessed.
âYes, but⊠no.â Orion lowered his head. âI get the sensation that a strong foe is approaching. One who I must fight, being perhaps the only one who can. I am not the strongest of those in this kingdom anymore. The king could certainly best me on his lonesome, now. But in persistence, durability⊠I am confident none are my peer. And I believe a foe that requires that attribute will come.â
âYou speak with a strange conviction,â Llewellen observed.
âIndeed. I have always had strange flashes of intuitionâthey have seldom led me astray. None before have been this clear, however. None this potent.â He dipped his head. âI hope that all goes well with your endeavors. Thank you for your time.â
Llewellen watched Orion go. The man had very heavy steps.