Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The forest was quiet. Alef sighed as he pushed away a branch. It was starting to get dark, and he’d used up his last torch. He was going to spend a pretty poor night, or have to keep walking all night, to keep the monsters from ganging up on him.

The path twisted, and he ducked under a large tree branch. The forest seemed darker then normal for some reason. Probably, he reflected duly, because he was alone. He had always been told that he was the hero, and it would be his duty to kill a great evil. He’d trained for it all his life, both personality and physically. It wouldn’t do to have a hero that wanted to insult everyone.

At least alone he didn't have to put on a smile.

There was a brilliant flash of light- or two flashes- in the distance. Alef picked up his pace, hurrying into the woods. There was a hole cratered into the path, like someone had landed. Alef frowned as he slowed down. There was no sign of any humans.

A naked man stood up in the bushes.

Alef stopped, completely blindsided by the unexpected turn of events. Last he had checked, no one was leaving towns to keep from being slaughtered by the monsters. For a naked- no- he still had on his underwear – man to appear in the middle of the forest, still a week away from any town was certainly a stopper.

“Where am I? I thought I was done waking up nowhere naked. Do I have a banner- no. So why am I here when night is falling?! At least do it in the morning! What is going on?”

Alef stared at the man now yelling curses at the rapidly darkening sky. “Um-”

The man stopped yelling at the sky, and turned around. Alef could see a patchwork of faded and new scars across his body. The other crossed his arms, staring at him. “Huh. Another person. That’s new.”

“Are- Are you okay?” Alef put on his brightest ‘Hero’ smile. It wouldn’t do to startle the man. The man who was looking at him like he’d just bit into a sour lemon.

“Yeah, as best as I can do for waking up in the middle of an unknown forest pretty much buck naked.” The other sighed, suddenly all rancor gone. “Well, I guess that just means I start from part one again. Hmmm. I wonder what I should build this time.”

The man had a vacant look in his eyes, as if the fact that monsters were infesting the forest had already vanished from his brain. Alef bit his tongue so hard he could taste blood. He wasn’t going to say anything rude. He wasn’t going to say anything rude. He wasn't- “Maybe a fire first? I have flint and steel if you know how.” Alef did know basically how to build a fire, it wasn’t like he could do anything special with it.

“Ah, you’re right. Alright, fire first, then clothes, and hopefully I can construct a sod house and some beds before the ghosts come in.”

Alef could feel something akin to terror rising in the back of his throat. He absolutely couldn’t let this scatterbrained maybe-person alone. But still- a sod house? He’d never heard of that before. “Then shall I help out?” He didn’t want too, but it was his duty as a hero.

The other man blinked, looking him directly in the eyes. Alef could swear he could still see the cobwebs cluttering up the inside of his brain. There was no way a normal human with a functioning brain would just appear in a forest with nothing on but his own underpants. “Nah, it’s fine. I can handle it.”

A man who was rapidly ripping branches from off the forest floor, picking ripe plum-berries with them, and stripping white flowers of their petals to dump it into a bag, and pulling long fronds out of the ground like he was going to do something with them. It was… a bit fascinating.

Alef glanced around- there was a small clearing just up ahead. One that he could put in a few broken branches of his own, to start up a small fire. The flames licked up into the sky.

The other man came tromping back to him. Alef wondered if he should offer his cloak, before it vanished as the man lashed a few poles together to erect a small cooking stand. There was a rough stone pot hanging over it, already washed clean in a nearby stream. Water and butter-beans were dumped into the pot- “Not really much of a meal, but since there isn’t really much else round, it’ll have to do.”

The man turned away from the fire, glancing to the back. “Okay, just a sod house for now. I didn’t see any Builder’s tables, so I’ll make do as best as I can.” His head tiled to the left, considering the empty area before him. Then- He put down a block of dirt.

Oh. Ohhhhhh? Alef couldn’t tear his eyes away from the short figure rapidly piling dirt on top of dirt, rounding it off to a small ‘sod’ house. It was narrow, yes. But it was undoubtedly a room. A room that the man was rapidly turning into a sleep spot as he stripped the leaves from fronds to weave the fibrous plants into a quick cushion.

Two straw mattresses were tossed into the room, along with a small, guttering torch that barely lit it up. A door made of hastily stripped plants and broken branches was fitted into the sod house, and- “It’s complete. It’s gonna be narrow.”

“That’s fine. I’m very happy not to be sleeping beneath a tree tonight.”

It wasn’t really restful beneath trees. Every breeze woke him up, on guard for monsters. The food was whatever was still edible from the nearest town- it wasn’t really enough. He wasn’t going to complain, because he had known since the very beginning that it would be a long, perilous journey. But, this would be a nice respite.

The other man was beginning to wander out into the forest again. Alef reached out to catch him by the wrist. “I wouldn’t stray too far.”

Eyes glimmered in the darkness. Monsters ready to strike. The man sighed, “Yeah, but if I don’t I can’t find a builders table to help me make clothes. I don’t really want to go naked for much longer.”

Well, Alef couldn’t really blame him. But, since he did build the sod house- “I’ll lend you my blanket, and we can look tomorrow morning if that will be better.”

The other thought it over, eyes vacant. Then, he nodded, settling down next to the fire. “Here, the butter-beans are finished cooking.”

“Oh, thank you.” Alef smiled at the other man, the best charming smile he could summon. “By the way, my name is Alef. And you are?”

“Buildrick.” Buildrick said around a mouthful of boiled butterbeans. “Where are we?”

“Oh, three days south of a small town called Galenholm.”

Buildrick hummed, mouth still full of butterbeans. “Galenholm? I thought it was destroyed?”

“Destroyed? I wouldn’t be surprised since many cities are currently shut off and nobody’s traveling right now. I hope it’s not however.” He wasn’t precisely worried about it. He knew he should be. Every city downed was a greater chance he wouldn’t be able to complete his mission. But- he couldn’t summon even a shred of care. It meant nothing to him. He had been there months ago, gathering information. Now, he had more information, and was going to keep questioning from there. If they were still alive. If not, it wouldn’t be too hard to sift through the wreckage probably.

“Well, I guess we’ll see when we get there.”

“Yeah.” Buildrick swallowed, and dumped even more butterbeans into the pot. Tonight- was going to be a night of butterbeans, huh? But even so- freshly boiled butterbeans were far better then the crumbled, dried bread Alef had stashed away.

They ate in companionable silence, before Buildrick crawled into bed up against the far wall. The room was truly narrow, narrow enough there was no space between the beds. Buildrick lay his head on the straw matting- and was out within seconds. The low torch light seemed to chase away any monsters- enough that they weren’t bothering them inside of the room for now. Alef still wasn’t going to take off his armor though. The straw mattress was big enough, but he didn’t trust the other not to do something.

A monster was wandering outside. Buildrick was still dead asleep, as if without a care in the world. The monster snuffled- it sounded like a bewarewolf. It came closer and closer to the small shelter- before wandering away. For some reason, the small sod house was safe.

So Alef closed his eyes, and slept.

There was nothing but wasteland. Ash and dreary, dark gray skies with only the barest hint of light spread over the land, all encompassing. It felt familiar, a welcome sight as he stood in his castle, the king of nothing. This was what he wanted. No more begging. No more pleas. No more snide remarks behind his back, or expectations piled on top of each other until he broke- This- this was a happy ending.

Alef opened his eyes, breath frozen in his throat. It was simultaneously the worst- and best- dream he’d ever had. The sweet freedom in it was intoxicating. No expectations, no flirting eyes, no one smiling at him with full expectation he’d defeat the Dragon Lord.

Buildrick stirred on the bed next to him. Alef could feel dread rising within him. To put on his hero persona this early in the morning was like a rope being tightened around his neck. Buildrick sleepily stood up. Unlike Alef, who had to duck in the low conditions, Buildricks hands as he stretched just barely brushed the top of the roof. “Morning time- Time to go hunting. What would you rather for breakfast? Eggs, mushrooms or frogs?”

“Frogs?” Alef questioned reflexively.

“Frogs it is.”

Buildrick strode out, with the same face he had when building a sod house. Alef stared at the broken looking door in disbelief. He- he had just been asking a question. Then again, he was always… a pushover. Alef closed his eyes, running his hands over his face.

He should get up. He didn’t know Buildrick’s fighting ability, but being mostly naked, without a single thing to call a ‘weapon’ couldn’t be good. He would do his duty, and protect the man.

Alef opened the door- to pure chaos as the mostly naked man was slapping a cypress stick against a Ghosts head. To compare his fighting style to something, Alef had to say- it was akin to watching a Scorpion trying to pick something up with its tail. It could be done, but there had to be a better way. He was pretty certain children who only picked up a broken stick could fight better then this man beating the Ghost to death with no small amount of scratches himself.

Or perhaps not. He had been told his fighting prowess was quite great. But even so, this was almost painful to see. And- Alef realized he’d just been staring for at least five seconds. He unsheathed his sword to send the blade chopping down to slice the Ghost in half. It died immediately.

Silence fell in the forest glade. “Thanks.” Buildrick said after a second. “I wasn’t expecting you to help.”

Buildrick really had no idea who he was. Or had very low expectations of those around him. But even so- “How in the world have you managed to survive this long with fighting skills like that?”

“Normally I’m not naked.” Buildrick said, glancing down at himself. “That helps.”

Yes and no- Alef’s face puckered into a deep frown as he thought it over. It didn’t sound like it ought to make sense, but at the same time. Buildrick said it with such conviction...

“Oh, egg. You okay with frogs another time?” Buildrick picked up the egg from beneath the Ghosts fallen carcass.

“Yes- Let’s have frogs another time.” Alef agreed, sighing in relief.

Buildrick dumped the egg into the stand still sitting over the fire. The water was clean- had he already gone to the nearby stream? Was that when the Ghost had followed him back? Buildrick was settling next to the fire with an even bigger pile of plants and branches that Alef wasn’t certain how he’d had the time to gather.

A perfectly cooked egg was dumped in front of him. “Ah? Are you not hungry?”

“Nah, not yet. I’ve been stuffing my face with plumberries anyways. So I’m pretty full.”

Alef wasn’t going to complain. He ate the egg in just a few bites. With the sun rising, the monsters had shifted. The ghosts in the forest had disappeared, replaced by slimes waking up. Alef could hear them bouncing through the dry underbrush.

A skeleton came tearing out of the forest, waving a sword. Buildrick turned, hand falling onto his cypress stick. But Alef was faster. The skeleton went down in mere seconds as the sword at Alefs side went slinging through the air with deadly accuracy. Its bones instantly turned to dust. It crumbled through the coarse cloth left behind. Buildrick scooped it up, as he pulled the sword out of the tree it buried itself in. He handed over the sword casually, glancing into the forest.

He wasn’t disturbed by much, Alef thought.

They packed up camp a bit hastily. More monsters were finding them, and Alef wasn’t about to let Buildrick fight. Not after the first look at what Buildrick called ‘fighting’.

Buildrick kicked the dirt into the fire, dousing the smoldering embers. It only took a second for him to collapse the stand and pack it away into his bag. Then, they were off. Alef following the clearly marked, if a bit overgrown path- and Buildrick immediately shooting off into the undergrowth to gather whatever caught his eye. He was being partially meticulous about it- he too only had so much room in his bag (though it and of itself seemed to have some kind of magical property to it) and he seemed to be picking things according to-

Sweet goddess Rubis, the man flat out picked a fight with a skeleton. As in, circled around the skeleton to bring his cypress stick against the skeletons head. Alef honestly wasn’t certain who was more surprised- him or the skeleton.

The monster rubbed the back of its head, standing up with a bone rattling clink. “A human? You don’t look like the hero that the Dragon Lord said was coming. You’re pretty ugly aint’chya?”

Buildrick’s face made clear his displeasure. Alef wondered if he should step in. “Better ugly like me then a monster like you.”

The skeleton gasped, as if actually hurt by Buildrick’s sharp words. “Human, I can’t believe you’d say that! No matter how times you murder me, I’ll revive. Isn’t that what all humans dream of? To live forever?”

“That sure sounds like a nightmare to me. But hey, if you’ll keep reviving forever, then I don’t have to feel bad about murdering you each time.” Buildrick was practical, Alef thought. Not very good at fighting- but very practical as he began to wage a one man battle against the skeleton.

Alef was actually impressed when the skeleton turned to dust, muttering curses under its breath.

Buildrick casually looted its body, pulling out a few rusty iron nuggets and the coarse cloth from the pile. “Closer. Just one more and a few of the orange and blue slimes.”

For someone whose ability to battle was on par with a child's ability to bake something unsupervised, Buildrick certainly was bloodthirsty. He could probably leave the man alone- it was clear Buildrick would either handle himself or end up even more naked and alone in the forest. Alef hesitated on the path. He could find Galenholm with or without the path, but this was a delay.

Buildrick turned, looking around and giving him a half wave- before charging off still in the right general direction but after a skeleton that was wandering over the hill.

Alef took a step off the path. Guilt crept up in him. It made no sense- he was still doing his duty. He would defeat the Dragon Lord. But- just for the moment… He wanted to get lost on a side-quest of following the crazed man waving around a cypress stick and chasing down skeletons.

They arrived in Galenholm three days later then Alef expected, both of them fully clothed, just as the first few snowflakes fell.

Chapter Text

Buildrick hummed as he petted the fur he’d skinned from the brownie. Alef was being mobbed by his adoring fans. He’d… never seen someone actually have an honest to goodness fan club. Alef’s smile was dazzling to the extreme as he fobbed off the gathered townsfolk with gentle refusals.

Galenholm looked nothing like he remembered, but at the same time it was very, very familiar. The last time he’d seen it, its ruins had been buried under several feet of snow. He could see familiar pathways winding through the buildings. He knew this town, in its destroyed and ruined state. He’d dreamed about repairing it before, but he’d never really had the time for it. And Rimuldar… had messed with him more then he cared to admit.

Buildrick glanced around at bustling streets.

His memory before he woke up in a cave under gray skies was very sparse. He couldn’t remember these huge groups of people. He couldn’t really remember much about money, but as he watched it get passed between people, he realized he didn't know the value either. Wasn't even sure what it was for, other then a 'knowledge' that had been talked about when repairing the castle and talking to guards that had been frozen in stone. His lifetime had no use for it, afterall.

Was he considered alive? The last memory he had was watching his friends hugging each other and crying as the sun rose. And Rubiss voice telling him he’d done a good job and then-

He’d arrived once again under gray, sunless skies. Buildrick didn’t remember stepping into a teleportal, but he was naked, alone, and he could still feel his death creeping up on him. It hurt. A burning, low, firey pain that he could ignore for now. Rubiss wasn’t whispering in his ear this time. In fact, she was completely silent, which was odd. He had hated it when she had spoken to him- he wanted her to be quiet mostly.

But… traveling through time?

He almost wished he’d paid attention to the long winded pontification about the world before the Hero had accepted the Dragon King’s offer.

Buildrick’s head turned as the crowds started to disperse. He could see an old, old, worn builder’s table being used as a flower pot table. Oohhh? Thoughts of Alef and heroes faded. Buildrick began to walk over, running his hand across the worn table. The magic that made it up was still in place. He’d made do with tree stump tables in his travels, but an actual Builder’s Table would certainly be a help.

“Oh? Is something the matter with my table sir?”

The young woman's voice came from right behind him. Buildrick stood up and turned- and immediately the woman stifled a laugh. He wasn’t surprised- most people laughed when they saw his face. “No, I was just thinking the table is a Builder’s Table. So I wanted it.”

“You’re pretty straightforward aren’t you? I don’t know anything about a Builder’s table, though this particular table was passed down in the family for some time.”

Ohhh, an antique, huh?

“Well, I don’t need this particular table, I was mostly looking to see if I could use it and the magic in it to make another.”

He’d crafted a crude hammer of wood, but the wood hammer broke far too easily. He couldn’t mine the few glimmering sparkles of silver he’d spotted in the mountains. He had some iron ore, but couldn’t make a smelter with a tree stump.

“Actually, if you could make me another table, I wouldn’t mind you taking this one. It’s getting old, and starting to rot away.” The woman came closer, putting her hand on the table. “I’ve thought about replacing it, but getting one that fits this space perfectly would be hard.”

It was a bit of an odd shape. But- “I can make that table.”

“Really?! Ohhhh, if you can do that I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek.” She giggled and winked.

Blech. Buildrick shook his head as he shifted the potted plants on the table away. The woman shrugged at his face, and set down her basket. The woman helped move plants, chattering the whole way. “These plants aren’t doing too well with the whole sun being gone. I do hope someone can defeat the Dragon King soon.” She spoke airily, as if it was no concern to her, other then the faintest chance it wouldn’t happen. “We’ve had a few ‘heroes’ come by looking for information but give up. At least the current one is handsome.”

Buildrick didn’t exactly tune out her talking. He wasn’t paying it much heed as he set aside the last of the pots.

He’d fought the hero that had accepted the Dragon Lord’s offer- and to be honest, he didn’t remember the mans face or anything. He’d been too busy wiping away blood and sweat as he dove after him again and again, battling desperately to get the Banner of Hope. Then again, Buildrick thought dryly, I’ve never been all that concerned with other people.

So, whatever happened, he was going to do what he always did best.

Build.

The table took shape in miniature form, the woman peeking over his shoulder in fascination until he picked up the miniature table. It weighed on his hands, heavy as the full size it would be when he put it down and released the faint magic. It popped to full size immediately, the legs sending one of the pots skittering away. “Whoops. Sorry about that, I’ll make you a new potted plant.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that one, it was empty anyways. My goodness though, that’s amazing magic- to think that table was hiding it the entire time! You said you were a Builder, correct?”

Buildrick nodded, stuffing the potted plants back on the table he just created. Buildrick picked up the Builder's table, stuffing it in his bag. He only had limited space, and there was no telling when a chest might be available, but a Builder’s Table was needed. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she swept him into a hug.

“Thank you so much! It’s a very nice table and I would’ve had to pay a pretty good amount of money for it otherwise! But I would feel bad just leaving it at that though- oh, wait here for a moment!”

She released him to run inside the building. Buildrick sighed as he looked up at the bright yet gray sky. Alef’s voice spoke up from behind him- “What happened here?”

“Oh, this? She had a Builder’s table she wasn’t using, so I made her a new one in exchange for the Builder’s table.”

“Here, take this!” The woman grinned as she came out of the house. She dropped a seed into Buildrick’s hands. “I heard these seeds are a bit hard to come by- but they’re supposed to make you more able to take a hit or something?”

“Seed of Life.” Buildrick said, holding it up in the air. It would be a waste to eat it, since he was going to die soonish. “Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome.” She flashed them both a bright grin. “Thanks for the new table!”

She waved them a goodbye as Alef pointed down the street to the inn. “So, this new Builder’s table- will it allow you to do a lot?”

“Yeah, now that I have it, I can build just about anything anyone requests.” Buildrick patted his bag. “Armor, weapons, daily living necessities- all that sorta stuff.”

“You seemed to be able to handle yourself to a degree out in the forests even without it however.”

Buildrick looked away at that. Alef had probably gotten tired of charging after him and finished off the fights with monsters with a kind of sunning ease Buildrick had never seen before. Certainly, he had seen soldiers before. But nothing like the power that Alef commanded with a simple swing of his sword. If Alef was a hero, then it was no wonder Rubiss told him he shouldn’t fight the Dragon Lord.

But- he didn’t really care. He did what he wanted. “Well, now I can do a bit better at it. I know I won’t ever be as good as an actual soldier or anything, but the stronger the weapon I have, the harder I can hammer it over my opponents head before it breaks.”

“A sword is not a club.” Alef was probably scolding him. He ignored it, keeping pace with Alef as they worked their way through town. If Alef didn’t want him around, then he’d probably say it, and Buildrick was honestly very curious on where he was heading. It smelled of danger, and he loved it.

Alef came to a half in front of a large gate locked up. Beyond the gate, was a small dirt path leading to something hidden by the wall. Buildrick’s head craned to see what lay beyond, as Alef unlocked the gate. “Apparently the Lyre of Ire that can summon monsters lies within this cave. I was told to get it to exchange for the Staff of Rain.”

The Staff of Rain, huh? It hadn’t been one of the items he had built, but he’d fought a giant condor for it with ballistas. What was there this time? He might still only have his cypress stick, but if he was fighting by Alef’s side, it felt like he’d be okay. Well- Alef had done 90% of the fighting. He had started to pick the fights, and then Alef finished them in one or two sword strokes. And Alef was an amazing fighter. Buildrick had so many materials he’d been forced to leave behind due to not enough room. Alef’s cuts were clean, and left behind plenty for him to harvest. Not that he was creeping on another mans goods- But Alef didn’t have a problem with it, and they made for some pretty delicious meals on the road.

“Sound like a pain.” Buildrick muttered, glancing into his bag. He had the cloth and branches to make a few torches.

Alef stopped abruptly, and Buildrick’s head hit his back. He held his forehead feeling a lump beginning to swell. He peeked around Aleb’s hack, who was holding out his hand as if to protect him. There was an old, wizened man standing at the entrance of a stone crypt. It was a little hard to see the man, but he leaned on his staff, staring at them.

His voice sounded slightly familiar in an annoying way as he said, “Know that no man hath ventured unto the grave of Galen and returned. Enter only if thou carest not for thy young life.”

And, he faded away. A ghost, and not the monster kind. Buildrick sighed. Ghosts were the worst. Cryptic, opinionated, and unyielding most of the time.

Alef glanced down at him, “Are you going to follow me in?”

“Sure am. When they say stuff like that, then it sounds like there’s something nice down there. Treasure chests full of goodies.”

Alef smiled at that- it was a different smile then the one he flashed the townspeople. A bit truer maybe, if he was the type to get philosophical. But he wasn’t. So he jabbed Alef in the side. Hard. “Warn me next time if you’re gonna stop like that.”

“Oh, sorry about that. One second.” Alef turned, gloved fingers touching the bruise on his forehead. Light sparked, and sank into his skin, smoothing away the bump.

No matter how many times he saw it, it was always a surprise to him. The only magic he’d seen before was that done through items or a bit via Gwaelin. Not people throwing actual fireballs, or magically healing. Then again, a lot had been lost. Buildrick wrinkled his nose, “Are you sure you should be using your precious magic like that? I’ve got healing cream you know.”

“Well, I did stop abruptly. Let’s go in, shall we?” Alef’s smile was soft and easygoing.

Buildrick nodded, unslinging his hammer. It made him slower, but with Alef around, if he could even get in a single hit in, be it sword or hammer, was a miracle. Alef glanced back to the crypt entrance, hesitating. “If you don’t want too-”

“I already said I was going.” Buildrick pointed out.

Alef nodded agreeably. Buildrick realized with a start, he’d probably slow down Alef. That may be the reason why he was trying to get him to stay behind. But- Buildrick didn’t really care too much. He did want to go in.

They descended down the stairs, Alef lifting a hand to cast a spell. Magic balls of light spun into being, casting a soft and gentle glow against the walls. It was much better then the harsh flickers of the torch light. Buildrick glanced around the stone walls. Whoever had made the tomb had done a very good job. Despite however many years had passed since its first construction, the tomb walls still held. And for a crypt, it was surprisingly wide and spacious. Big enough for a few people to be able to move around in, in a single corridor. One thing he’d noticed since coming to this world was that everyone was taller then him. Alef was even taller, but the crypt could comfortably fit him. Whoever had built it, had built it well. He could would be proud if anything he made lasted as long.

A skeleton rattled in the darkness. Buildrick turned towards the sound, on high alert. Alef glanced around. “It looks like a maze.”

Buildrick nodded. “Shall we smash our way through?”

“N-No, I don’t want to miss anything if we can help it. Plus, these stone walls are pretty solid.”

“You don’t think I can break down the walls, do you?” Buildrick questioned, a bit defensively. He may not be as good as Alef was at seemingly everything, but when it came to wrecking or building he was pretty good.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Alef said, with the same smile he always had. “I’m just worried about whether or not you’ll wear yourself out.”

Oh, if that was it, “It’ll be fine then. I’ve stayed awake tunneling for days in a row without sleeping. If it comes to bringing down walls, I can go for days.”

Alef was staring at him. The same stare others had when he mentioned going days without sleeping. But sleep was those things that just wasn’t needed when you could stuff your face with food instead. “I’ll keep that in mind if the maze gets too hard.”

Tch. That basically meant never, huh?

Buildrick nodded, as a skeleton came hurtling out of the darkness. It waved its rusty sword over its head as it approached, its bones rattling ominously.

They had been in this dark, damp crypt for several hours now. Buildrick shoveled the roasted meat into his face as Alef stared pensively around them. He slapped some gungerbread into Alef’s hands, which Alef nibbled on, eyes flickering back and forth.

At this point, he was lost. He had the feeling Alef wasn’t, and that he was being pretty methodical, but Yeah. After they went up and down different staircases to end up in the same place, Buildrick was starting to run out of patience. “Are you sure I can’t break down the walls?”

The monsters in the darkness stirred at his voice. A dracky fluttered out of the darkness, only to be cut down in a single swipe from Alef. Buildrick shut up, as Alef glanced down to him. There was always a surprising number of monsters wandering the crypt, even though there didn’t seem to be any food. Just dust and-

Alef pointed down a long, dark hallway. Buildrick nodded, shifting his grip on his hammer. He had the feeling there were stairs down that way, though he wasn’t certain. Alef led the way, sword glinting in the light like a river of silver slashing its way through the monsters. Buildrick guarded their back, heavy hammer coming down on the monsters that came hurtling in from behind.

They reached the stairs, proceeding downwards. Alef pointed up a dark path, taking a right at the fork. There was a huge pillar of white carved stone- he remembered it. Alef had stopped at the sight, and backtracked, but now they were going beyond it. Stairs dropped into the darkness. A new stair way huh? Buildrick slid his fingers across the smooth stone, idly wishing he could pick it up. But his bag was full.

Alef drove forward, sword cutting a Drackey fluttering up the stairs in half. Buildrick brought his hammer on the skeleton rushing in from behind. The deeper they went, the more monsters were gathering. They must be getting closer.

Alef continued pressing forward, the two of them sticking close to the wall. They rounded the corner, to yet another staircase tucked away. Alef seemed to of made his decision- which was good. Buildrick followed him up the stairs.

The floor suddenly became smooth, beautiful blue tiles glimmering in the light. There were no monsters in this room at first glance. But Buildrick could spot a small slime cowering behind the large tomb. A harp sat on top of the tomb.

That… was a harp he knew pretty well. He’d mended it after it was broken in half over a husband and wife’s upheld promise to murder the other if they turned to the monsters side. Buildrick stopped at the mouth of the tomb. The miners had asked him to repair it, and he’d left it on the ocean front, on a small tomb that had been carefully tended too despite its distance from Kol.

The harp looked like it should. A beautiful silver, the strings preserved with small notes of magic to never snap or need tuning. Alef reached out to the harp. The slime behind the tomb wobbled, before slinking further back. Had the two of them been friends long ago?

It didn’t matter. Alef had picked up the harp. Buildrick couldn’t see his face from here, but he was sure that there was relief in it. Well- That was good, right?

Alef turned, harp clutched in his hands. “Do you know how to play it?” Buildrick questioned.

“I-” Alef paused, coughing as he cleared out the dust from his throat. “I do. My guardians taught me how to do so.”

“Oh, then, when we get out of town, would you be willing to play it once for me?” Buildrick had never had a chance to hear it being played. The ghost wouldn’t play it for him, at least not in a way he could hear. Only Cecelia had heard the playing in her dreams.

“Oh? It’s said to summon monsters that will attack you.”

“Ah, that’s true.” Buildrick glanced to the slime hidden behind the tomb again. Alef blinked, and turned. The slime was still hidden, but- “Well, I wonder if they’re coming to attack or listen.”

Alef stepped forward, towards the slime that was hidden. His hand reached out, catching it before it could flee.

Immediately the slime burst into tears, wailing, “Please don’t kill me goomans! I haven’t been a bad slime at all! I’ve never attacked a human or anything!”

Buildrick shook his head, as he uneasily approached the tomb. Somehow it felt like it was calling to him, like it would be easy to go to sleep within it and just never- no. He reached out to grab the slime. “Stop crying. We’re not gonna murder you. Unless you give us a reason.”

Alef’s eyebrows twisted up. Oh, he didn’t agree huh?

The slime sniffled, looking up with huge pleading eyes. “Really? You sure are gener-ooze!”

Alef looked away, hand covering his mouth as if the puns were just barely beginning to hit him.

“So, did you know the guy in the tomb?”

“Yeah! Well, I say I knew him, but truthfully I never actually met him. But he would always play such beau-goo-ful music even when the sky was dark and Zoma ruled the lands. Monsters would hang around just outside of town to listen to him play.” The slime sighed, taken back to different times. “Even when it was dark as night no matter what, goomans make the prettiest things.”

“Mmm, so then when they say it summons monsters...”

“We just want to hear him play again! His descendants are pretty goo themselves, but not as goo as him! Maybe eventually there will be!”

Maybe not until Galileo. But- “I see.” Buildrick set down the slime. “Well, what will you be doing next then?”

“Hmmm, I guess since the Dragon Lord is in charge, I’ll stay here just bit longer. I don’t really want to fight the goomans, and get splatted.”

“Then bye. Ready Alef?”

“Indeed. Though, I do have one question. Why won’t you fight against the goo- er- humans? Isn’t the Dragon Lord the King of monsters?” Alef seemed genuinely curious, but the slime looked about as confused as Buildrick felt.

“Why? Well, I like Goomans. And you can’t help what you like, right?”

Buildrick nodded in time to the slime. It was simple- one likes what one likes, be it human or monster. Alef turned to Buildrick, extending out a hand. “Shall we leave in a hurry? I don’t feel like fighting my way back through the monsters.”

Buildrick took his hand. A new magic? Not one he could duplicate, he didn’t think, since otherwise he’d hit his head on the ceiling.

The magic faded away, leaving them at the entrance of the crypt. Buildrick tilted his head back, staring at the clouded gray sky. Alef let go of his hand, but didn’t make to go back to the main part of town where they could see lights flickering in the darkness. When the sun was back, and there were stars- he wanted to see them.

“I want to see the stars.” Buildrick grumbled. He looked down the small path that had led them to the crypt. There was no sign of the ghost.

Alef didn’t say anything, as they slowly went back to town.

Chapter Text

The snow was deep, and very thick. Alef stared out across the snow field, contemplating timing. If he was alone, he would’ve been able to grab the harp and get out before the snow piled up so far. But going with Buildrick had thrown off his timing and now they were getting buried in the snow.

A face appeared in the corner of his eye, as Buildrick glanced out the window himself. “Oh, snow. Hmm. Do you get cold easily?”

“A little bit, but not much.”

He disliked the cold like he did burning heat. It didn’t register much, other then the fact that it would be hard to walk through. Especially with so many paths closed down.

Buildrick glanced back outside, shading his eyes, muttering something to himself. His eyes were growing a bit more unfocused by the moment. The way they did when he was considering something and how best to work with it. “Would a heavier cloak slow you down?”

“No, not at all. But hammerhood fur isn’t that warming I don’t think.” Alef replied, curious as to what could be happening now.

“No, but I think I see Powie Yowies in the snow, and their fur is really good.” Buildrick slid down from the window seat, reaching for his bag he’d left on top of the bed. “It won’t be much, but if we line your cloak with it, it’ll be warmer. Lesse- what do I have to toss out-” Buildrick started muttering as he shifted through his bag. “Be better if I could make the giant chest, but there’s nowhere to put it… Hmm...”

A stack of healing creams was tossed out to the side. Alef could well sympathize. His own bag kept getting fuller and fuller, and he’d been forced to leave plenty behind himself. “I got medical leaves, so that’ll make things easier. But still- I wanna gather silver and rubies and-” Buildrick’s grumbles in the morning was something Alef was rather used to now. It may of only been a few days of traveling together, but somehow things clicked. Buildrick was pretty self-sufficient, and if anything, Alef was the one mooching off of his skills. Battling monsters was a skill most people hand. Being able to build a house from nothing but dirt on the other hand-

“Are you ready?” Alef questioned, as Buildrick pulled out the seed he had received yesterday. He’d probably eat it and then they’d at least have a few spaces clear.

“Ah, here.” Buildrick tossed the seed towards him. “You can eat this.”

“Oh? Are you sure?” Alef caught it easily.

Buildrick nodded, in the way that indicated he was actually certain. Alef couldn’t understand Buildrick’s train of thought, but none-the-less, he popped the seed into his mouth. He felt the tiny burst of magic strengthening him, before it faded. It didn’t disappear though.

Buildrick stood up, slinging his bag around his waist. Alef picked up his own bag. He had been tasked with one quest and one quest only- Kill the Dragon Lord. But somehow, it felt like he suddenly sidestepped into a whole different adventure. One where he was being asked to do- side-quests was probably the correct word for it.

His guardians had been very particular that he wasn’t to get distracted from his solemn duty. But Buildrick was fascinating, and always ready to pull out something new. Alef just… couldn’t help it. Surely his ancestors would forgive him, right?

They proceeded to the stairs of the inn- almost for Buildrick to immediately be seized by the arm, as a woman's voice pipped up, “There you are Buildrick!”

The woman from yesterday. Alef hesitated to reach out. “Oh? What do you need?” Buildrick questioned, face questioning. At least, he’s pretty sure it’s questioning. He was getting better at reading Buildrick’s expressions.

“Ah, you were able to make that table yesterday, and you said you were a Builder right? So I was wondering- my Cousin-in-law runs the item bank in town. He had to shut down though because monsters destroyed the chest, but I was talking with him, and we thought you might be able to repair it.”

Alef glanced down at Buildrick who did look rather interested. “Sounds interesting. No promises, but I can try. But in exchange do you think he’ll lend me space?”

“Oh, probably! I don’t see why not at the very least. If you do fix it, I’ll convince him somehow, so don’t worry about it.” She flashed them a big smile as she pulled up her cape hood. “Follow me!”

Alef followed after, feeling a bit off kilter for some reason. This was the first time he’d been with Buildrick in town, when he wasn’t being mobbed. With the snow falling, most of the villagers were staying in until the sun could melt off some of it.

The building was tucked away, not on the main street. Alef glanced around, as they proceeded into the building. The shoopkeep was wringing his hands as he watched them enter. “Is this the man you were talking about? He doesn’t look capable.”

“Neither do you, so that makes us even.” Buildrick fired back, hopping over the counter. Alef could see a humongous chest in the backroom. Its top had been smashed in. Probably monsters- Drackeys maybe? The wood was singed, like it had been set on fire.

Buildrick regarded the chest. “Hmmm, looks like it got smashed pretty thoroughly. Did you get drunk or something?”

“N-No- It was monsters.”

Buildricks glance at the shopkeep could curdle milk. Had the shopkeep destroyed it himself? Or someone he knew- either way Buildrick didn’t seem convinced that it was a monster. And since Buildrick had talked to a slime, and the slime talked back instead of immediately attacking, Alef was going to believe in Buildrick.

Buildrick circled the chest, running his fingers along smashed and singed wood. “I can’t repair it, but I do know how to make a new one. And it looks like the inner magical item to link it with the other chests missed being destroyed completely, so we should be able to get it up and running.”

“You? I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Alright, it’s a deal. In exchange, when I do make it, you have to agree to having two more coffers hooked up in here.”

“Hah! Very well then. It’s a deal!”

Buildrick nodded, pulling out the builders table from his bag. Alef leaned against the wall, watching as Buildrick piled on wood, fur, and- “Ah, I need clay to make a pot.” Buildrick muttered, before his eyes fell on the empty pots lining the walls.

“Wait! Now wait just a minute!” The shopkeep started, only to fall silent as his cousin-in-law elbowed him hard in the side. Buildrick tossed a pot on the table, and it shrunk to miniature size. Then, he stood in front of the table, fingers tapping against it thoughtfully. The magic simmering in the table wasn’t something Alef could sense, but he would guess it was warming up. Then, Buildrick started to Build.

It was hard to explain. He’d seen Buildrick at work while out in the forest leading up to Galenholm, making some amazing things even on flat tree stumps. But this- there was magic twisting in the air, as Buildrick turned over the item in his hand, making it in miniature.

Like this, he looked truly content and happy. Stress and pain lines eased, his entire being focused on the task before him. Alef was a little envious. His guardians had told him, over and over, through the long cold nights they made him sit outside with no cover that he had to focus on his task and all else would fall away. At the time, he had thought they were lying. Alef had faked it successfully, by plastering a smile on his face, and doing whatever he could to mitigate being locked outside when the snow started falling. But Buildrick could actually do it.

Buildrick looked up, zeroing in on where he wanted the chest. There was a loud thud as the chest was placed down. Buildrick reached into the wreckage of the broken chest, pulling out the magical amulet, and clambered up onto the giant coffer. He set the amulet in.

The chest filled with items immediately, in-fact, even spilling out over the lid of the opened chest. Buildrick sat down on the lip, looking down at the shopkeep. “So then, about that space.”

The shopkeep went bright red as the woman giggled. “I told you Buildrick could do it!”

“Yes, yes. So- I just have to hold onto your chests then? Well, now that I’m back in business, that will be no problem!” He chuckled as he rubbed his hands together greedily. “Go ahead and make them then!”

“Yeah, I need some more stuff first.” Buildrick said after a second.

Alef got the distinct feeling Buildrick didn’t trust the man at all.

The shopkeep chuckled, visions of wealth already dancing in his head. Buildrick stuffed his table back into his bag, and glanced at Alef. They left by the front door, the woman not far behind them. “Sorry about him, I know he can be like that sometimes. But he doesn’t mean badly. I’ll make sure he clears up the space to put in your own personal ones, so come back in about an hour.”

“Okay.”

They parted- the woman going back in, and Buildrick glancing towards the snow-covered mountains. He didn’t explain himself, but started trotting off in that direction immediately. Alef followed along, a soft noise of amazement breaking out from him as Buildrick cleared the snow in just a few hammer sweeps.

The mountains rose, cold and tall- normally, Alef wouldn’t risk crossing them. It was easier to go around them, and he wasn’t nearly as light on his feet as Buildrick was. And Buildrick wasn’t that much lighter. But he carved his own steps into the mountain side, steady as a goat in his space. Alef on the other hand- he had never really thought of his height as a bad thing, but it was here and now.

There were a few monsters he’d never seen out wandering the snow fields. White, fluffy monsters, and flickering blue flames that danced on the ice fields. Buildrick avoided the blue flames, automatically. Instead, he burrowed. The tunnels were too cramped for Alef, so he found himself waiting outside, hand on his sword and fending off monsters that approached.

Buildrick came back out, holding a few pieces of coal in his hand. “One sec. I need to construct some stuff.”

Wood and stone slammed down in a mismatch pattern, blocking them from monsters view. Alef sheathed his sword as the door slammed into place. Buildrick shoved his builders table in a corner, muttering as he pulled out stone, coal and iron. Alef watched him build a furnace, and stick it in, before pausing and making- a padded chair. “I’ll be back out again in a minute. If you wanna sit down. Ah, wait-”

A table and a plate full of the slime-shaped cookies were placed in front of him.

Then, Buildrick dove in again.

Alef had nothing to do, other then stare around the mismatched walls, fidgeting. His guardians words rose in his mind. Never wait, always keep fighting and training. He wanted to sit, maybe relax for a minute or two but-

Guilt weighed in on his mind. With a sigh, he exited out the door. One hour, he’d go fight monsters. After that, he’d rest. That’s what he promised himself. Anything to shut up the voices inside of his head, whispering about how he was slacking in his duty.

He wasn’t really all that good at gathering materials like Buildrick was, though he could dispatch the monsters with ease. With every fight, he could feel himself growing stronger.

The cold was truly miserable, was the nagging thought at the back of his mind. The furnace Buildrick had left behind was nice and warm- warm enough he could understand why no one in Galenholm wanted to go hunting the Dragon Lord. With a sigh, he gave up on hunting.

He wasn’t able to focus.

The room, even without a roof, was cozy next to the furnace. Without even realizing it, Alef found himself dozing off once again.

The figure before him was tall- towering. Vaguely humanoid, with deep blue skin. Large black horns curled up around the creatures head. It leaned against the arm of its throne, golden eyes looking amused. “So you’ve returned already after crushing the town?”

Somehow, he was smiling. It was a bright, happy smile, one from the bottom of his heart. After the pain, the sorrow, he was free of everything. He could hide if he wanted, but really- all he wanted was to make sure no one would ever disturb him again.

“I have indeed.”

The Dragon Lord reached out, and he came closer. Death, life, he left it all in the Dragon Lord’s hands now. But, it was healing magic that flowed through the wooden scepter. Alef’s smile didn’t waver, as he stood by the Dragon Lord’s side. “What an interesting one you are, oh Hero. You could have had everything.”

Was this not everything he wanted? To finally not be alone? Never-mind that. Instead-

“Alef.”

Alef’s eyes snapped open at Buildrick’s worried tone. Buildrick’s face was only mere inches away. Alef caught his breath. The dream… nightmare?… was beginning to fade already.

“Buildrick. Are you all done?” His smile was still on he was certain.

Buildrick nodded, turning away. “Yeah, I made us each a coffer that will attach to our bags and can be locked. I don’t trust that guy at all.”

“You neither huh?” Alef stood up, gripping the table to force his hands stop trembling. He stood up. It was better to get his body moving, then thinking. His guardians had told him so many times.

“Nope.” Buildrick glanced towards him, eyeing him. Then, he slapped a stack full of medicinal herbs into Alef’s hand. Alef blinked, as Buildrick attempted to loom over him.

“I- I don’t feel poorly. So- I will be quite alright.”

Buildrick tapped his cheek, before pointing at Alef. “Oh, I have a cut?” He touched his cheek, and came away with blood. “Interesting! I never realized it. Alright then, I’ll eat it.”

Buildrick didn’t budge until he saw Alef actually put the leaf in his mouth. Then, satisfied, he picked up his Builders Table. It shrank, fitting into his bag. No matter how many times Alef saw it, he couldn’t help but marvel at it.

“Are you all set here?”

Buildrick nodded.

The walk back to Galenholm was short. The path was still mostly clear, with only the slightest dusting of snow from the earlier snowfall. The shopkeep, as promised, had managed to tidy up the wood. But it looked mostly like the woman's doing. She dusted off her hands as she threw the last of the broken wood out of the room, to be broken into kindling. “Buildrick! Mr. Hero!”

“We’re back.”

“Just in time! I was going to break all of this into kindling and get started on lunch. Will you two be staying?”

Buildrick glanced up at him. Alef shook his head. “We are running a bit behind. And I don’t want to get snowed in any further.”

Buildrick nodded agreeably. The woman smiled brightly at the two of them, before turning back. “Alright, let’s get you guys settled so you can leave!”

She turned, throwing open the door. The shopkeep was already knee deep in villagers looking to pick up stuff that their families had sent them- even a few other shopkeeps looking to find things to sell, Alef thought. People bustled back and forth, as they slipped past the group, into the quieter back room.

Buildrick set two coffers down- a bit smaller then the one he had originally built. “Here, take this.”

Another coffer? Alef took it, noticing the heavy weight of it. “I’m pretty sure the coffers will stretch a good distance, but just in case it doesn’t, I made it like the one here. This second one will link up and should give you enough distance. Also, this is the key to the box, in case you have to come back.”

Buildrick had gone above and beyond. Alef took the key, glancing to the box. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, I dunno how long we’ll stick together since I always get distracted by something. But, you’ve really helped out, so I figure it’s the least I could do.”

“Yes… I understand.” Buildrick would probably split off then, and was just repaying him. It… was a little- a lot- like sinking into darkness at the idea of traveling alone once more.

“So, where are we going next?” Buildrick questioned, as they crossed the crowded room.

“I- I was going to go back to the castle. Now that I have these magic keys, I can retrieve the sun stone. And then head back in the direction of Kol and Rimuldar.”

Buildrick nodded, eyes sliding to the bustling street. The air was much lighter, as people skipped along the streets. Even though the sky was dark- “Oh, Mr. Hero! I heard you and your companion repaired our coffer! Thank you ever so much! We were getting worried about how much food would be left if the southern lands remained closed off!”

Buildrick pulled a dry, wry face. “My name is Buildrick.”

“Oh! Oh! Buildrick eh? You’re rather… short, aren’t you?” One voice pipped up. There was jealousy written in his face- over what? Alef was uncertain as he watched the crowd roll their eyes.

Buildricks face was the same as when the shopkeep claimed that it was monsters that had destroyed the coffer. “Better then being as tall as you are and being unable to fit into caves.”

“No, but aren’t you a bit too short? You’re shorter then most women.” The man objected, calmly, like he wasn’t insulting another human directly to their face.

Buildrick crossed his arms, staring at the man. Alef couldn’t see his breath in the cold, though the other man was certainly releasing a few clouds. That wasn’t something he was going to think about. He didn’t want to think about it.

“I could pick you up. Just because I’m short, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Hah! I’d like to see you try!”

Buildrick jammed his elbow into the mans midriff, doubling him over. He reached out with his other arm, lifting the other man up as easily as if he were lifting a sack of grain. A whistle sounded out from the small, knotted crowd.

“You sure got shown, Giovani! Buildrick eh? I’ll remember that!” A man in the yellow mask was roaring in laughter.

“P-Put me down! I get it! I was in the wrong. Sweet Goddess Rubiss, I wasn’t expecting you to be that strong.”

Alef watched, as Giovani was dropped like a rock. The difference in care from the gathered townsfolk was staggering. A stranger came in, and they picked a fight? Just because Buildrick didn’t look quite right? Except- hands reached out patting Buildrick on the back the way they wouldn’t for him. A few people chuckled as they nudged Alef too, caught up in the fervor of the knot around Buildrick. Buildrick fired off short, to the point sentences that were grating and rude, but they howled with laughter, and shook off the rudeness with a joy Alef had not seen before. Buildrick stomped towards the entrance once he had enough. Then the crowd scattered in little groups now that the entertainment was over.

Buildrick stopped just out of town, head turning to him. The dark blue eyes had small flecks of gray in them, but seemed to be weighing his very soul. They left town, with only a single thought on Alef’s mind.

Buildrick probably wasn’t human. The slime in Galeleo’s tomb had been the first to tip him in that direction, and then just little things were slowly building up to Buildrick not being quite right. The dreams, all in the same vein about the same thing that had started since Buildrick arrived. The breath not showing in the cold air. The sheer rudeness that wouldn’t normally be tolerated (right?). Even so, in this exact moment, Alef knew one thing, and one thing only.

If the Dragon Lord asked him to come to it’s side, he would say yes without hesitation.

Anything to stay with Buildrick.

Chapter Text

Tagenteal was bustling.

Buildrick shaded his eyes as he stared down the hills towards the city. Grass and flowers waved in the wind. They were a few days late from when Alef had planned. He’d attempted to stay mostly on track. Alef was interesting, and seemed to have a good idea of how to get to the Dragon Lord’s castle. And Buildrick wanted to clear the Dragon Lord out of the way. He was the type that held grudges.

Alef was hesitating, glancing around the area. There wasn’t really much other then slimes though, Buildrick thought. It was almost as if Alef didn’t want to go into town, but Buildrick didn’t see why not. Towns were still a bit new to him- especially ones with homes that weren’t built by him, and him alone.

Different architectures piled next to each other spoke of a long history that hadn’t been wiped out yet. Even from here, he could tell there were plenty of requests to make things floating around the town. Houses whose foundations were giving in. Those who wanted a new recipe. Those who wanted to open up a store-

Buildrick had seen plenty in Galenholm, but Alef had been anxious to get in and out as fast as possible. It was looking like it would be the same now. Buildrick sighed, reaching into his bag.

Alef was thinking something over, so he was going to keep his hands busy. All he needed was a mostly flat surface to bind medicinal leaves together. And it was always needed. Alef, for some reason, seemed to be hesitating in fights after Galenholm. Buildrick didn’t really understand it.

A slime bounced closer, peeking over the stump to look at him binding the medicinal leaves together. Buildrick eyed it for a second. But it didn’t seem to be hostile. Without thinking about it, Buildrick broke a gungerbread in half, holding out the other half to the slime. The slime slurped it up, burbling in its own language. Interesting. Most of the monsters knew the human language to some degree.

Buildrick turned back to the medical herbs- only for it to get licked up out of his hands. “Oi you.”

Alef flinched, whirling around. The slime grinned at him, a huge, dopey grin as it warbled. And then it slurped up even more of the medical leaves, to bound away. Buildrick wondered if he should chase after it. There were plenty of bushes to make more medicinal leaves from.

Alef approached quickly, eyes on the slime that had left. “Is that okay?”

“They’re eaten now. Well, there’s more where that came from.”

Alef nodded, glancing back down to town. He sighed, so soft Buildrick almost missed it. “I suppose we should head into the castle.”

“What’s there that you need?”

“I heard a sage is hidden there, protecting the Sun Stone. But the hard part will be finding it. I was just thinking about where it could be hidden around the castle.”

Secret locations in the castle? He hadn’t seen that. Buildrick glanced at the castle a bit more eagerly. “Secret passageways huh? I like puzzles.”

“Oh good!” Alef honestly sounded relieved. “Then we can look together.”

Buildrick nodded, as they slowly began picking their way down to the castle and town. Like this, Buildrick could see a small path leading from the castle to the city. And claw marks on the castle walls. From when the Princess got kidnapped? Buildrick squinted at the marks, picking up the pace a bit. The marks were large- but not as large as the Dragonlord. Big enough for a different dragon perhaps though.

They stepped into town- only for Alef to be immediately mobbed once again. Buildrick stopped, glancing back as Alef was surrounded in seconds. He was smiling, chatting comfortably with the townsfolk. Buildrick hummed to himself, glancing back up at the castle. It was repairable, but not easily. They’d have to demolish a whole wall and re-mortar the whole thing. And the foundations might be cracked-

He tipped backwards as a hand grabbed his bag and tugged. Someone didn’t know it was tied to his waist, and tried to steal it. Buildrick stumbled, before stopping, yanking on his bag. The kid let go immediately, running to mix in with the crowds immediately. The child was gone within seconds, before Buildrick really had a chance to think.

Well then. Buildrick glanced around the bustling crowds. He could see a few cruel smiles covered up quickly. He wasn’t exactly used to crowds. But, he was used to the suspicious, contemplative looks. He’d managed to win over ‘towns’ before, but it wasn’t anything like this.

Buildrick gave up on ruminating about it. Instead he glanced back up to the castle, mind filling with the repair job and the materials needed. “Are you okay? I heard that you were targeted by a thief.”

Oh? He recognized that voice. That was Launce. Buildrick turned to the soldier, one hand lifting in a slight hello. Launce’s mouth was puckered into a frown, as he glanced around the city square. “Truly, that thief has been a vexing thorn in our side. Do you have everything?”

Buildrick nodded casually, head tilting towards Launce curiously. Launce had, like every other guard, told him he wasn’t capable of bringing down the Dragon Lord. But here, instead of a half-drawn face full of untold sorrow, he seemed much more lively. There was a wry smile on his face as he turned back to Buildrick. “I hear you are the one traveling with… the Hero?”

There was a note of hesitance at the last part. Launce hadn’t believed in heroes in the wasteland Buildrick had met him in. So he wasn’t surprised when Launce’s voice dropped, softer, eyes on Alef beginning to disentangle himself from the townsfolk. “You should not travel with him. The onerous duty of defeating the Dragon Lord is not for one such as you. Your blood will be shed and your body ravaged. The same as the rest.”

Oh, that’s right. Launce may of never met the Dragon Lord directly, but Launce did know. He had seen plenty of friends and coworkers fall to the Dragon Lord. Buildrick shook his head. He knew he didn’t have much time left. The pain was manageable, but constant.

That was why, he chose the path he did. “I know. But waiting for a hero isn’t my style.”

Launce sighed, deep and heavy. “Somehow, I had the feeling you’d say such a thing. Have… we met before? You seem familiar to me. Though your face seems rather unforgettable.”

“We have.” Buildrick agreed simply. He wasn’t sure what was going on either, whether it was time travel or simply another dimension. But, if Launce was going to make things easier, then Buildrick wouldn’t talk about timing.

Alef approached, smile looking a bit more strained then usual. “Buildrick. I apologize for the hold up- ah.”

Launce flushed, bowing his head low. “I will leave you two to your duties.”

“Oh, Launce- do you know of any secret passages at the castle?”

“Secret passages? Hmmm, I must say, not off the top of my head. But, if we’re talking about secret passages, then I suspect Trystian mayhap have more answers for you. He guards the treasure room generally speaking.”

Trystian, huh? That was interesting. Somehow, it felt a bit like fate. Buildrick nodded, glancing back up to the castle and it’s broken room. “Is something the matter Buildrick?” Alef questioned, closer then expected. Buildrick nearly jumped, but strangled the impulse down.

“No. I was just thinking about how much it would take to repair that tower.”

Launce wasn’t actually leaving very fast. “Ah. There was a missive sent out to get it repaired, but none have been able to answer yet. With many roads being closed, and travel being hard to maintain, no castle builders can work on it for yet a few years. Alas, even when the Princess is rescued, she will not be able to return to her own room. But- Somehow I get the feeling you might be able to repair it?”

“I could.” Buildrick agreed.

Launce’s mouth opened, when Alef interrupted, “How long do you think it would take you?”

“Just a day or two. If we gotta get moving, we can. I was just thinking that if the princess is rescued it’d be nicer to have an actual bedroom then a slapped together basement room.”

Queen- well, princess for now- Gwaelin had been fairly kind to him. In that she never called his face a potato. Alef had been the kind as he didn’t say the thoughts out-loud when he first saw him.

“Very well then, if you really can repair the Princesses bedroom- and reinforce it so next time this doesn’t happen, we’ll be sure to get you a reward. The King has proffered eighty thousand gold coins to those who would repair it, and I’m certain we can scrounge up a bit more if you get it done faster.”

Launce’s smile was far brighter then the hollow one that flickered and fell in the wasteland. Buildrick hummed noncommittally. Alef seemed on edge about something, and while he had the itch to build- “It may be safer to keep her room on ground level for now.”

“Ah. Indeed, you may be right in that.” Launce mulled it over, fingers tapping on the spear he held. “Well, Buildrick, thank you for your thoughts. But do keep your wits about you. I suspect you have several things that should not fall into the hands of ordinary, petty thieves.”

Launce continued on his rounds, and Buildrick craned his head to look at Alef looming over him. “So. Did you get your chitchatting done?”

“Yes. That was...”

“Ah, sorry. Usually everyone introduces themselves over my head. That was Launce. We met once. But it looks like he’s forgotten me. Still, looks like we got some good info.”

“Trystian- do you know him as well?” Alef wasn’t budging, for some reason.

“Yeah, I met him once same as Launce. Wouldn't be surprised if he forgot me as well. They were both kinda airheads. I didn’t think I’d ever run into them again. But if it’s Trystian, then I’ll recognize him when I see him. So then, where do you wanna go?”

“Well- I was thinking that we could spend a good part of the day finding the secret room and then stay the night at the inn.”

Ohhh, that didn’t sound too bad. “Then, shall we go to the castle?”

“Y-Yeah.” Alef’s smile wasn’t quite the same. Puzzled, Buildrick reached out to grab him by the arm. He pulled down easily, until Alef’s face was only a few inches away. He could see a few woman stopping, disapproval written all over their faces.

Buildrick stared at him, contemplating. He may not be as good as Ellie at healing the sick, but he was well versed in figuring out whether or not someone had something they wanted to ask him. And there was a desire unfulfilled all over Alef’s face. He was no mind reader though. “I can’t do what you want if you don’t say it.”

“I- Excuse-”

“I can’t read minds. So you’ll have to tell me when you want something.” Buildrick repeated. He didn’t understand why Alef hadn’t yet. He’d guessed, and built a lot of different things. But none of them satisfied Alef. And it burned at him.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Alef demurred. Hmmm. Well, Buildrick hadn’t really had a chance to show off his skills it felt like. Most of the stuff he built were small, more common everyday items. Not the more fantastical things he had built.

“Well, just keep in mind that if you want me to make something, all you have to do is ask.”

Buildrick released Alef’s arm. Alef straightened, smile still on his face. “I understand. Shall we get going to the castle? Or do you need to meet with anyone else and I can go on alone?”

“The only other person I know around here in this town is Trystian.” Buildrick stated plainly. Not even Mrytle had been born yet. “And he might know where this sage is.”

The houses gave way to a long, wooded path, carefully tended to and patrolled. The only thing within it were slimes that had slipped past the guards. Alef dealt with them far faster then Buildrick could even see them generally, until they arrived at the castle entrance.

Buildrick had to say- he was a bit disappointed. The guards and the Queen had talked about the castle in dreamy tones. Of awe-inspiring spires, and sturdy walls. It was built solidly, but it felt… not that great. Maybe since he wasn’t the one who built it?

The moat around the castle lapped against the ‘shore’. It was rough, but good enough to keep out all but the biggest of monsters.

The Guards remained still as Alef and Buildrick passed them, eyeing them pensively. Buildrick continued on, keeping pace with Alef as they entered the castle.

The maids bustled too and fro, in clothes he’d never seen before. The soldiers stood in little patches, discussing things in low voices. He could hear a few whispers but nothing concrete. Buildrick glanced around- most of the people around him were content. They didn’t need anything. But, there was one lone soldier in the corner, looking worried and distressed.

“Yo. Do you know where Trystian is?”

The soldier jumped ins surprise. “Oh- Oh sweet goddess! I thought you were the commander!”

“Nope. But I’m looking for Trystian, Launce said he’d be guarding the Treasury today.”

“Ah, yes well- I’m not supposed to take random people to the treasury.”

Buildrick nodded, it made sense however - “I just need to talk to him. You sure we can’t even meet him outside of the treasury?”

“Well, if it’s outside- no, no, no. I couldn’t-”

“Even if I fix your spear?”

The mans mouth opened, and closed. “Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt. You won’t be actually going into the treasury, and I’d rather not get yelled at again by the Commander.” The man muttered to himself before, “Very well then. But I want it fixed before-”

Buildrick pulled out a spear from his bag, enjoying with a smug look the soldiers surprised face. “You really are quite good. Then again, I suppose if Commander Launce said you were, then you would be.”

Launce was a commander? “Don’t give me that look! I know he doesn’t seem like it since he does town patrols, but he’s well-beloved by the townsfolk you know.”

“I can believe it. He told me not to risk my life.”

“Somehow, I get the feeling you did so anyways.” Alef murmured softly to himself.

Buildrick nodded. “I sure did. And I got out of it alive. But he is very concerned about things that I won’t back down from.”

The man patted Alef’s arm, saying with all due care and respect, “You’re having a hard time of it, eh? Taking care of this one.”

“Oi. I can take care of myself you know. Also, I wanna meet with Trystian.”

“Yes, yes.” The soldier sighed, as he took his new spear in hand. “I will take you to meet him. Don’t say anything too rude now.”

“Only if he doesn’t say anything rude first.”

The guard opened a locked door with a single touch. Magic doors that only unlocked for those keyed to it, huh? Interesting, interesting. They walked down a long corridor, winding and twisting past maids, butlers, and various other servants. They came to a stop before a large door, securely locked.

The soldier cracked it open, “Trystain, I brought-” He hesitated, glancing back at Buildrick.

“Buildrick.”

“I brought a lad named Buildrick and the Hero Alef to come see you.”

“Why would you bring them to a treasury?!” Trystain’s voice was the same as ever. Biting and yet softly scolding. “My god, Alef and Buildrick? Never have I heard those names before-”

Buildrick elbowed the soldier to the side, sticking his head around the door. “Launce said you had information I wanted.”

Trystain’s face was like he’d been hit by a lightning bolt. “Y-You! I know you! But where?” Trystain marched towards him, and reaching out to drag the luckless soldier into the treasury. “You guard the place. If your commander has any complaints, have him take it up with me.”

“Yessir!”

“And don’t think just because you got that spear replaced you’re off the hook for breaking the old one!” Trystain closed the door behind him, before turning to the two men standing in the hallway. “Now. Speak up Buildrick. Where have we met before?”

“Here in this castle.” Better to keep to the truth.

Trystian’s scowl deepened. “This castle? But… if so then I would have noticed you surely. Magic? But when I look at you I don’t think you mean any harm.”

Buildrick crossed his arms, “If you keep fussing over this, the day will end. Launce said you might know something about the Sage’s secret hidden passageway?”

“Indeed I know of it. It’s a well kept secret only meant for those who deserve it. Or can figure it out on their own. It is meant… to be a test of sorts.”

Oh? That was interesting. Trystian hadn’t been like that in the future. Maybe because he watched everyone he loved die? “Yeah? Test for what?”

“Strength… perhaps. I have watched far too many men claiming to be the hero come, and die. And every time they keep getting younger. I cannot bring myself to agree with the Kings decision. And yet, here I am. Guarding a practically empty Treasury as others go out to fight. It’s not… the place of these young men misled into thinking they were the Hero only to die. There are plenty more who give up, and I’m grateful that they did so.”

Ohhh, was that why Trystain had said there was no shame in ending his adventures early?

Still, even so, “If nobody does anything, then won’t the world stay dark? I’m really sick and tired of that. I want to see the sun rise.”

Trystain looked rather conflicted for a moment. “You do speak the truth. If no one steps up, then nothing will change and the Dragon Lord will win. But even so, it may be selfish of me, but I do not wish to see any more companions die. Or any more young men with dreams of becoming a hero become naught but piled bones. Forgive me, sir Hero, but I say it with great conviction, if you continue on, you will probably die.”

Alef was staring at Trystain. “I don’t plan on dying. I will continue on with my duty for now.”

“No one ever does.” Trystain muttered to himself, before sighing. “Still, I see that I cannot dissuade you. Very well then. I shall give you a hint, but no more. The Great Sage lives beneath the castle, but does not leave his rooms. Instead, one of his descendants brings him food each day.”

Alef nodded seriously, fully into the whole puzzle solving aspect. Buildrick gently jabbed Trystain in the side. “You sure you won’t take us to see the Sage? I can do all kinds of things in return you know.”

“I know it, Buildrick.” Tristian sounded very sincere, “But even so, the thought of helping you any further on this foolish mission makes me wish to cry.”

How rude. Buildrick huffed. “No matter how many times you tell me to stop, I won’t.”

“I know, but this my only way of putting down my own foot. Buildrick. Hero Alef. Please, return here when the going is too rough, and lay down your burden. It may be only me, but I shall never think lesser of you.”

Trystain swung open the treasury door, and shut it behind him. He was much better at ending conversations then Launce was.

Buildrick sighed, loudly. “This guy. He never listens.”

“He is not wrong however. You could stop if you wanted.” Alef’s eyes were kind, as he glanced down at Buildrick. Buildrick shot his most sour look he could muster back. Alef smothered a laugh, “Very well then, I will not speak any more of it. I am happy to have your companionship on my journey, for however long it might last.”

“Oh boy, then I guess we’ll travel together until you get sick of me or one of us dies.” Buildrick glanced around the castle, thinking it over. “Lesse, a family member brings the sage food, huh? Then- Off to the kitchens.”

Chapter Text

Alef wondered if he just sat down and refused to move, if Buildrick would let him. They had been running up and down the castle, through doors Alef hadn’t even known existed. Squeezing into servant halls so tiny and narrow that Alef pretty much had to crawl to fit in, on what seemed like an endless series of wild goose chases. First had been the kitchen, busily preparing food for the soldiers and the King. The ladies in charge had been quiet until Buildrick repaired several of their best frying pans- suddenly they knew of several maids and butlers who were always sneaking around the castle.

Each maid and butler were tracked down swiftly, and each one of them had a dry insult for Buildrick. Buildrick fired back, and suddenly- they were friends? Alef was pretty certain the one time as a child he tried to play with the other kids, he’d sent them home crying even without insulting them. And no one had ever really insulted him since, except saying they didn’t believe he was the hero’s descendant. Which, well, was fair.

At the very least, being in the castle and not in the town meant he could avoid his guardian for a little longer.

Buildrick and the maid stared at each other, Buildrick’s arms crossed. The maid humphed loudly, looking away. “Even if I did know where the secret passage was, why would I ever tell you?”

“I’m not asking for free just so you know.”

“Yes, yes, I heard, I heard. You’ve fixed up the kitchen tools which made the chefs so happy they’re considering making a ice sculpture in your honor, you’ve fixed the stairs in the back servant hallways so no one will get injured when waiting on the Lady Gala again- I’ve heard it all. But even so- I can’t give away the secret to someone who looks as half-baked as you!”

“Big words from the one standing in the Princess’s destroyed bedroom trying to nick the sheets.”

She flushed so bright red, Alef thought she might actually attack Buildrick. Immediately he was on guard, hand gripping his shield tighter. He wasn't ready yet to kill a human being but-

“Not a single one of you understand. Not a single one of you. The Soldiers, the townsfolk, the sage that I have to care for, the King worst of all. Who, after being stolen out of their own bedroom and watching the slaughter of the guards while doing so. could willingly return to such a room? And yet, the only talk is of restoring it, instead of making it not the same, or moving it, no matter how much I plead and beg. Look at this room, the long claw marks in the stone, the bed pole snapped in half- no matter how carefully anyone repairs it, it will still be visible. It won’t ever be safe for her.”

The woman looked away, hands balled into fists. “Even if I’ll be thrown out of the castle, and my sacred duty is brought to an end, I cannot stand for this. But very well then. I will make you a deal. If you look the other way, then I will tell you where the sage lives.”

What a terrible way to find the Sages location. Alef honestly would prefer searching for it himself. But Buildrick was digging his heels in, considering it over. His eyes were clouded over, thinking about the things that could be done. The way his eyes clouded over in Galenholm, when making a new chest. The way they clouded over when carefully sewing the Powie-Yowie fur into his cloak to keep Alef warm in the long night chill. It was the look of someone thinking, puzzling out a way to fix, change, and create.

“What if I… What if I made the room different instead? Will you take Alef to the Sage?”

“What… do you mean by that?”

“I can’t promise it’ll be any safer. But, I can change the room. Blue and white castle tiles instead of the plain. Or purple. I can easily get my hands on either of those colors. Any other colors would be rough. The fireplace can be redone, and the bed can be made of pine wood instead of plumberry. There’s a lot of little changes, that could build up.”

“I- You would be willing to do that?” The woman's voice was trembling.

Alef had never seen hope come alive in someones eyes. Plenty of people told him he was their hope, coyly inviting him to their bed with eyes alight with something he’d thought at the time was hope. But it wasn’t like this, a hope that cleared out the dark webs in the woman's eyes as she was given a chance at fixing just one room.

“You- what is your name?”

“Buildrick.”

“I see. My name is Myra. I am the great-great-great granddaughter of the sage that lives beneath this castle. If you make this room again, make it not the way it was, then I will do all that I can to reward you if I have brain him over the head with my basket to get the items he’s guarding.”

“I don’t think we’ll have to go that far. One look at Alef and he’ll melt. Probably.” Buildrick glanced around the room, cataloging what was in it. “But I’ll be loud- do you think anyone will notice?”

“Nobody has come to this room or even so much to this tower other then Trystain. And I will take care of him.”

Myra certainly sounded confident. Alef wasn’t as confident, but Buildrick was glancing up at him. “So, what’dya think? Shall we do it?”

“...You’ll be the one remaking the room.” Alef said after a second. His desire was to say yes. Do it. He wanted to see Myra’s face, after everything had changed. He had never considered her statement, of the room never being safe for the Princess again. Even if reinforced with the strongest of materials. He wanted to see that hopes end result.

“You’re the one with the schedule.”

“I am willing to wait as long as I don’t have to go back to town.” Which was perfectly the truth. His guardian figure might still be there, waiting for him.

“Yeah, I can remake this room by the time night falls. So why don’t you and Myra go to the Sage, and I’ll get working here? It’ll be a whole different room by the time you return.”

Alef hesitated. Somehow it felt like he was missing a good bit of Buildrick’s work, and he did want to see more of it. Buildrick was always holding back, out in the woods. But here, in the castle, a actual town, with plenty of materials- “Very well then. I’m looking forward to seeing the entire room be different when I get back.”

Buildrick nodded, eyes on the wall that had been ripped apart. There were stacks of castle masonry already waiting for whatever mason would arrive. Well, the king should be pleased to have a Builder working on it instead.

And if he wasn’t, then Alef didn’t really have a problem fighting the kingdom for Buildrick. It may have been about a week, but he’d never been with a single person for so long. Not one willing to put up with the unpleasantness of travel. Every time Buildrick dropped some kind of food in his lap, his heart started beating a little faster. He wanted to get closer, and he was quite pleased that Buildrick had no plans at widening the space between their straw mattresses lying side by side. He wasn’t certain, what the feeling was.

But he wanted Buildrick to stay by his side for some time yet.

So Alef nodded, and turned to Myra, proffering her his arm the way he was taught. “Then, shall we go?”

“...Very well then.” She didn’t take him by the arm. Instead, Myra gathered up the large basket of laundry that she had probably used as a shield for her lie. They closed the door behind them, as the sound of things being smashed abruptly shut off. “Come along, the distance is quite far. It’ll take some time to get there.”

“Oh? I thought it was beneath the castle?” Alef questioned, following in her wake. There wasn’t anyone in the tower, but as they wound down to the main hall, a few people began to trickle in. They were pretending not to see Myra striding past them, only to fail miserably as they did a double take at Alef following behind. The whispers grew in their wake.

“So then, sir Hero, however did you meet such a man?”

Naked in the woods was the answer but- “When I was traveling, we happened to cross paths. He was in need of help, so I brought him along with me, and we’ve been traveling ever since.”

“Is that so? Hmmm, that’s pretty kind of you. I heard Trystain pointed you both in the correct direction, and he’s a fairly good judge of character. But still, he has quite the odd look to his eyes.”

Alef felt the need to protest on Buildrick’s behalf. “He isn’t being empty minded, he just empties his mind of everything but the task before him.”

It had gotten them into ‘trouble’ more then once on the road. Buildrick would be there digging into the cliff face rather greedily as a Chimeria started winding up to shoot a fireball at his unguarded back. That, and late at night, ghosts would come seeking him out directly floating right past Alef.

“Ah, I see, so that’s what it was, eh? Makes sense. Oh, Laurence!”

“Ah, Miss Myra. Sir Hero. What can I do for you two today?”

“Would you please inform Sir Trystain that I’m taking the hero Alef to the Sage?” Myra said it calmly, like everyone knew. The guard certainly looked surprised, but he nodded anyways.

“Certainly. I will inform him immediately.”

“Thank you.”

Alef followed after Myra, quiet now that a direct question wasn’t put to him. Everyone he had met were usually the chatterboxes, but Myra was quiet. It wasn’t the same quiet as Buildrick, which felt much easier. Hmmm.

Alef contemplated the problem, before a voice called out, “Oh, Myra! And- the Hero? Oh good, I just got back from patrol. Your guardian was asking to see you.”

Alef had felt the ground give out beneath him before. It had been a startling sensation, when Buildrick had mis-aimed and hit the ground instead of the monster. The sickening drop then was nothing like it was now. The very pit of his stomach twisted. He was certain that his smile remained plastered on his face however, because it had been something trained into him since the very beginning.

“Is that so Sir Launce?”

“Yes, they said they’d be coming up to the castle soon. Shall I inform them of where you are at?”

“Well, I don’t know if that will be wise. I may just take it and go.” Alef said, heart picking up.

Myra glanced at him a bit curiously. “Is that so? I doubt even your friend can be that quick. The sage shall not run away. If you wish to meet them, then you should. If you don’t, ask Launce for the best hiding spots around the castle.”

“Lady Myra! Please don’t put my cowardliness on display like that! I did rush to the Princesses side, though I was not helpful.” Launce wailed, clutching his spear close to him.

The two of them had forgotten he was there, but it didn’t sting. They didn’t know him, except Myra was turning, with a smug, half shrug. “See, just look at that. He admits it himself.”

“Lady Myra, haven’t I looked the other way these past few weeks? Can you not spare even a shred of pity for me?”

“I suppose I could. Oh, Hero, what say you? Shall we show him some pity?”

Alef nodded, as a kneejerk response. Myra laughed as she patted Launce’s back. “How nice, this Hero will forgive you. Now then, do you want to see Launce’s many hiding places, go down to the town, or shall I take you to the Sage? I’ll have you know I sleep in the castle, and all the maids know where to find me, so all you have to do is ask and I shall come whenever you ask. But please, not too late after midnight.”

“No, I wouldn’t dream of it, Lady Myra. I suppose I should see my guardians fist to put their mind at ease. Sir Launce, where-”

“I’ll take you there.” Luance’s grin was probably meant to be reassuring. It felt more like someone stuck a dagger into his side.

The walk to town was slow, as Luance chattered about the coming and going of people Alef could not bring himself to care about. Instead, the only thought on his mind, was that of the dreams he’d had every-night. Of gray wastelands, and bodies.

Some bodies especially.

His guardians face was old, and creased. Worn by the wind and weather. Alef approached him slowly, as Launce called out to the one who had called him his… not father- but boss. Leader.

He wanted to see his guardians head being smashed into the ground in a scattering of bone and blood again. Maybe if he was lucky, he would have that dream again. But for right now, it was nothing but him and his Guardian bearing down on him with a scowl.

“He sure doesn’t seem that happy to see you.” Launce muttered.

“He keeps his affection hidden most of the time.” Alef had never seen his guardian show affection once. But, it would be rude to badmouth him. Especially when his Guardian shook his cane in the air.

“I’m shocked that you didn’t come to greet me child.”

Child and hero. Always titles, but never his name. The only one who called him by name was- “Sorry, sir. I was simply focusing on my duty as you taught me.”

His guardian’s face flushed, but Alef was pretty good at picking his words. Launce shifted beside him, as if making a decision, or weighing options. Alef took a deep breath, hyper aware of everyone gathered around them. Nobody was really looking at them, continuing on with their daily lives. So he could bring his focus in on his guardian, even though he didn’t want to.

“I see. And tell me, how far have you gotten?”

He was really going to demand a whole list right here on the street. Somehow, Alef could feel his stress rising.

It would be so easy, to crush the mans head like in his dreams. Certainly, he’d be tossed into prison. Buildrick probably wouldn’t break him out, and that would be the end of his adventures. But- was that really a bad thing? In Jail, for fifteen or twenty, or however many years, he would finally become nothing.

Launce cleared his throat. Loudly.

Both Alef and his Guardian turned to him. Both on guard and wary. “Sir Alef. Your friend mentioned needing more materials that he wanted you to buy from the shop, did he not? Unfortunately I cannot stay in town all day, so I should show you where the shop is, and you can catch up with your… companion, later.”

His Guardian was opening his mouth, to say something. But Alef saw the chance, and took it. “My apologies Launce. I did not mean to hold you up. I’m sorry, sir, but we will have to continue this conversation later.”

“Hmm. Very well then. I can be patient.”

He couldn’t, Alef knew. If he pulled this stunt when there wasn’t a clear line of escape as a child, he would’ve been trapped in the basement with no food or water for days. Claiming to be training. But… he knew better now. Buildrick was always showing him how to not only survive in the wilderness, but enjoy survival with luxuries he’d been told he’d never have.

They quickly mixed in with the crowd. By Launce’s side, Alef was suddenly- not quite invisible, but it was a different crowd coming up to them. Old ladies with sly smirks as they told Launce the latest gossip, blacksmiths with hammers on their tool belts stopping to needle Launce about the condition of the armory and the treasury-

Was this a town? He had seen it a bit before, in Galenholm, but he had been desperate to get out. It still didn’t seem that different from his Guardian’s sneering tone of (weaklings) townsfolk who banded together to survive. Without respect to Nature, or the woods and earth that sprang forth all life-

Launce slapped his back both rough and gentle at the same time, a complicated look on his face. “Yes, Sir Launce?”

“I don’t want you calling me sir. Also- if you don’t wanna go meet a person, all you gotta do is say. I know that we’re not that strong when it comes to fighting, but when it comes to excuses, we’re the best you could ever ask for.” Launce chuckled, as he waved to a young couple merrily skipping along.

They waved back, but the man peeled off to dump a sweet into Launce’s hands. “You were right, there was still a shop selling food at a decent price for our babe! Thank you ever so much!” And then the man skipped off back to his wife, taking her by the hand.

Launce grinned, easy and bright. “Isn’t that nice? No, wait, I shouldn’t get distracted. Sir Alef, I will ask you again, where do you want to go? And nowhere where your smile looks like it’s stitched on. Please save such painful smiles for other times. Perhaps after the sun has returned.”

Alef nodded, eyes sliding away. His Guardian would undoubtedly lecture him when they finally meant again. But for now, Alef would take that relief.

Launce frowned at him, before gesturing to the castle. “Shall we return? I will send for Myra so she can guide you.”

“Yes, let us return.”

Their walk back was far from the quiet patterns Buildrick went on. Launce had his path, and moved along it at an unhurried clip, but he’d stop and talk to everyone along the way. His guardian would’ve stabbed him in the legs for such frivolousness. But- it wasn’t like they were in a rush. The guards eyes flickered to him, then to Launce telling them that visitors to the Hero should be turned away as they were leaving that night, before saluting and marching away. Somehow, Alef thought, they seemed a bit familiar.

In a distant, dreamy way, which was a bit surprising when his dreams were filled with gray wasteland. Certainly, there were the brief flashes of watching people die. But, they weren’t faces he recognized at all.

Myra was waiting for them at the entrance. “Launce, Sir Hero. I’m surprised to see you back so soon.”

“Myra, I have a request for you. Don’t believe him if he says he wants to meet someone.”

“He is my guardian. I can hardly never meet him again.”

“Ach, just listen to him. You should’ve seen him Lady Myra. His smile was there, but it looked as frozen as the winter glades. And you’d think from his guardian’s face it was normal.” Launce’s voice dropped a bit, as he whispered to her. Normally most would miss it, but for Alef, it was still as clear as a shout. “I really thought he would murder the man. His face was… quite terrifying.”

“Mmm, well, I’ll let the sage decide. He may be old but he still has quite a bit of power.”

“I don’t think he’ll lash out at the sage, but certainly those two shouldn’t meet. At least I would hate to cause Buildrick’s companion stress.”

“I’ve never seen you so worried. Well, let me take him, and it’ll be out of my hands at that point.”

Launce nodded, still worried. Alef wondered what he could say to reassure him, but since he was the source of worries, and not monsters, no promises of strength would help. Myra’s voice lifted, calling out to him. “Sir Alef, please follow me.”

Alef approached, nodding his thanks to Launce. Myra guided him through the castle, and he turned over in his mind his Guardian. He should do something about him. Before his Guardian met Buildrick and Alef got a lashing. Buildrick would be able to handle himself but-

“So then, sir Alef, how did you meet Launce and Trystain in the first place?”

“I- I was with Buildrick, and they knew each other.” Alef wasn’t exactly stumbling over his words, but he wasn’t expecting the question. “Unfortunately, he hasn’t told me much more then that.”

“Hmm. Interesting. Launce does tend to stick his nose in other’s business, but Trystain doesn’t. He and Buildrick must be close for him to even give a hint about my existence. Ah, one second, Sir Alef.” Myra stopped at a door, glancing left and right. She placed her hand against the door, letting the magic spark and push open. They emerged into a shaded garden along the edge of the castle. Ah, he’d seen this across the moat when passing by. Wilted flowers from the lack of sun lined the small stone pathway. It would probably be stunning, with more light.

Myra passed by without a second glance. She aimed straight for the large bush that was fairly overgrown. There, at the base of the bush, was a set of stairs. “Hmm, he opened them again. Normally these stairs are hidden so well I have to call out for them to open.”

“Ahhh, that would make it harder to find.” Alef agreed blandly. He wondered if that was correct, but he couldn’t really say anything. Myra proceeded down the stairs, one hand against the wall for balance.

They emerged into a sweeping, large cavern. A large pool of sparkling water glowed, lighting the entire cavern. Alef stopped, eyes sweeping across the room. There was a table- a builder’s table?- tucked away in the darkness. Huge blooming flowers shone underneath the water. He had never seen such flowers before.

“Myra, I told you, you don’t need to bring food for me.” The sage looked old. Far older then either of the two other sages he had met. A back so bent, he was nearly level with the ground. Eyes that had become so clouded over that it was impossible to tell what the original color was. He stood, as if guarding the small stone bridge that reached out across the water to a small island. Alef could see an ornate chest there.

“Yes, yes, yes. You can drink the water and never thirst or hunger. But, it’s better to eat real food. Also, I brought a visitor.”

“Is that… ooooh. Ohhh! I knew this day would come!”

A staff was thrust in front of his face, a shimmering eye in the orb. A magical device to see. “I knew of this. I knew a descendant of Loto would arrive one day. Inside this chest is the Sun Stone which Loto left in my care years ago. It is vital for your quest to defeat the Drgaon Lord! Go on, open the chest!”

Somehow, this felt too easy. But the Sage was shuffling to the side, as Myra extended her arm to support him. Alef crossed the bridge, feeling a bit bemused. After being told he had to fetch one thing or another to prove his worthiness, he was now being told to just take something he’d been searching for. It was odd, but he would take it.

The sun stone was warm. The hot, powerful warmth of a summer day bearing down on summer crops as bugs buzzed loudly. Or perhaps… the warmth of a sun in a desert, hot and burning. The magic that lay within it was steady and flowing.

Alef held it, cradled in one arm as he came back. The Sage chuckled as he said, “Hero… you will return light to this land. I have faith in you. I have kept watch over the Sun Stone for so long now. I must say I am somewhat tired. I believe I’ve earned some rest. Myra, help me to my bed please.”

Myra’s lips pursed, as she glanced to Alef, “Yes grandfather.”

“I can assist. I would like to know any more about Loto you would be willing to tell me.”

“Ahhh, they were so brave and strong. They came from the heavens, and banished the darkness the first time with their companions.” The sage tottered on failing legs. Alef’s heart twisted at the thought of even his ancestor having companions that fought alongside them. But, even so- he did have one now, did he not?

“We didn’t get long to talk, they disappeared almost immediately after restoring the sun, but oh, I could never forget their face. I see it in you. Go, and restore peace to this land.”

The sage settled into his bed. It was old, but still clean even in the darkness. The colors had faded to a homogeneous gray. Myra glanced to Alef, voice soft, “You should return to your friend.”

He wasn’t wanted here any longer, was he? Alef could certainly understand. He withdrew, as Myra’s voice echoed softly in the caverns. “You did well to last so long.”

“Mmm, yes. Yes. The others had to pass down to their own families… you…. You as well, had to learn. I think I have earned a rest.”

“Yes. Go to sleep.” Myra said, voice cracking. “I’ll… I’ll stay here with you tonight.”

The rest of the conversation was cut off, as Alef emerged.

Day and night meant little. Just varying degrees of brightness. But, darkness was crawling in, covering the land. The nearly constant fires couldn’t keep the darkness at bay. He stared up at the sky, before turning as he heard footsteps. Myra emerged, her basket of food missing. “Were you not-”

“I had to go. Grandfather was fussing because he was worried that I… Might not have enough magic when the entrance closed. Said I shouldn’t be there, and he’d wake up tomorrow.” Myra’s voice was soft. Her hands trembled, as she clasped them together, forcing herself to stillness. She shook her head, casting away… doubts? And continued on, “So then, I can take you to your companion if you wish, or we can part ways here.”

Alef waffled on a decision. He didn’t feel like he should make her come, but at the same time, “If you’d like just a bit of companionship, then I wouldn’t mind keeping you company. I doubt Buildrick will be done yet. Or if you don’t we can sit and talk until it gets truly dark.”

“I- I suppose it would be a good thing to find what he’s done so far. Though whether it’s destroyed or redone matters not.” Myra shook her head, turning away. “Let us go.”

Alef followed her, tucking away the sun stone into his bag. He wondered bemusedly if it would still be there when he checked next. He hadn’t figured out Buildrick’s plan yet. Guards greeted them with beaming faces, unknowing and uncaring of the Sage that lived underneath their feet. Myra greeted them back with a much more subdued tone, before continuing on.

The tall, winding tower was empty of everyone.

As they approached the door, Alef couldn’t hear anything. His heartbeat picked up for a moment, before there was a loud thud of stone being put down. He sighed in relief as he pushed open the door.

The room had changed. Alef knew it would, but he was honestly surprised by just how much it had changed.

The wide, circular room had been completely repaired. The stone walls were so perfectly mended as to be impossible to tell the difference from what was old and what was new. The entire thing looked brand new, the entire wall. The door had been remade completely- all the scratches and dings had vanished. The door itself had been dyed a deep, royal purple. The bed was a large, curtained plush experience- Alef could spot the powie-yowie fur that Buildrick had hunted down quite earnestly lining the bed- it was probably filled with the softest of cotton or feathers from a chimera.

Large curtains lined the walls, but behind them, huge, deep bookcases held knowledge from across the kingdom. The wood wasn’t the common plumberry that surrounded the castle, but the whiter pine tree that grew to towering heights in the frigid cold of the north. Probably, if Alef knew anything about building, he would be able to see how well or how poorly Buildrick had done with the wood.

Tile, not stone, lined the floors. Alef could sense some kind of pattern, but not one he could immediately see underneath plush rugs shaped like ‘cute’ monsters like the hammerhoods, slimes, and powie yowies. Seeming how they were in the middle of a war against monsters, Alef was honestly surprised Buildrick had made them. But, on the other hand- Buildrick wasn’t exactly human.

“Oh my! This is… fantastic! Not even in town there are many who have this level of skill! I must admit, when I fist saw you I thought you’d bungle it so badly the King would be forced to do a complete makeover, but I must say. Your skills are second to none.”

Alef wondered if that was an actual compliment, or just a backhanded insult. But Buildrick gave her a thumbs up as if it was a compliment. Buildrick hummed, looking around the room. “It’s not really complete, but this was all stuff I had on hand and the stuff stocked up. It’s not as good as I’d like it, but it’ll do to give her a completely different feeling.”

“Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you. I’ll make sure you are amply rewarded.”

“Alef, you got what you need?”

“I received the sun stone.”

“Then, we’re good. We got what we came for eh?” Was Buildrick testing him? Alef was uncertain, but he didn’t want to disappoint the one person that traveled with him and treated him like a fellow human being.

“Indeed. But, it is getting late. We should think about lodging for the night.”

Going to the inn was a less then pleasant thought. But, he couldn’t ask shamelessly to sleep in a sod house after Buildrick had gone to such lengths to help him in his quest.

“Well, there’s a servant room just up a flight of stairs if you’d like.” Myra said. “With plenty of beds. I can guarantee the sheets are clean.”

“That sounds nice.” Buildrick agreed, “Like a secret room.”

Alef nodded, heart easing. “Very well then, let us stay the night in secret, and depart before the sun comes up.”

Chapter Text

Buildrick settled down on the small bed, legs crossed as he spread out the cloth. He may of pinched a few of the materials from the stack in the princesses room. Nobody would notice, probably. But while working on the princesses new room, Buildrick realized something. His fingers weren’t working as well as they used too.

He had kind of expected it. He knew his skills were leaving him with death creeping closer. But, it was still another thing entirely to see himself be unable to keep up with the finer details.

Buildrick honestly wasn’t that proud of the princesses bedroom. He’d done the best he could, under the time constraints he had. But the wood wasn’t sanded down as far as it could be, and the wood polish was still sinking into the grain to protect it. The plush rugs made from fur and cotton were carefully dyed, but there were streaks from an improper job. They would fall apart from cleaning within ten years instead of the longer lifespan he could usually breathe into things.

If he were asked to remake the King of Swords, Buildrick doubted he’d be able to do it. He’d been making too many easy things during his travels. Be it colossal coffers, sod houses, and blankets- they were all pretty simple items to make. Alef’s cape lined with Powie yowie fur was a bit harder, but not to any great degree.

But. While changing out the Princesses room, he had stumbled upon a giant tapestry. It showed four figures on the back of a giant bird dropping from the sky above. The light shone down on them, obscuring their features. But even after hundreds of years, the stitching and coloration was perfect. Perhaps another builder? One whose name and deeds were lost to time and space?

Buildrick wasn’t certain.

But he’d been inspired in his own way.

It would allow him to keep his skills relatively sharp at the very least. Hold back his degradation for even a bit longer. Somehow, he got the feeling that it’d be needed. Wherever he was going to end up being his job didn’t change. His desire didn’t change.

From the very beginning, all he wanted to do was make things. Things that would be used, things that brightened up people’s days. Not things just to sit around and be pretty, though that had its own use as well.

Alef poked at the bed, as if inspecting it closely. Buildrick hummed to himself, tapping on the many bundles of thread in various colors. He used slime goo to dye items to different colors. This must be from vegetables though.

“Oh. I never thanked you, did I?" Alef’s voice broke the silence a bit unexpectedly.

Buildrick looked up. “For what?”

“Help with finding the Sun Stone.” Alef pressed his hands together, looking directly at him. “If you hadn’t helped, then perhaps I may not of heard so much about my ancestors.”

“Eh, seemed like a good way to waste time.” Buildrick picked up purple thread, before putting it back down and picking up black instead. “I’m sure you’d of found it eventually by yourself anyways.”

“Yes, but thanks to you I didn’t have too.” Alef hesitated, clearly turning something over in his mind.

Buildrick began stitching out the base of his own tapestry. He waited, silently, for the next statement. It didn’t seem forthcoming, so, he questioned, “Did you and Myra need a moment alone to get hot and steamy?”

Alef got so red, Buildrick wondered if he would spontaneously combust. Which was odd, because there had been a girl in town that had hung off Alef’s arm. And mentioned about spending another night at the inn. So he couldn’t be a virgin, but-

“No, no. It’s just uh- she wasn’t really in the mood. Her… however many great grandfather will probably pass away tonight. After… handing me the Sun Stone. I… He told me that he was waiting for me. And then he laid down.”

Ohhhh. Buildrick could certainly understand that. Certainly, after defeating the Dragon Lord, he’d thought he’d been happy enough to disappear with the dawning day. But instead he got a gray land not quite full of ash yet. But basically- it felt like all of his hard work meant nothing. How could he rest and feel like he’d finished the job if the sun still wasn’t shining? It made him mad just thinking about it.

Alef was still waiting for a reply though. “Well, I can understand. Once you finish a huge job the relief that flows through you feels like it could stop your heart for a moment.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you’ve never felt it before?”

“… No. Please, tell me more about it?”

“Not much to say. There was a huge monster terrorizing a town I helped build, so I killed it. And in its hand, it had a broken shard of an item that could restore some semblance of hope to a suffering town.” That was summarizing it, but Buildrick still wasn’t certain what to say about the whole deal. The only proof he really had of it having happened in the first place was the ever present pain, and then Trystain and Launce’s acknowledgment that he seemed familiar.

But other then that, he had nothing but memories.

Memories that didn’t match up to what was happening now.

So he may just be a crazy man.

But by the same token- the feeling of knee shaking relief at seeing the ‘sun’ even for a brief few moments had settled into Buildrick’s heart. He couldn’t be content with the murky gray sky any longer.

Alef certainly seemed to be listening to him intently though. “Well, I know I make it sound easy, but that moment of complete relief just sweeps over you and really makes you weak kneed. The sage might survive, but if he was really around since the olden times, then well, it might just be he was holding on for that promise alone.”

“You speak… as if you’d do the same.”

Buildrick was pretty sure his horror at the thought of lying down to die must show on his face, because Alef sighed in relief. “Oh please, spare me the sages mumbo jumbo about fate and destiny. Even if a goddess were to appear before me and tell me to stop what I’m doing, I’d ignore her.”

At least he could say that with a great deal of confidence. Because he had. Even if it was just a dream, he knew without a doubt he would.

“I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that.” Alef’s smile seemed genuine now, as he leaned his sword and shield against the bed for easy reaching.

Buildrick supposed he should do the same, but he was actually falling into a rhythm now with his stitching. Alef was pulling out a tattered notebook, along with a beat up looking pencil. Oh, writing huh?

“So, you have no one else you need to meet?”

Myra had seemed to waffle on this part.

Alef froze, eyes going dark in the same way Buildrick didn’t like. It felt… a bit like standing on a stone walkway, staring at the Dragon Lord. “No, no one else.”

Buildrick wondered if he should poke and prod any further. But, it wasn’t like he could fix it. “Alright then. So where are we off to tomorrow morning?”

Buildrick continued stitching, tching in his mind as the stitches didn’t go where he wanted them to go. He pulled them out, redoing them. Alef took a moment to shake off the funk he put himself in, before saying, “Kol.”

Kol? Full of miners, dry deserts and -

“Apparently the forests that surround it contain fairies. Well, I want to take a second look for finding the Fairie Flute. It’s supposed to send monsters to sleep pretty easily. So the exact opposite of the Lyre. Ah, speaking of the Lyre, you did ask to hear it being played, didn’t you?”

Alef was beaming at him now. But it was mostly unnoticed as Buildrick’s face puckered into a frown. Kol had forests? Trees? It was just a desert wasteland full of craggy mountains when he had last gone. Hot springs aplenty, but… but…

Even if the names were the same, he really had gone to a different place, huh?

“Buildrick?”

“Ah, sorry about that.” His stitch work at least hadn’t suffered during his confused thinking. Buildrick put the needle down, and covered his eyes with his hands. “So… Kol is a forested place?”

“That’s right. Have you not been there before travel was mostly shut down?”

“No. Well, are there at least hot springs still?”

He liked hot springs. They didn’t heal him like it did the miners. It had warmed him up however, and Buildrick could feel the cold creeping in, even buried beneath the thick tapestry material.

“Oh, yes, there is. I didn’t get in, but they do have one there.”

“Then, I’ll look forward to it.”

Alef nodded, thinking it over himself. He turned back to his book, writing in it- a diary of some kind maybe? Well, that was good. As long as it wasn’t turning into something similar to the 2000 chapter Caitilin Chronicles.

They continued on in silence for a few more hours, before Alef closed his book. “Shall I blow out the candles?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

He wouldn’t be able to continue stitching. And he didn’t feel sleepy at all. But that was his problem, not Alef’s. Usually the second he hit the bed, he could fall asleep. But maybe since he was in an actual town, he couldn’t tonight.

Or maybe it was just because he was cold for some reason. The chill of Galenholm had taken some time to set in, but it seemed it was still lingering. Either that or he was inching closer to death. Which was more likely.

If he died in the future, then could his body be revived again? Was this even the future? Galileo had told Barbella, that had told him, about the multiple world theory. So maybe his world still existed, and he was just in a new past. Or he wasn’t in the past at all. He had been transported into a world that was similar, but not the same. The names were the same, but the locations weren’t.

He rolled over on the bed. It was soft- softer then the straw mattress he normally slept in. He could hear Alef’s breathing in the stone room. Did the dirt walls absorb the sound when they were traveling? Whoever had built the place surely couldn’t of put in acoustics so servants could hear each other sleeping. If they had it was a waste.

Alef was asleep now. Buildrick could hear from the way his breathing had evened out. It didn’t seem like Alef was having any problems. Just him. Buildrick rolled over again, staring out into the darkness. Not even a ghosts sharp teeth or glimmering gold eyes were coming after him right now. They had pretty much quit since Alef could cut them down with a single sword stroke. Alef was strong. Stronger then any human Buildrick had ever seen before. He had been told by many that his fighting style was an oddity, and while most didn’t say it out loud- a lot of people winced when he went to battle. He got the job done, but it was never in a way that inspired confidence. Rather, just relief that the fighting was done.

And a lot of the time, when it came to monsters, he didn’t fight them with conventional weapons. Cannons, the crack and wizz shots, bombs, a car- he had plenty of tools that he used to their fullest extent. If he was forced to go head to head with just a sword he’d probably fail. Even when fighting the Dragon Lord himself, it hadn’t been alone, or without the use of his tools. Sure, Rubiss had to step in with summoning those he had helped to hand him over items. But it didn’t actually count as far as he was concerned.

Alef stirred restlessly in his sleep. Oh, was he having a hard time of it himself? Buildrick rolled over again, gathering up the pillow. In the dark he couldn’t see the the wood grain of the headrest- “Myra… run. Don’t no- Not-”

Alef’s mutters were so low and soft he’d of missed it if it weren’t for the echoes. Buildrick rose, still completely unsleepy. What was Alef dreaming about? He reached over, but the spacing between beds was too big. So he swung over, feet touching the cold floor. They needed a run in here, he thought to himself, shuffling to where Alef lay.

He hadn’t noticed this when Alef originally settled into the bed, but Alef was bigger then the bed. His head was at an awkward angle, and he had to lay in the bed cross-ways to fit in it. Huh, he hadn’t noticed that before in Galenholm, but he had made the straw mattress longer then normal.

Buildrick reached down, touching Alef’s shoulder. The man woke up with a start, hand sizing Buildrick’s wrist with enough strength to leave a bruise. “I-… Buildrick?”

“Yeah, that’s me. You okay over there? Your bed looks smaller then you.”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s just here. In the villages the beds at the inns are big enough.” Alef’s voice was husky and soft as he blinked away sleep. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, I’m too cold to sleep, since we can’t start a fire. Mind if we buddy up tonight?”

“I- Uh- yeah. Sure, the bed isn’t big enough though.” Alef wasn’t letting go of his wrist.

Buildrick shook his wrist, and was rewarded with it being let go. “Let me push the beds together. There will be a dip, but then you can lie cross-ways without hanging over any edges.”

Alef started to get up, but it only took mere seconds for Buildrick to shove together the beds. He could hear the soft sigh of relief as Alef stretched out across the two beds. Buildrick circled around, crawling under the sheets and blanket to lean against Alef’s back.

Alef turned slightly, “You’re like an icicle.”

“I wasn’t lying about being cold.” Buildrick grumbled back. He shifted to reach into his bag and pull out a thick blanket to pile on top of him. Alef chuckled as he rolled over to wrap the blanket around Buildrick.

“There you go. That should be warmer.”

He actually wasn’t getting that much warmer. But he wasn’t going to tell Alef that. No point in worrying him about things he couldn’t help. “Better.”

“Good.”

They were silent now, but Alef didn’t seem to be going back to sleep. Buildrick couldn’t feel Alef’s heartbeat through all the thick blankets. But, he could still hear Alef’s breathing. It was shallow, and still a bit rapid.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

“I… suppose you could say they’ve been getting worse. At first when they started it wasn’t too bad. But they’ve slowly been getting worse.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. No matter though. I’m certain they will end soon.”

Buildrick grunted in response, staring into the darkness. Alef didn’t trust him enough to say yet huh? Well, Buildrick had been told he was a lot like mold. He grew on people given enough time. “Well, I can’t do anything about nightmares, but if you need any medicinal herbs then I got you covered.”

“Indeed you do. I have often relied upon your skills while traveling.” Alef yawned, now starting to be sleepy. Buildrick kept quiet.

It didn’t take long for Alef to go back to sleep. This time, his breathing was much, much easier, as if untroubled by any further nightmares. That was good at the very least. It was too bad he still felt cold. Buildrick closed his eyes again, before flinching as Alef rolled over. Alef’s arm pulled him closer, until his head touched Alef’s chest. Curled up around him, almost protectively although Buildrick could handle himself. Like this, he could feel the warmth beginning to seep into his bones, chasing the chill away. Oh, this was actually pretty nice. So, Buildrick decided to say nothing as he closed his eyes.

“Ohhh, my child.” Rubiss? Her voice echoed and bounced off of the inside of his head loudly. “I can still reach you. Thank goodness. My Child, you must stop what you’re doing. If you continue changing things, then not even I can tell you what will happen next. Indeed- that hero that sleeps next to you- is no hero at all. He shall bring the curse of gray covered wastelands upon the whole world. It would be better to kill him now.”

It sounded like Rubiss, but- That wasn’t her. She wasn’t one able to see into the future beyond vague prophecies. Rather then her, it had to be some kind of monster.

Either way, he wasn’t murdering Alef.

The cold began to set in. Deep, unending and ever so chilly. He could feel himself shivering- it wasn’t this bad before so why- “The longer you stay with him, the more your body decays my child. His influence prevents me from aiding you.”

No, Rubiss- Rubiss wasn’t able to extend his life. Not the way that the voice was suggesting. But still- He felt cold, and weak, and he couldn’t think. Not hard enough to ask for more details. Not that he usually bothered with the finer print. Either Alef would be an issue or he (please Rubiss, be wrong about this one too) wouldn't.

Buildrick woke up slowly, curled up. It was still dark outside, but he could sense dawn wasn’t far away. The candle flickered, lighting up the empty bed. He could see Alef just a little bit away, strapping on the last of his armor. “Good morning! I was going to let you sleep a bit longer.”

“Morning.” Buildrick sat up, scrubbing away the sleep. “It’s fine, I’m ready to get moving. Lemme just grab my bag. And then we can get moving to Kol.”

He slowly unbundled himself. Somehow, he was still cold. Maybe the hot-springs would be able to warm him up. Not that they were very close- two or three times the distance away from Galenholm, with no teleportals to speed them along their way.

Alef hung the sword at his hip, and opened his bag, as if checking for something. He closed it again, seemingly satisfied. Buildrick stretched, and picked up his hammer. He was going have to forge another soon. While traveling with Alef kept his clothes in fairly good state and less likely to fall apart, his hammer wasn’t spared. He estimated he still had a week plus of use, and their time in Galenholm had allowed him to build a forge. But Tangateal was a much faster trip.

Alef’s head turned to the door, hand falling on his weapon. Buildrick touched his hammer. A knock came at the door, as a voice called out, “Sir Hero, Buildrick.”

Launce eh?

Buildrick trotted past Alef, and threw open the door. “Ah, I thought you might be up. You were always an early bird.” Launce said with a grin. It faded a bit, “Myra… wished to inform you both that the Sage passed away last night. The Sage’s home is now sealed and no one can unseal it. So please be careful in your travels.”

“The sage passed huh? I’m pretty good at making gravestones if she’d like one.”

“No. Myra said it was better for the entire place to remain shut off and be buried. We can’t retrieve his body anyways. Whatever magic kept the cavern up has faded away. She was able to break the magic to the entrance, but beyond that it was filled with dirt. He has already been buried.”

Buildrick shook his head. “Let me know if she wants otherwise. Even if it’s just the headstone, it can be nice to have a place to grieve.”

“Well, I was hoping… If Sir Alef would be willing to let her see the Sun Stone one more time. Her Grandfather let no one touch it, not even his own descendants. So she’s never gotten to see it before.”

“That’s up to Alef I guess.”

Buildrick glanced back- Alef was already nodding. “I have no objection.”

“Thank you! I really owe you again Buildrick!”

“That’s right, you owe me. So- I was just thinking- Sir Reginald Graynes.”

“Wai- How the hell do you know that name? Are you from Caitlin?”

“Basically. A satellite town.” Better to lie and deal with it later. “But, he’s in charge of Caitlin’s defense, right?”

“Ugh, how do you manage to stay one step ahead of me?!” Launce pulled out a letter from his pocket, waving it in the air. “Trystain wrote you a letter for the Caitlin guards. They’re guarded by a huge golem, and you need a letter of passage to get in safely. Honestly, the last few heroes that went there attacked the townsfolk shortly after getting in, so the Golem has been going berserk and attacking any passerby’s. They’d be happy if you were to destroy it at this point. They’ve been relying solely on the colossal coffers within it to be able to keep up trade. But at least with the letter, you should be able to get access to Reginald to ease your quest along.”

Why… Why hadn’t they given it to Alef earlier?

Some of Buildrick’s thoughts must of shown on his face, because Launce seemed rather sheepish. “I know, it would help if we had reached out earlier. But- Well… A number of the previous heroes ended up… well- taking advantage of their status. So we’ve stopped being as helpful to see if they’ll make it.”

“Hmmm, so they took advantage huh?”

“Well, I can't imagine you taking advantage. After all, as much as your face looks like a pile of mashed potatoes with no butter or milk, thy personality could be described as gold.”

Buildrick was really beginning to hate potatoes. It seemed like that was the easiest way to describe his face at this point. “I’m going to hide a tingleweed in your bed one of these days.” Buildrick remarked idly. “Or, I suppose since its summer some cicada shells-”

“Waah, mercy, mercy, I don’t mean bad!” Launce practically wailed, before stopping before a door, and glancing left and right. “Ah, here we go. Myra is preparing for today’s laundry wash, as with no sun it can take a long time for things to dry.”

“I won’t forgive you.” Buildrick snapped back, taking the letter. “But I suppose I can be bribed to lessen my strike with this letter.”

“I suppose I shall have to prepare myself.”

They stepped into the washing room, to a single woman filling the buckets with water from a large well built into the castle flooring. “Myra! I brought them before they left.”

“I told you not too! They have better things to do then come here!”

Alef stepped forward now, reaching into his bag. “I was told by Launce that you have never seen the Sun Stone. Would you like to see it?”

Myra wavered. Buildrick turned as Launce gestured to him. They left the room quietly. Another social nicety huh? He had wanted to see the Sun Stone again himself. “What?”

“… Are you sure about that guy?” Launce questioned plaintively. “I do not mean to speak ill of the man, but… something in my soul cries out at the thought of him going to face the Dragon Lord.”

Seriously? Launce and Rubiss?

Buildrick sighed, “Well, whatever his choice, I’m gonna be the one to fight the Dragon Lord.”

“That seems bad even in and of itself. You… don’t look very well, Buildrick.” Launce was so caring.

But every time someone told him he couldn’t do something, his desire to do it and fuck shit up grew. Buildrick shrugged, “Well, I know not everyone can be as pretty and useless decoration as you are, but I have my own desires you know?”

Launce shook his head. “Then… don’t forget… forget what? You’ve only just gathered the sun stone, and not even the armor or the sword, and yet, somehow-” Launce dragged his hand over his face.

“If you keep living in the past, what are you going to do when the sun eventually rises?” Buildrick questioned.

“I- It’s not the past! I don’t think.” Launce was turning it over in his mind, “Well, just be careful, okay? I don’t know what his Guardian did, but I saw his face when his guardian just asked him to join him for a meal. It was quite terrible. I thought we would have a body on streets.”

“Oh please, I can take care of myself. I doubt Alef will do anything either. Actually, he’s been pretty nice putting up with my wandering from place to place as we go in the direction he’s asking.” Buildrick didn’t know Alef that well, but- well, that could be changed.

The door creaked open. Myra was wiping away the last of her tears as she strode out. “Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

“Oh, you’re back up and going eh?” Buildrick questioned. His eyes went wide as Myra reached out, cupping his face in her hands. She leaned down to press a kiss against his forehead, and let go.

One hand slapped against his forehead. For some reason, Buildrick felt like he was in the presence of the Dragon Lord. But why? “Thank you again, for your work last night. I know you’re probably not completed, but that will be good enough for now.”

“I’m not satisfied, so I’ll definitely complete it when we swing back this way.” Buildrick promised, before feeling cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck. The pressure was really getting thick.

“I will be looking forward to that. Ah yes, here you go as well. While the gold is a bit lesser- I was thinking since you were so into making things- My however many great gramps left behind a book full of weird things. You might be able to make sense of it though.”

Buildrick took the book, and a hefty bag of cash. “Thanks Myra.”

“Make sure the two of you come back safely, aye? I’ll be waiting for you both.”

Buildrick shoved the items into his bag, nodding quickly. “Alright, then, I guess we’re heading out, eh Alef.”

“Yes, let’s get going.” The pressure lightened immediately, as Alef led the way outside, past the patrolling guards. Buildrick waved casually to Trystain standing guard on the castle ramparts. Then, he faced the gray light filtering through the cloudy overcast sky.

How nice it would be to see the sun.

Chapter Text

Alef wondered if he could buy a bow and some arrows from a store. He hadn’t ever seen any on sale, and he hadn’t used them before. But he was quick at picking things up, and the Chimeras weren’t stopping their unprovoked attacks at Buildrick’s back. Buildrick who was currently halfway up the mountain, staring at a vein of some material with eyes that danced in delight.

Alef sheathed his sword. The chimeras had finally cleared out, leaving behind only feathers from the beating they had taken. Alef smiled as he climbed to where Buildrick was digging out the material. Once again, they were wildly off track. But, it wasn’t like he actually wanted to get to Kol that fast.

Alef was actually enjoying these ‘side-quests’ into the mountains. He’d never seen a Rockbomb before. But Buildrick had patted the ground next to him as he showed Alef how to pull apart the monster’s carcass and pull out shards of what looked like molten lava from the inner core. They then were worked into a iron cage with a thick cord made from twisted ivy. And they had a wrecking ball, capable of blowing up Golems. They hadn’t crossed any yet, but Alef could believe it. Golems would be further south, in the desert south of Kol.

Still- it was quite interesting. Alef found himself pulling out one of the wrecking balls to just turn it over in his hands. There were many visions of blowing up the small town he had been born and raised in. He’d been able to see Taganteal Castle from it, but hadn’t been allowed to visit it or town for years. No matter how he asked- and the one time he thought he could make it himself… well…

Buildrick leaned over his shoulder. “You wanna use it?”

They didn’t really have any need of it yet. Alef knew that. But even so- “Yes, that would be nice I think. Not right this moment, since there’s nothing to use it on. But one day.”

“Mmm, alright. Make sure you store it in a cool, dry place. I’ve shown you how to make it, but they can degrade over time if they’re not used.”

“Makes sense.” Alef slipped it into his bag, letting it fall into the nearly endless part. Somehow, Buidlrick’s material was beginning to make a home in Alef’s bag. Chimera feathers waiting to be turned into Chimera wings for fast travel, leaves and milk blossom petals waiting to be turned into medicinal items, and now, precious gems dug up from hardened earth that had been exposed by the monsters roaming the land.

The rubies were unpolished yet, but even unpolished, Alef could tell they would be worth quite a bit. They were quite large, and Buildrick had been careful in separating them out from the dirt. Mumbling something about making them into… a ruby of protection?

“What do you want to blow up?”

“That’s a good question.” The dark shed he had been locked in as a child, to the point he hated entering caves without some kind of torch or light. The stone house that only had a single fire in it to teach him not to notice the cold. He could leave the library if Buildrick liked one of the books, he supposed. No, it’d be better to put all the books in his bag, and not leave even so much as a splinter of wood left. “It’s not a place I’ll take anyone though.”

“Really?” Buildrick shrugged, already putting it from his mind with an ease that Alef envied.

“So we have rubies, and what else were you looking for?”

“I’d like to get my hands on some orhilcalum. It’s usually pretty deep in the earth, and I think because the continents aren’t split apart, they’re pretty far buried.”

Continents weren’t split apart? Alef had so many questions, but he didn’t know where to even begin. Buildrick wasn’t one to explain anything other then building items though.

Buildrick glanced up to the top of the mountain. “Mmm, I wonder if it’ll be there.”

“If it’ll be there? Do you know something?”

“Well, there might be a hot-spring on the coast. We can watch the waves roll in, in peace. Maybe. Can’t tell you if anyone will be there actually.” Buildrick hopped up the steep cliffs, as easily as if they weren’t crossing over a mountain, and instead going up a steep hill. Alef followed, armor clanking and rattling in his ears.

At the top, a wide expanse of forest stretched out below them. Alef could spot the small shrine at the edge of the coast, where he could make a trade. The Lyre for the Rainstaff. But- “I went through these woods once before, and there weren’t any hotsprings.”

“Yeah, it looks different from what I re-heard as well.” Buildrick scowled. “Well, I can probably dig some up. But that’d take awhile.”

“Then, shall we go to the shrine? Unfortunately I don’t have the emblem to go down to Rimuldar, but we should be able to get the rainstaff. And from there we can go to Cantailn. Your hometown is down in that direction right? I’m quite interested in seeing it if you would be willing to show me.”

“We’ll have to see if it even still exists.” Buildrick said quietly, eyes clouded over. He was staring down at the widespread forest, before he shrugged. His head turned, scanning the ground. “Lots of wheat though. Have any requests for dinner?”

“Hmm, the Bunny Burgers are rather hard to beat. Unless you can think of anything?”

“Maybe porridge. We can dump whatever leftover meat in it if you need something more filling. But I can’t promise the taste.”

“Porridge sounds good.” Alef jumped down the cliff face, landing. He turned back to Buildrick, slowly climbing his way down.

“You say that about everything. C’mon, spit it out, what meal would make your heart flutter?”

If they were talking about meals, then- “My heart nearly stopped when you served me a roasted frog.”

“Mmmm, that’s true. That was quite the face you pulled then.” Buildrick was laughing at the memory. Alef could tell, because the wrinkles between his brow had eased some. “But they don’t taste too bad, do they?”

Alef had honestly been surprised at how well they tasted. “Indeed, they were good in the end. However did you come up with such a recipe?”

“Oh? Hmmm, I was taught it really. By someone- I don’t quite remember who- but I was taught it. It’s amazing what humans will eat when they’re desperate, eh?”

Ah, there it was again. It wasn’t often, but occasionally, Buildrick would state something like that. About not being human. It was few, and far in-between. Stated in a joking manner, as if it wasn’t a big deal. But humans weren’t as cold as Buildrick was. He was cold, to the point Alef had just started pulling in Buildrick for the night. It was like hugging an ice cube, but by morning Buildrick was a little warmer.

And, sleeping like that, his own dreams eased.

They had stopped being bright, lively dreams of wasteland, and plummeted down into being nightmares.

Launce and Trystain, desperately directing people to flee on small wooden boats across the waters. The piled up corpses that he could now spot faces too. The old lady who had slipped both Launce and her grandchild a piece of candy, with her arm torn off and sobbing in pain as her grandchild was dragged away by monsters. Myra, arms outstretched to stop the monsters even a moment longer. To keep the monsters from finding the room empty of the Princess who had already fled. The King- standing at his throne, filled with arrows, but unyielding to the monsters. The lady that he’d slept with once, staring up at the dark sky, crying out for her mother. The various guards and kitchen-staff he hadn’t known well except via Buildrick’s chain quest of repairing the castle, huddling terrified in the kitchens as the monsters encircled them. It hurt, to be helpless as they were torn apart.

It was such a difference. The far more preferable dream was watching his Guardian’s face being smashed in. The entire ‘compound’ razed to the ground, burning into the night. A new castle being constructed, with the Dragon Lord chuckling about how he could rule from there.

Alef had the feeling he agreed solely because the Dragon Lord suggested it.

His dream self was everything had everything he had ever desired. A fortress to keep those he didn’t want out, someone who looked directly at him, and acknowledged him. The Dragon King didn’t ask him to do anything, he did it on his own, simply because he didn’t know what else to do.

But- the people in his dreams had faces now. Faces he might not know well, but knew passingly well. Alef brushed off the thought. He would continue on his journey, and see what the Dragon Lord had to say for himself.

Buildrick slid down the last little bit, staring into the thick forest. Alef could see his hands twitching at just how many raw materials were contained within it, though Buildrick seemed to pull back. Alef hummed softly as he led the way through the dark forest. The trees gave away to scrub land, and towering rocky spires. Buildrick’s feet began to drag, as he glanced around the rocky ground. Alef could pick out the cube slimes nestled among the rocky earth, quietly waiting for any unsuspecting passerby’s.

Three monsters holding a hammer much like Buildricks went wandering by. They didn’t seem to be all that interested in attacking. Instead, they were mumbling to each other in their own native tongue. Buildrick’s head tilted, as he stared at them. “Can you understand what they’re saying?”

“No, I’m not that good.” Buildrick shook his head, “Just thinking that they look like they’re looking for something rather then being on the attack.”

On the lookout for something? Well, since Buildrick had mentioned hot springs… “Would it be hot springs as well do you think?”

The Brownies whipped around, hammers rising in the air. They were still speaking in their garbled tongue, one he couldn’t quite pick out. “Huh, looks like you set them off.” Buildrick said, hand falling on the hammer on his back.

Alef uneasily glanced around. A few of the monsters were now looking at them, mumbling among themselves. There was a loud hissing clunk. Buildrick turned, now fully on guard.

Alef had seen a few glances of these out in the snowfields. But their paths hadn't crossed, and they traveled in packs. Giant, hissing, mechanical monstrosities, with long, curved blades. “What’re killer machines doing so far from Galenholm?” Buildrick mumbled, mostly to himself.

The machine stopped, whirring and clinking. “The-monsters-say-you-are-looking-for-the-hot-springs. Confirm-or-deny.”

Buildrick's magic again? To have monsters address him courteously from time to time, instead of a full out attack immediately? Alef remained quiet as he watched the machines and... 'human' discuss.

“That’s right.”

“Answer-registered. Beginning-regret-procedure. Due-to-the-trolls-decision-to-play-with-rocks-the-hot-springs-are-currently-blockaded.”

“Blockaded? As in-”

“While-we-would-not-dare-blame-the-Dragon-Lord, it’s-the-Dragon-Lord’s-fault-in-recruitment-decisions.” The machine, despite its voice being perfectly the same, managed to somehow to put a peeved note in its voice. “Other-hot-springs-are-in-the-vicinty-but-are-either-too-close-to-humans-or-are-too-small.”

Too close or too small, huh?

“Do you mean the Shrine? At the cape?” Alef questioned. That had been the only sign of life in the forests on this particular land that he’d seen- besides a few dotted houses here and there. Abandoned (or the owners killed) during the dark days.

The Killer Machine nodded. Its eye flickered back and forth, before continuing. “Travel-safely. Reports-indicate-a-fearsome-warrior-is-travelling-by-themselves-and-exterminates-all-in-the-way.”

Alef hoped his smile wasn’t frozen on his face. Because… that probably meant him.

“Fearsome warrior eh? No, actually- the hot springs that are too small- where are they?”

“”They-can-only-fit-a-single-slime. But-if-you-are-determined-human-then-follow-the-mountains-to-the-south-of-the-human-shrine-and-then-up.” The machine paused for a moment, before continuing, “If-you-do-expand-it-please-let-the-other-monsters-bathe. I-am-certain-we-can-repay-that-kindness-one-day.”

“If it happens, it happens. So let’s do it. Or we can split and you go to the Shrine while I find the hotsprings.” Buildrick looked up questioningly at Alef. Alef hummed as he watched the monsters disperse into the rocky land. They didn’t stick around for long, despite ‘ruling’ the lands.

“No, let’s go together. It sounds like it’s just south of the shrine anyways.”

The shrine was still about a days walk away. The respite of an hour or two of no monsters attacking meant they could cover a lot more ground then expected. But the attacks picked up again.

Alef was beginning to see a pattern in this general attack pattern. Most of the slimes took one look at him and left him alone. Meanwhile, skeletons never stopped in their attacks. Perhaps because they were raised by the Dragon Lord for that express purpose? A few brownies skittered by them, in the forest, hiding from them. He hadn’t ever really noticed it before. There were always plenty ready to fight him traveling alone.

They skirted along the rocky ground, threading between mountains and the rocky ground. Buildrick kept glancing up. Alef paused, listening to the waves come crashing in. The ocean was near, but darkness was falling. Buildrick pointed to the mountains.

“You won’t build a sod house?”

“It’ll stick out like a sore thumb around here.” Buildrick mumbled, “Better to dig a hole and put in a door. The monsters mentioned trolls.”

“That’s right, trolls.” Alef started a small fire nestled between pillars of dirt. “Have you ever seen any before?”

“Yeah, plenty. Have you not?”

“No. Then again, I don’t really wander off the path much, so I suppose if they keep to themselves...”

“Mmm, Well- you know them when you see them. Lots of people call me ugly, but they’re wayyyyy uglier. Also- huge. If you’re not careful they’ll stomp you flat and you’ll barely notice. If you ever meet one, or one is passing overhead- whatever you do, don’t look up.”

Alef nodded, breaking the logs of the campfire to smaller embers. The low steady heat filled the air. Now was the time to setup to the small cooking station on top. Buildrick wandered back, dusting off his hands. “Oooh, you’ve gotten better at getting the campfire right for cooking.”

“I’m learning from the best, after all.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Buildrick smirked, eyes filled with amusement. He reached out, pouring water and ground wheat into the bowl. He stirred, pouring in the wheat bit by bit, until it reached a consistency he seemed to desire.

Then, he pulled it off the heat, setting it on the small table between them as they waited for it to finish cooking. Alef rested his head on his hands, staring off into the distance. The crashing waves drowned out many of the softer noises, but he couldn’t quite see the ocean yet. Tomorrow probably.

And tomorrow, he would- oh, that’s right- “I never played the lyre for you, have I?”

“No? I thought you weren’t playing it since you didn’t want to deal with the monsters.” Buildrick cut up some mushrooms they had scavenged from the forest, dropping them onto the top of the porridge. He held out a bowl, which Alef took.

They ate in silence, Alef turning it over in his mind. All the music he knew were of the more stuffy variety, meant for ballrooms and banquets. His guardians stated that he’d probably marry into royalty, what with the princess being about the same age as him. After he fulfilled his destiny. But, would Buildrick actually be entertained by it? He didn’t know any common town tunes, though he’d heard a number of them in passing.

“I’ll play for you in the morning.” Alef promised. He hadn’t meant to forget.

“If you want too.” Buildrick yawned, as the last vestiges of light disappeared from the sky. “Ahhh, looks like the ghosts will be coming soon.”

Alef could already spot them, hanging back a bit from the fire, but still waiting. Eyes hungrily on Buildrick. They finished quickly, retreating into the small room with its guttering torch. For some reason, Alef thought as he turned to fix the ghost with a cold, cold stare, monsters didn’t attack them much once in. If they were on the scent of them, then yes, but otherwise-

The ground shook. Buildrick froze in the act of pulling out the stitch-work he’d been working on, along with several blankets to keep himself warm. Alef glanced to the entrance. “That-”

Buildrick put a finger to his lips. He pushed open the door just slightly. Just enough to peek outside. A giant foot came crashing down onto the cold remains of the campfire. There was a low, rumbling growl, as a guttural, earsplitting noise of a voice spoke overhead. A club, thicker then most trees, dragged along the ground. The monsters tongue was always rough to listen too, but it filled the air with complaints.

They remained quiet, as the Troll lifted its foot- and smashed the campfire again. The remainder of the logs smashed like twigs beneath the brutish strength, a divot forming in the shape of a footprint. A slime slid out of the imprint, looking rather flattened. It zoomed away at high speed, leaving behind the carcasses of its less fortunate buddies. Buildrick’s mouth was drawn into a thin, straight line, as the Troll began to stomp its feet. Dirt went flying. Alef crouched next to the door, thinking it over. He could fight, but the Troll was huge.

The troll was throwing a fit about something. Buildrick’s head tilted, listening to the yells. Alef couldn’t quite see the top of the head in the darkness. The Troll sat down, the action making the air and ground shake. It grumbled, loudly, as it laid down.

Now, Alef could see the way the trolls head was split open, but rapidly healing. Buildrick shut the door, looking a bit troubled. They could already hear the snoring coming from outside as the troll went to sleep. “It’s a bit smaller then others I’ve seen.”

That one was a small one?

Some of Alef’s horror must have shown, because Buildrick shook his head. “The others must’ve beaten it up and now it’s nursing its pride.”

Not its wounds, which seemed to have already vanished. Alef grimaced. While they could fight in the dark, it wouldn’t be something he would look forward too. The ghosts would be quick to pile on top of them, and then their attention would be divided. It would be better to wait until morning. Whether or not the monster would allow that was another question entirely.

“We should sleep.”

“Oh?”

“If we need too, we can attack when the sun rises.” Buildrick grimaced at the thought. “We’ll probably have to fight our way out, but we might as well sleep first.”

Well, there went Alef’s idea to play the lyre tomorrow morning. He cast another glance to the door. Buildrick sighed as he doused the torch even further. The stitch-work went back into the bag, and there was just a single blanket now. His hammer was propped up against the wall. Alef propped his sword up against the head of the straw mattress, considering his armor. Tonight was going to be an uncomfortable night.

Buildrick sat down at a table, pulling out bundles of leaves. Ah, he was processing them into medical herbs. Aleft watched through hooded eyes as medicinal bag after medicinal bag was casually tossed into the bag. Then, Alef’s bag was dragged closer. And the medicinal bags began to pile up in his bag as well.

Alef wasn’t counting. He didn’t have to when two went to him, and one was slipped into Buildrick’s bag. “Buildrick.”

“What? You can never have too many.”

“No, split it evenly.”

“It is.”

“I have never once been able to convince you to sit out a fight. Make it even.”

Buildrick looked him right in the eye as he stuffed five more into Alef’s bag. Alef could feel a smile twitching at his lips, which he strangled down. It wouldn’t do to encourage him. He would be much happier to have a companion at his side, and he knew Buildrick could (mostly) hold his own.

Then, Buildrick flopped back onto his own straw mattress. The night was spent in uneasy silence as the Troll snorted and snored outside of their door. Fragmented dreams of watching monsters march off to war floated through Alef’s mind. It was abruptly chased away as Buildrick rolled into his side.

Even through the armor, he could tell Buildrick was cold. The blanket was thin, and there was only one instead of a pile. It made sense. They had no idea it the Troll would stretch and destroy their shelter. But- Ah, that was right. Alef pulled out the Sun Stone. It glowed softly in his hands. He hurriedly stuffed it underneath the blanket. It only took a second for Buildrick to curl around it like a life line. Alef sighed softly, pushing back messy hair from a sleeping face.

Buildrick didn’t stir- not until the first vestiges of light began to rise on the other side of the mountains. Alef was unhappy about stirring himself. He was not well rested by any stretch of the imagination. The troll hadn’t moved- if they wished to get out, it would be by fighting. Alef scrubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Buildrick shouldered his hammer, passing back the Sun Stone.

The troll snorted outside, waking up. But it remained where it was at, and, judging by the sounds it was scratching its stomach. It grumbled. Alef took a deep, calming breath. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. “We might be able to get out better if we just ignore it.” Buildrick whispered. “They’re not very smart.”

Alef nodded. He would follow Buildrick’s lead when it came to this. Buildrick took a deep breath- and shoved open the door. Alef followed him out, eyes flickering around the rocky spires.

There was only the troll, and a number of Chimeria’s that floated around the top of the spires. There were no slimes, skeletons, or any other monsters. Alef wondered at the byplay of the army- “Ooooh, human flesh.” The troll perked up, “Puny humans been hiding in towns and guarded. Not easy pickings. You look like easy pickings. Especially the short one with the stubby arms.”

“Who you think you’re calling stubby eh?” Buildrick fired back immediately, “You don’t even look like you can scratch your own ass with arms as short as yours!”

The troll snarled. It was on its feet in seconds, the huge size belying just how fast it was. A large club rose in the air. “I’ll teach puny human to make fun of me like the rest of the monsters! Me strong! Me brave! Me handsome! Me smart!”

Its club came slamming down to the ground. Buildrick backed out of the way, mouth compressed into a thin line. Buildrick backed up, before charging forward. Alef could see his hammer swinging up, slow, but hard. Aiming for a knee. Alef glanced at the giant club. Even covered in odd lumps, it was more then thick enough to traverse on.

So, he stepped on top of it, as the Troll started to pull it sideways to aim for Buildrick’s unguarded side. Alef slammed his sword into the monsters throat. It gurgled in pain, a screech that nearly deafened him as it moved faster then it had any right too. It jerked, arm hitting the shield Alef barely had enough time to bring up. He went flying, sword ripping out of flesh.

That would be enough to kill a human.

A troll on the other hand?

It barely even flinched as Buildrick slammed his hammer into its knee. No, Alef thought, struggling to get back up on his feet, it didn’t flinch at all. Now that Alef had been knocked far enough away, the troll turned. Its heavy club swung to the side, crashing against Buildrick’s arm. Buildrick’s mouth shifted, tightening as his arm probably broke. A bag of medical herbs was stuffed into his mouth, as he ran around the pillar of dirt.

Alef dug his feet in, rising to his feet. His cape fluttered out behind him as he ran back. The troll didn’t even really notice him. Alef came charging in, scaling a rocky spire with ease. He jumped, landing on the monsters shoulder. One hand reached out, gripping the long pointed ear. Alef’s sword flashed in the dim light. It plunged, direct and true, into the Troll’s eye.

It’s screaming howl of rage echoed off the rocks. It shook the air. It was rage- but not pain. It wasn’t anywhere close to that yet. The Troll reached back- Alef jumped down, dodging the hand grasping for him. He landed, and the troll slammed its club downwards. The rocks underneath its palms shot past, cutting his skin as he was pushed back. Buildrick appeared from behind the troll, hammer at ready.

It came down with a good amount of force against the club. Alef could hear wood splintering. The whole trolls body was weapon, in and of itself. But if they could remove the club, that would bring down the chance of having bones shattered immensely. “Buildrick. Target the club if you can.”

There was blood leaking out of one of the trolls eyes. It growled in frustration. “Not easy. Me gonna eat you slowly still alive.” It licked its mace, eyes glimmering with cruel hunger. Alef shifted his weight, charging in. The club came thundering down, merely brushing his side. Alef gritted his teeth as he felt the flesh peel from bones. He backed up, stuffing a medical herb in his mouth and chewing. Flesh healed painfully. Better then death, but it was still numbing and off-putting.

Buildrick came charging in, hammer winding up to come down on the club again. It cracked. Alef followed up right behind him. His sword slashed sideways, across the troll’s throat now that it was bending down slightly.

The troll staggered back, hand on its throat. There was thick, purple blood oozing out. Alef pressed in, almost recklessly. He crouched and sprang, putting his full weight into the shield on his arm to bring it crashing down on the Troll’s head. The Troll went down onto one knee. The shield cracked, dented past all usability. It had served its purpose though. With the troll so far down, Alef could put the full weight of his body and the earth beneath into the next blow.

The trolls throat began to split apart a little further. Abruptly, Buildrick shoved in. His hammer connected with a hand reaching out. It wasn’t enough to stop it though. Buildrick went skidding away, breath blown out out of him. Alef’s eyes narrowed. He could feel his leg cracking, breaking under the heavy fist. It went ignored as he brought his sword sideways once again. This time, the neck parted from the body.

The trolls head bounced, rolling away. Alef dizzily leaned against the massive mound of flesh left behind, breathing harsh and ragged in the morning air. Before he could eat any more healing herbs, he had to set his leg. They were very powerful, but they had their limits.

Buildrick crouched next to him, one arm hanging uselessly. “Need any help?”

“I just need to set my leg first.”

Buildrick nodded, reaching with his one good arm and wrenching the bad arm into place. Alef could hear the resounding crack, though he didn’t flinch. Buildrick stuffed his own face with healing herbs, before shuffling to the side. It didn’t take long for Alef’s leg to be set straight with a deft touch he could well appreciate.

“Well, that’s one troll down. I dunno how many are around here though. It sounded like yesterday there were a lot of them.” Buildrick’s head tilted back, and Alef could hear something suspiciously like a mutter of running them over, before Buildrick shook his head. “I doubt we’ll be able to take down a whole group of them without some serious fire power though. Your shield broke, and my hammer did as well. I can make new ones, but if that happens every time...”

That’s right. He had to be more careful with his strength and maintenance to keep from causing problems.

“Well, whatever else, I can make stuff better then any store I’ve seen yet, so next time it won’t crack so easily.” Buildrick said it matter-of-factually, as he stuffed the shield into the bag. Alef believed him. But still- there was no telling how long it would take to reforge his shield. “Well, I can get you a new one right now, just gimme a few seconds to get the forge setup again and the iron processed.”

Alef heard his stomach rumble, and he covered his face with one hand. Buildrick glanced over at him, from where he was rummaging in his bags. “Ah, here, it’s from another time, but at least it’s something.”

A loaf of bread was slapped into his hand. Alef took it a bit bemusedly, and slowly bit into it. There were slimes beginning to peek out around the spires now. They weren’t coming any closer to the troll’s body, and were whispering to themselves. Buildrick shoved the head away, clearing out space to pull out an entire forge and put it on the ground. Alef would never stop marveling at that sight. It fired up as Buildrick started piling coal in it.

They sat in silence for a little bit longer. The trolls body stunk, and it was growing more and more putrid by the second.

Buildrick poured molten metal into a mold. Alef pulled a small wooden stool out of the bag, and began to clean his sword. It was covered in the thick, purple blood. If he left it on the blade, it would undoubtedly corrode. The sound of hammering began to fill the air, as Buildrick worked.

Alef looked up, every warning sense in his brain going off. He couldn’t see it, but-

Without thinking about it, Alef grabbed Buildrick’s arm. Buildrick didn’t budge, hammer still pounding away as the shape of a steel shield began to take shape. Well, that was a bad sign. Alef turned, sword at the ready, as a Troll picked up a boulder.

“I smell humans. Humans, did you kill this one? That one very small. Very weak. Not like me. Me like the taste of human flesh.” Sharp, pointed teeth glinted in the light. All of the slimes had fled, with only Chimera’s left, fluttering around the sharp rocky spires. They didn’t get any closer.

Another troll voice spoke up now. “No, me eat.”

“Not enough for two.” The first troll objected.

They began to argue, as Alef remained on guard next to Buildrick. The hammer blows continued, as if the trolls didn’t exist. Maybe they didn’t, when Buildrick was wrapped in his own personal world.

Buildrick placed the shield in his hand, finally stirring from his work. “Oh. We have company.”

Alef nodded, slipping it on. It was heavy, heavier then he was expecting. “Pure steel unlike your previous shield which was just iron. It’ll be a lot tougher.” Buildrick gave him a dry thumbs up, only the barest corner of his mouth twitching into a smile.

There was a motif of a bird on it, painted a bright yellow. Alef wondered when Buildrick had the time. “Looks like we’re surrounded.” Buildrick muttered. His grip on the blood-soaked hammer tightened.

A third troll was slowly ambling its way into range. It seemed rather proud of itself, as it hefted its club up. “You two losers. Me winner. Me eat.”

They didn’t care about the dead body of the troll they had defeated at all huh? Alef had honestly been hoping they’d have a bit more time then a measly half hour or so for getting out of the area. This was honestly something he’d prefer to leave to an entire army, rather then just two people.

Except the two other trolls that had come were winding back to slam their clubs against the thirds face. Alef began to back up, dodging heavy feet pounding the ground flat as the three went at it again judging by the gouge marks already on them. A slime bounced on the edge of his vision, point wobbling.

Buildrick aimed for running in that direction, immediately. “Goomans! Goomans! Over here- EEEEP!”

The slime fled as a troll came hurtling at it. There was yet another dead troll body on the ground. Two dead, two alive. Buildrick took off like a shot, off to the right as Alef went left. The huge club came thundering down onto the ground. “Snacks trying to run. Kill Snacks first, then fight each other to the death.”

Alef took a deep breath, steeling himself.

Chapter Text

Buildrick tracked the two trolls with his eyes. One troll was bad enough, but two was even worse. Even when they swarmed the plains of Tangateal he normally only had to fight one at a time. And he had a car to run them over, rather then actually going toe to toe with the monsters. Occasionally, he did tangle with two, but he ran away most of the time (or got flattened badly).

Still, he really, really- “I wanna bathe.”

Cold stream water just didn’t cut it after the glory of the Kol hotsprings. When he had gone wading through the shallow hotsprings north of the mines, it had been a pleasantly wet and warm slog. Going back to the cold waters of Tangateal had been unpleasant.

The largest of the two trolls laughed. “Why bathe? Everyone stink.”

“You just think everyone stinks because you’re a mouthbreather that pollutes the air just by existing.” Buildrick fired back. He approached, pressing in closer, but not too close. Unlike Alef, who could target the face along with eyes and throat, Buildrick couldn’t actually aim. So he went after what was available.

The toes, shins, and knees.

Out of the corner of his eye, Buildrick could see Alef charging in on the smaller Troll. His sword was moving fast enough to be liquid metal, stabbing with sharp intent at muscles. Carving away muscle like a butcher with a cleaver.

Buildrick felt his own bones break as the club slammed into his side. The pain sparked, and sung in his body, joining everything else that howled in pain. He hurt, a lot. Even without the Troll’s intervention he hurt. Buildrick wanted nothing more then to sit in the hot spring, and let the warmth sink into him and warm him up to keep the pain away. But-

Buildrick stuffed more medical leaves into his mouth, before stuffing a bunicorn steak in his mouth for good measure. He could feel the power flowing through his body, sending strength to his arms. The broken bones knitting together via magic was a painful, unpleasant feeling that he’d gotten used too during his travels but he still hated it.

He drove forward again. His hammer was much slower, but it was something he’d used his entire life. It was as familiar to him as breathing. Buildrick brought his hammer against the Troll’s knee. He was rewarded with a face full of sharp gravel flying everywhere, cutting into exposed flesh. He should’ve put on armor instead of using the lighter-weight clothes for speed.

Well, never mind that. It was too late to worry about it now. Buildrick jumped to the side, using the massive stone pillar as a shield. The troll screamed its rage at being denied a clear shot. Its club made short work of the pillar, boulders and rocks flying everywhere as Buildrick backed further up. There was a low, gurgling roar.

A massive geyser of water came spewing up. Steam rose off it, the beautifully hot temperature tickling the back of his brain. So this was how the north-lands gained hot water years later, huh? Buildrick used the geyser as a shield. The troll was screaming its rage even louder now. Not a feat he’d of guessed possible. But he came in from the side, hammer slamming into the monster. It cracked, breaking in his hands.
Immediately he reached into his bag, pulling out the first weapon he got his hands on. It was a iron sword. Far weaker then the hammer he had used, but good enough to finish off the troll. Buildrick drove the blade in deep into the trolls leg. The troll snarled, turning, yanking the sword out of his hands. Well that had never happened before. Another reach into the bag, calling upon whatever lottery gods there were.

It yielded him a common iron sword. Miss.

He was going to blame Rubiss for this.

Buildrick pressed forward, refusing to give quarter. His sword wasn’t nearly so fast, nor as deep scoring as Alef’s. But, it was doing its job. The troll stumbled, the thick purple blood staining the waters. Hopefully not poisonous, because he hadn’t been able to make any antidotes recently. He had the materials, just hadn’t felt the need to yet.

So, he was probably going to regret not preparing. But, that would be after the fight.

Now, now was throwing his body into the fight. Getting too close to monsters hurt for some reason. Their skin burned his. Or perhaps they kept Rubiss from keeping him going. Buildrick slammed his sword down. The muscle parted. The Troll rolled over, hand reaching out for his head to squash it. Buildrick jumped back, before pressing forward again. The pain burned, as the trolls fingers grazed his face. But it faded away immediately as Buildrick brought the sword over his head and brought it back down in the most chopping motion he could muster. The thick sinew parted, revealing odd green flesh. And again, Buildrick thought. His sword came plunging down, more sinew and muscle parting on the sharpened edge.

A human would be dead from blood loss and the fact that the airway was pretty much cut through. Not a troll. It grabbed onto its own head, keeping it straight as it swung its massive body into him. He went down, bones cracking. Alef was just finishing up his Troll, Buildrick thought dizzily. That just left his.

He rolled over, picking up his sword again. Buildrick stood up, wiping away blood. More scars for his collection. Buildrick went charging in, circling around the other side of the troll, and plunging his sword into the thick neck.

The troll slumped over, whining, “But me hungry. Not fair.”

Alef grabbed his shoulder, making him wince. Alef let go immediately, pulling out dozens of medical herbs. He didn’t look nearly as injured. Well, Buildrick took the medicinal herbs, shoving them in his mouth. The bitter taste was hard to chew and swallow. Alef approached the troll, finishing it off with a single sword stroke.

Silence fell, except for the gurgle of water filling the basin.

“We found the hotsprings.” Buildrick said, pointing towards the geyser. “And killed the trolls mucking up the other ones.”

That’s right, he could consider that quest complete, couldn’t he? Though what kind of reward they would get would be another question entirely. It could be throwing stones, it could be mushrooms, it could be anything scavenged pretty much.

Alef pulled off his helmet, and set down the dented shield. “We did indeed, but I don’t know about it being in any usable condition at this point.”

“Yeah, the dirt's still washing away.” Visions of putting in stairs and a fountain danced in his mind. But, there weren’t any humans that would be using these pools, and they would get filled with dirt and hair pretty quickly if there was no escape.

The steam began to surround them, and a slime came bouncing into view. “Gowee, we must be close to the hot springs if there’s this much steam!”

A orange she-slime next to it sighed, “Thank gooness. I want to wash off all this icky dirt.”

“Hold it you two!” A third slime came hurtling out of nowhere, “The goomans who fought the Trolls and cleared up the way are still there. We should avoid them!”

Could… could they not see them standing right there?

There was a whirring, hissing clank. Buildrick bit back a groan, as he hoisted his hammer. Alef grimaced, hurriedly wiping off troll blood. Three Killer Machines were marching through the steam. “Oh-it-is-the-humans-from-yesterday.” The Killer Machine up front announced.

“Acknowledging.” The other two behind said in unison. “Calculating… Scans-indicate-four-troll-bodies. Monster-Brigade-no-longer-needed. Beginning-disbanding-protocol. Returning-to-forest-to-let-the-others-know.”

“Acknowledged. I-will-continue-further-reconnaissance-of-the-hot-springs.”

The other two killer machines stomped off. It was odd, Buildrick thought. None of them were friendly when he had originally been fighting through Alefgard. The only ones he’d seen were a few short circuiting before a house that had originally contained Galileo’s plans, and a single one broken down before its makers bones. But he certainly wasn’t going to complain. Buildrick slung up his hammer, ignoring the purple blood staining it.

“So did the monsters decide to fight the trolls?”

“Negative. We-were-just-scouting-out-to-see-if-the-trolls-had-killed-each-other. Questioning-protocol-activated. Did-you-mean-to-kill-the-trolls?”

“No, one fell asleep on our doorstep, and the other three smelled breakfast.”

“Answer-satisfactory. The-monsters-native-to-the-region-owe-you-both-a-great-debt-for-killing-the-trolls. Questioning-protocol-reactivated: Do-you-need-the-troll-bodies?”

“Alef?”

“No.”

“We don’t need them. The flesh is poisonous to humans.” He had tried near the castle once. He was surprised he even had enough strength to stuff an antidote herb into his mouth after that.

“Understood. Then-we-shall-dispose-of-the-carcasses.” The Killing Machine stomped towards carcasses, calling out in its own language. In seconds, the carcasses were swarmed with monsters. Slimes, hammerhoods, hands made from mud, chimerias, they arrived and carried away the massive bodies like they weighed nothing. Buildrick glanced down as a hammerhood jumped up and down by his side. It waved its hammer in the air, talking rapidly. The Killing Machine approached. “The-Hammer-hood-wishes-to-inform-you-he-will-put-in-a-good-word-for-you-with-the-leader-of-the-hammerhoods.”

“Oh? And who might that be?” Not Clobberina, but then again, it could be. She was old- and old by monster standards was incomprehensible by human standards.

The Killer Machine whirred softly. “Untranslatable.”

“Ah. Makes sense. Then, I guess that’s that. There’s pools forming all over the place, so it’ll be impossible to block anyone from bathing if they want.” Buildrick pulled off his soaked hat. The hot springs were really beginning to warm him up, though he was still a bit squeamish about bathing in the same pool as the Troll’s blood.

A gust of cold wind blew through, the chill cutting him to the bone. Buildrick shivered. “Alright, at least the trolls are dead. There aren’t any more are there?”

“A-few-more-exist-in-underground-caverns. But-they-do-not-care-about-the-war. Thus-they-have-not-emerged. You-will-be-safe-today-if-you-stay-close.” The Killer Machine sure was being generous. Neither the bodkins nor the hammerhoods had allowed that much leniency. Then again- the Dragon Lord had been in full power, and all other monsters had been terrified of him. Their help had been very much under the table, in ways that couldn’t be traced back to them most of the time.

Buildrick turned to where Alef was standing. The man looked mostly relaxed, but his eyes flashed fire. Made sense. While Buildrick didn’t mind chatting with monsters while the threat of the Dragon Lord’s army approaching hanging over his head, Alef probably did. “Alef, let’s go find a place for ourselves.”

“Fellow-monsters-tell-me-that-the-human-sized-hotsprings-nestled-deep-in-the-mountains-were-broken-by-trolls. The Hammer-hoods-are-offering-to-take-you-there-if-you’d like.”

The hammerhoods were dancing at the edge of the steam. Their hammers waved in the air, pointing in the direction. A stone spire rumbled, beginning its collapse underneath the onslaught of water. Alef approached quickly, hand still close to his sword as he eyed the monsters. Buildrick waved to him, “Alef, we better get out of here before more rock spires start collapsing in on us.”

“I agree. But are you sure about...”

“It’ll be fine. Hammerhoods have always been fairly friendly.” Clobberina and her group were, only forced to bow to the Dragon Lord after his armies grew too big to ignore. “Besides, if not, then when it comes to a battle of hammers, I won’t lose.”

“That’s true.” Alef lightened up a bit.

Buildrick stepped out of the steam, and shivered as another cold wind rolled in off the ocean. Alef took a step closer, but Buildrick wiped off the water and kept going. Now outside of the steam he could see the clear troll tracks- and more then one geyser. The whole north was about to become a giant pool of hot springs, huh?

The monsters came to a halt. There was a hill caked in the white minerals that normally dissolved into the hotsprings. It didn’t exist previously, but it did here. Though Buildrick could understand why it didn’t exist in the future. The water was pouring out like a waterfall instead of a slow, steady trickle. The hammerhoods pointed at it, chattering in their own language. Buildrick stared at it for a few moments. Dirt wouldn’t hold up. Rock- well, he could, but it would stand out for years. Chalk would be better, but would very quickly be worn away by the overflowing water. However, there were huge rocks lining the sides, almost purposely placed?

He really hadn’t seen that before, Buildrick thought. It wasn’t a brickwork or any kind of mortared construction, but giant rocks that lined the inside. The Rocks that had caught the water were now broken, crushed into gravel. But, if he rearranged the rocks left, and plugged up the holes with the rocks, then used stone walling underneath the trickle? The rough stones would quickly get a protective coating of white, and it would quickly blend in.

“Alright, I’m gonna fix this.”

“I’ll start a fire to dry off our clothes while we bathe then.” Alef said, in a resigned-laugh kind of way. True, they were taking their sweet time in getting the harp exchanged, but Buildrick didn’t think it was too big of a deal.

Instead he busied himself with shifting the giant rocks to the gaping hole. The hammerhoods watched curiously, before winding up with their own hammers. The wooden mallets couldn’t actually crack the rocks, but between them, the hole was swiftly plugged. Water still poured around it in small amounts, but not enough to lose all the water that had accumulated. Then, stone walling shored up the area where the water was pouring from. If he had the materials, he could make a fountain. Something to rinse off in before getting into the hot baths directly.

Alef leaned over over him. “Are you all done?”

Buildrick shook his head. “Nah, If we’re talking about hot springs, then there’s a million more things I want to do but I guess I can’t right this moment. A bunch of snow to cool yourself off on, a fountain running, some washtubs and stools to sit on… Hmm, I can make everything but the fountains.”

Buildrick hauled himself out of the water, locking onto a clear place to put his Builder’s table. It slammed into place, before he stopped. That’s right, before everything else, he needed to make a place to sleep for tonight. But, by the same token, he didn’t really want to stop yet, being in the swing of things. Besides, sleeping in a mountain cave even with a door didn’t sound particularly amazing when he was certain that the view in the morning would be.

Buildrick pondered on it for a few seconds, staring at the ground. It was surprisingly leveled. And he had a lot of wood. But the monsters would definitely start picking at it, and- Oh, wait. Buildrick circled around the large mound, and immediately spotted the broken, run-down house. Judging by the amount of fur on the wooden flooring, the monsters had been using it for a long time. Shattered glass stared out across the sea. He did do a lot of restoration, and building of new buildings. The doors were sliding- he’d never seen that before, he thought. The doors slid on tracks, and surprisingly delicate for such a location. But it was clear it was built with some template or some other building in mind. Or, maybe the builder who built it was copied off of relentlessly? It was hard to tell. Buildrick knew he hadn’t seen this particular style of building before, but he could certainly understand the style that went into it quickly enough. He absolutely could fix the house. And while he couldn’t use paper doors, he could use glass instead. It would stand out, and not last as long but-

He trotted back, and dragged his Builder’s table closer. The wooden walls were repaired, the door railings cleared and the doors fit with glass, while piles of shed fur were brushed out. The core of the building was still in pretty good shape. There was even a brick oven in the corner, looking worse for wear.

He could spend days fixing up the place. If he were alone, and the sky wasn’t dark, Buildrick would. But, all he could do was a quick fix, to get it prepared for the oncoming night. It was always bearing down on him, with it’s threats of ghosts. He finished resetting the stone Brick Barbecue, and shoved a few pieces of coal into the oven. He set a large pot on top, pouring in water. Marshrooms and Frogstools were cut small, and slid into the water. A frog and newt, deboned and all meat stripped from them, were slid in as well. Soon, the stew was simmering to life.

A torch was slid into a sconce still attached to the wall, and Buildrick was mostly satisfied. The hammerhoods had long since cleared out, going to soak in the hot springs. Alef was quietly writing in the small book he carried, eyes flickering up at every small noise, ready to go on the attack for any monsters.

Buildrick approached. “Yo, we have a house tonight. Not just a sod house.”

“Oh, that will be nice.” Alef said pleasantly, looking up from where the soup pot simmered. His eyes widened almost comically. “Did you get into a fight I didn’t hear?”

“Nah, just cleaned out the house already there.” Buildrick wiped away the grime from his cheek as best as he could. Going into the house and rebuilding it while wet hadn’t been his greatest idea. Now the mineral encrusted and dried cloth was stiff, uncomfortable, and itchy. It was already pretty much in tatters because of the trolls, so- “Do you need new clothes? I can dye it orange, but these clothes are a loss and will make better fuel then anything else.”

“No, I took care of them already.” Alef moved his helmet to the side. The curved horns glimmered in the low firelight. Dusk was encroaching, quickly. “Looks like we can reach the shrine tomorrow. Unless you need some more time?”

“No, I’m good. It’s a rush job, like a lot of my stuff right now. But good enough to keep the wind off of us. Tonight, we shall feast.”

“Feast?”

“I made some good soup. It’s in the house, if you wanna move over there. I got the beds setup too.”

Alef tucked his helmet under one arm, glancing at the soup he’d been simmering. “We can have that tomorrow for breakfast. But tonight is worth a victory fest. We fought three trolls with minimal injuries.”

“You’re right.” Alef agreed, following Buildrick to their home for the night. It took seconds to get setup, and settled. Buildrick measured out two bowlfuls of the creamy stew, humming in contentment as he ate. It was one of his favorite meals, and everyone else in the castle had seemed to enjoy it when they scooped up a bowlful for themselves.

Alef took one bite, and stopped, head tilting as if considering the taste. Buildrick tilted his head questioningly- ah, he didn’t dislike it, it looked like. Just considering the taste. “Buildrick, what meat did you use?”

“Frogs and newts.”

“I… Well, it’s good.” Alef swallowed his spoonful, and went back for seconds. Another satisfied customer. Buildrick turned back to his own food, and jumped as small hands touched his knee. The hammerhoods, looking surprisingly dry, had come to the small house. They were staring at the pot of soup rather hopefully, and they pointed to themselves.

“You want some too huh?’

They followed after him like small shadows with big hammers. He always had more plates. Buildrick ladled out three bowls worth, and handed them down. The soup disappeared in seconds, and the empty bowls were neatly stacked on the floor. Happy faces beamed back up at him. One of the three picked up his hammer, dragging it and its two companions to the corner. In seconds, the three were dead asleep, piled on top of each other and clinging to their hammers like pillows. Buildrick muffled a laugh at that. He pulled new clothes out of his bag, and said out loud, “I’m going for one last soak in the hot springs. Want to join?”

Alef nodded, picking up just his sword. The door slid shut with a quiet thump behind them. The Chimerias still hadn’t started flapping around- probably enjoying what looked to be like a massive party down below. There were hundreds of monsters sinking into the hot springs that now filled the land below.

It was weird, to see the difference. When he had been there originally, the hot springs were empty of all but slimes. But even monsters under the Dragon King seemed pretty scared of their master. To the point that at least in the lands around both Cantalin and Rimuldar, the monsters who helped him did so in very shushed, carefully under the table way. But- now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that sort of thing.

Buildrick stripped, tossing old clothes onto the fire. He found no shame in being nude, and the hot water sank into his bones and scars. He hadn’t been this warm in a long, long time. Buildrick sighed in quiet relief as he sank deeper into the water. Like this, it felt like time had stopped. At least for a minute. The water rippled as Alef leaned over him. In the dim light, it was almost impossible to pick out his expression. “I never noticed before. But you have holes in your side.”

Ah- that’s right. Buildrick patted the scar tissue that formed round circles. It felt like a lifetime away to think about getting chewed on by a dragon. But, it was hard to explain. “Oh, you know, monsters.” Buildrick said after a second, with a shrug he wasn’t certain could be seen in the water. He sat up, and sank down further as the cool wind bit at his skin. His fingers traced the holes unconsciously. They were huge- made by the Dragon Lord when his teeth managed to shift the armor just right to pierce him through. It was probably a good thing he was already dead, because otherwise he probably would’ve died again from it.

Alef crouched down next to him, staring at the scars. Weird. It was a bit embarrassing to be stared at so hard. But- “Are you not going to get in?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Alef shifted the lyre in his arms. The silver gleamed with shimmering beauty that captivated him. He could certainly see why Galileo had been so heartbroken when it had been broken. But-

The first string plucked was like a lightning bolt out of a clear sky. Buildrik scooted a bit closer, eyes sliding close to listen to the music. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a time he'd heard music being played before. Each note was a flowing river, cascading into a song. Was this… the reason why so many people hummed or sang while they worked? The miners had their own little tunes they had hummed- but they were simply fragments. There had been ‘feasts’ after he restored each piece of the land- but that meant acapella singing without any instruments. The silver lyre he had restored had never been played by him, or by anyone. Other instruments hadn’t survived the long, hard years of fleeing and scavenging for food.

He didn’t know the song, but it was pleasant. Buildrick listened to the rippling tones, weaving in and out with the sound of trickling water. The last notes hung on the air, sweet and soft. Buildrick wondered if he was supposed to clap, but it felt like not quite enough. But even so, he opened his eyes to tell Alef that he’d done a good job. “That was goo human!” A slime chirruped before Buildrick could get in a word.

Alef reached out for his sword- Buildrick reached out to put his hand on top of the slime. It burned a little bit to touch the monster, but not overly much. “Come to listen too eh? He did do a good job.”

The slime made little circles in happiness. “That’s right! It’s been awhile since we’ve heard the harp being played out in the wild! But you should be more careful gooman! A lot of monsters will come because they like the sound, but once it stops they’ll attack.”

“We’re aware.” Buildrick said dryly. “But I appreciate hearing it anyways.”

Alef put the harp to the side, hesitating about getting in. “Shouldn’t you be getting down to the party down there?”

“Yep! I heard through the grape vine there’s a lot of food!” The slime chirruped, sliding past them. “You two have fun up here!”

“A feast for monsters huh?” Buildrick murmured. He wondered if the main course was going to be troll meat. But he sure wasn’t going to ask. The bodkins enjoyed farmed food, but he’d never questioned any of the other monsters. But with the slime gone, he and Alef were finally alone at the hot springs.

“You gonna get in now?”

“I-” Alef glanced around, eyes sweeping for any other monsters. The soft burning torches lit up empty ground. The small hotsprings probably would’ve been full of monsters if the ground wasn’t currently flooded with it. “I suppose so.”

He was much slower in disrobing, but the sigh of delight as he entered the water wouldn’t pass by Buildrick’s ears. It was exactly what he wanted to hear. They sat, soaking in silence for a long, long time.

Chapter Text

Alef picked his way down the slope, staring at the small shrine. There were fences carved with monster repelling magic. It wouldn’t be enough to stop a really determined monster, but enough to keep out the lesser monsters. He waffled on whether or not Buildrick should follow him in, when Buildrick crossed the boundry without batting an eye. “This the place huh? Pretty shoddily built. I doubt it’ll last even a hundred years more.”

Well, that wasn’t really a concern he bet. Alef stepped across the boundary, as was surprised to feel a little twinge spread across his fingers. As if in warning. But- despite the dreams, he was still human. They weren’t his decisions yet.

Yet?

“Something the matter?” Buildrick questioned, suddenly right at his elbow.

Alef licked dry lips and lied. “Yes, I was just thinking it would be a shame to give up the lyre. I played it for you last night, but it’d be nice to be able to play whenever I like. Especially since I now have enough room to do so.”

“Hmm? If that’s all, then when we go to Kol I can make you another. Well, it might not be quite as good as this one, but it can be pretty similar. I know how to make it.”

“Pah.” The sage’s voice broke in suddenly. The old man was scowling at them. “You think that you can copy such a tremendous work of art? You? With as vacant of a look as that on your face?”

There had to be something about Buildrick, Alef thought, hand touching his sword. The man never started the fight, but somehow everyone’s first remark to Buildrick was an insult. Buildrick was quicker then him, turning around to fire off, “Well Gramps, some of us know how to pick up new skills.”

“Gramps?! I’ll have you know I’m at least three times your elder! I demand to be treated with respect!”

Buildrick dug a finger in his ear, looking so thoroughly unimpressed that even the sage could feel the disdain rolling off of him. “Sure, sure Gramps. Don’t you have a spiel to go through?”

“S-Spiel! You cheeky little! I can’t believe anyone would travel with you! Let alone a man who I can clearly tell has the harp and is thereby the Hero!”

“Hero huh?” Buildrick glanced at Alef, and he felt his heart constrict a bit at it. It wasn’t like he was hiding it, but to hear it here, like this, was another thing entirely.

“Well, that’s what people are saying, but I suppose we’ll see.” The Sage stated after a moment. “Either way, I could hear the Lyre being played last night over the ocean waves. I suppose it’s your fault though that the entire coast line is ruined.”

“No, you gotta think of the benefits- you now have a huge hot spring available to you.”

“And thousands of monsters! Do you have a brain between your ears?”

“A better one then yours. The troll quite literally hunted us down, and not the other way around. How were we supposed to know that one of those rock spires was actually a plugged up hot spring?”

The two continued arguing, the Sage’s rancour slowly changing to a rather begrudging respect as the subjects continued to change. Alef forced himself to let go of his sword hilt. Buildrick had the situation under control, especially as the sage stamped a foot petulantly. “I cannot believe your gall.”

“Then I guess it’s time to grab what we want and get out.” Buildrick grumbled. “What are we even here for?”

The sage coughed into his fist. “Come inside, we will continue there.”

They entered the building. The stone walls blocked out sunlight, but candles burned quietly, lighting up the large platform. Rich red carpet spread out around the small room. Buildrick stared up at the platform. Alef could practically see the calculations made on how fast he could scale the platform, and whether or not it would be worth it.

“Do you have the harp?” The sage questioned.

Alef reluctantly pulled it out. Buildrick began to circle around the stone platform, glancing around at the stone work. He stopped before braziers cemented into the wall. His head cocked to the side as he considered them, before circling back on around.

The sage gestured to him. He blinked, panic rising as he realized that he heard none of the words that were just said. The sage didn’t seem to notice at least. “Do you like the lyre that much that you do not wish to give it up to me?”

“Yes.” Alef said, because it was true. “But I understand that it’s needed.”

“Indeed. Well, if your companion’s skills are half as good as his bragging, you may find yourself with a lyre just as good.” The sage said after a moment. “Now come, hand it over.”

Alef held it out, and watched it be plucked out of his hands. “Go, open the chest.”

He ascended the stairs, as Buildrick began to complete his circle around the platform. The chest was beautifully carved, the rich red and gold matching the carpet. Alef reached in, pulling out the staff. The twisted wood ran up to a cloudy blue crystal- it was quite beautiful, though he was certainly no mage to be able to use the staff, he could feel the magical power flowing through it. He hefted it in his hands.

Buildrick opened the door behind them, poking his head out to look around. The Sage puffed out his chest as he said, “Hero, I’ve been waiting a long time for a young man like you. If darkness stays enshrouding the world, the souls of people will soon turn black as the darkness. That must never be allowed to happen. Go, Hero! Go where rain and sun come together!”

It was a nice little speech, one that did not end on the note the Sage was probably hoping for as the door slammed against the wall. Wood cracked loudly, as a loud voice called out, “Oi, Pops! You finally givven away the stupid staff?”

A large man stood in the doorway- a miner, from the looks of it. His skin was filled with small pockmark scars caused by flying metal. But he was quite beefy, though Alef couldn’t see his face beneath the yellow mask almost all miners wore.

“S-Stupid! I told you, when visitors are over, to call me by my title of Sage!” The Sage shook his staff at the man.

“C’mon pops. They got the staff eh? That means we can get right out of ‘ere and get to Kol.”

The Sage shook his head, and Alef began to retreat. Buildrick glanced up at him, whispering, “The only good thing in this entire shrine is the metalwork.”

“Ya hear that pops?! Like oi said! We need to get to Kol now, and meet up wiv the others. More monsters are swarming the area, so we should get out.”

The Sage pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something that suspiciously sounded like a prayer to Rubiss to give him strength to deal with a child that didn’t listen to him. Alef knew that prayer, because it was one said about him often before he was tossed outside. Then, the Sage opened his eyes again.

The Sage sighed, reaching out to wrap his arms around his child's neck, drawing him in for a hug. “You need to go to Kol.”

“Wot! I ain’t leaving without you pops! I stuck it through this long, didn’t I?”

“Brachi.” At his name, the miner stilled, all levity suddenly sucked out of the air. “I will not leave here. My main duty may be done, but there are still plenty of other things that I must do.”

“Like what?! Pops, the monsters are gettin’ worse out here, and in town we’ll be a little safer.”

“Nonsense, the Hero shall take care of it.”

Brachi snorted loudly, “Annover one of those fairy tales eh? Hero or no, we gotta help ourselves.”

The Sage shook his finger at Brachi, scolding, “Don’t you doubt the great Goddess Rubiss! I’m certain that this will be the great hero to save us all!”

Somehow, it felt like a yawning void was opening up beneath his feet. Hero this, hero that. Why- Why was it only him-

“I’ll have you know that I helped get the harp.” Buildrick butted in. “So I could be the hero.”

Alef turned his head away, desperately choking back laughter as the Sage turned his head. Absolute horror was written all over his face. His shoulders shook as the Sage pointed a trembling finger at Buildrick, “No- No, surely not-”

“We went into the tomb together.” Buildrick continued, “He insisted on solving the puzzle of getting to the crypt, but I wanted to knock down the walls.”

The Sage spluttered, and turned to him. Alef couldn’t stop smiling as he nodded. Buildrick had indeed gone into the tomb. “Cor blimey, iffin our hero’s a guy wivv a vacant look and puny look like that, then I need to start upping my reps!”

“I- I refuse to believe the great Goddess Rubiss would declare you a hero!” The sage insisted, “What proof-”

Buildrick pointed at the harp. “Wasn’t that enough?”

“That’s different!” The Sage stamped a foot on the carpeted floor. “This mans face says he has more then a single thought bouncing around in his brain unlike you.”

Buildrick placed a hand over his heart. “I’m shocked you would say such a thing to me. After all the trudging through the dark caverns, and then fighting our way through Trolls. You think I’m lying?”

“…Sweet Goddess Rubiss! I have no time to be sitting around if you really are the hero. I have much to prepare.” The sage grabbed his sons arm, staring at Buildrick with a rather disturbed look. “Indeed, many of my secret magical recipes ought to be shared.”

“Wot! You’re not talking about me, are ya?” Brachi questioned, “Cause you know I ain’t got the brain for it either!”

“Then I will just have to teach you slowly. Or get an apprentice. No, we much go to Kol and find me an apprentice. Or to Galenholm.”

“Alright, then off we go to Galenholm.” Brachi said after a moment, heaving a heavy sigh.

“You two gonna be okay out there?” Buildrick questioned.

“Ah!” Brachi’s hand slammed against Buildrick’s back with well-meaning fervor. Buildrick was practically sent sprawling. Alef stepped forward, then back again as arms swung wildly. “You don’t gotta worry about us. I know I might not look like much, but I can keep my old man safe! It’ll take some time for him to prepare to leave anyways. You don’t gotta worry about us. But I gotta say-”

Alef watched as Brachi lifted Buildrick in a huge hug. “I gotta give ya credit though! Ya really managed to get the old man to leave this place! I owe ya for that one. Ya let the boys back in Kol know that Brachi said to treat ya right, got it? Ask for Aeroba- she’s the boss around there.”

Buildrick shoved at the mans head, “Get off!”

Brachi dropped him, gently. Buildrick was making a weird face, but Brachi guffawed loudly, still patting Buildrick’s back. “You two headin’ on then?”

Alef edged forward, carefully touching Buildrick’s shoulder. “That may be for the best.” Alef said calmly, eyes flickering to the Sage deep in thought. He didn’t seem nearly as happy as Brachi, but he raised his hand in a quiet goodbye as they left anyways. Which was more then he’d done for Alef before.

Buildrick nodded, following him out. In the wane light, they could see the rocky spires rising through the steam marshland. The trees that had once covered the land were beginning to die back. Buildrick stretched, staring out across the ocean waves to the monsters that wandered in the hot springs.

“Well, that means we’ve got the sun stone and the rain staff. If I had the table, I could make the Rainbow Drop.” Buildrick mumbled, mostly to himself. Alef didn’t doubt him for a second. Buildrick had certainly made many things before. “But I don’t have the materials...”

Alef forced himself to look away. Last night he’d been untroubled by gray wasteland dreams. Instead, he’d been far more troubled by the various scars on Buildrick. Other then their first meeting, Buildrick didn’t wander around half dressed. So it was the first time, in a long time, that he’d seen Buildrick unclothed. The scars disturbed him. He didn’t want to admit it, but they were familiar. Nearly every dream featured teeth large enough to make those marks. The Dragon Lord.

In his dreams, the Dragon Lord was something like a God. A barrier of protection against all expectations, and a chance to just… be a person. It wasn’t like… he hadn’t realized in that moment his body was changing. Shifting, twisting, and becoming a monster. But, it wasn’t a decision he had made here. Alef jumped when Buildrick questioned, “What’s wrong?”

“I-” Alef stopped, uncertain as to what to say next. It wasn’t anything Buildrick needed to worry about. But, the dreams were beginning to wear on him. They only faded when the two of them slept together. Which was more often then not, really. Buildrick was always cold, and Alef had no problem being a heater. In towns however, was a different matter.

The sounds of arguing began to rise from inside of the building. Alef shook his head, courage leaving him. “Are you unhappy I said I might be the hero?” Buildrick questioned.

“No, absolutely not.” Alef immediately refuted. It felt more like being saved to have Buildrick butt in. “We did get the harp together after all. And you helped me a lot with finding the Sun Stone. Let’s- Let’s go to Kol.”

The yelling was starting to rise, and his heart was starting to beat a little faster. He hated hearing it. Voices being raised like that meant he was about to be scolded, and perhaps not fed. After all, his only job was to be a hero to the people around him. “Sure. How far from here is it?”

“Well, I suppose it depends on how far north you want to go.” Buildrick’s desire to gain materials was pretty deep. Perhaps because he was a builder? Even if Alef didn’t understand everything that came with being a Builder, he had to say- he was very impressed with what he had seen some more.

“Well, I was talking to the hammerhoods this morning when you were out doing your morning practice, and they actually said we could find some Orhilcalum and Mythrail down south in a cave.”

South? Cave? Had Buildrick pretended not to know the Hammerhood’s language in front of Alef and then accidentally slipped up just now? He probably should say something about realizing Buildrick wasn’t quite human, but the thought of Buildrick having to leave him after that terrified him. There were no hints to that yet, but he wanted to be sure. But, with the information they had, it sounded like- “Did they say anything about a dragon in there?”

“No, nothing about a dragon.”

Then probably a different cave then. Even with everything they had gathered, Alef didn’t feel quite ready to fight the dragon yet. “Did they give you a map or anything?”

“No, they said it was nearby the cave to cross to Rimuldar. The small mountain range there.”

Alef mentally compared it to his own map, as he began to walk. “I… I see, I think I do understand where they’re talking about.”

“Good.”

“Do you need to say goodbye to those monsters before we go?” The day was still quite young, and Alef was enjoying a slower pace. He had never realized that there was so much edible items just scattered through the forest. Even with the sky dark, there were still all kinds of interesting things to see. Like a slime taking a nap beneath the trees, or a Chimera shielding a smaller chimera from the rain with its wings. Going slow meant seeing more that Buildrick would point out to him.

Buildrick shook his head. “No.”

“Then let’s go.” Alef announced with a light heart.

The road leading to Kol was pretty much destroyed. Alef stared at the monster tracks as they passed. He couldn’t tell them all apart, but some he could. The Killing Machines had a different track then most other monsters, but the tracks mingled and were different then what he usually saw. Slime tracks were generally rounded cleared paths. Hammerhoods and Brownies were easily traceable from the heavy hammers they carried. There were claw marks and fur as well- weren’t those monsters from further south? Nearby Rimuldar?

Still- Alef shook off the thought, and followed the road. Buildrick didn’t seem to be in one of his wandering moods today, where he would go anywhere where he pleased. They traveled in companionable silence down the road. By this point, Alef didn’t need urging or even any words to see when Buildrick got interested in building for the night. Sometimes it was just a nice flat area, sometimes there was an abandoned house or room that Buildrick shoved some dirt or wood into to fix just until the morning.

Alef stopped next to the river. The large stone bridge rose in the distance- if they hurried, they could probably make it to the Bridge. There were a few small guard houses on the edge of the bridge. While they wouldn’t find a bed there to rest and recover, there were enough soldiers around to keep the monsters off of them. But, on the other hand- the idea of having to put on his ‘hero’ face once again for the day was…

Buildrick glanced to the running water, then out towards the bridge. He too seemed to be mentally calculating the length of time it would take, before he shook his head. “Shall we camp here for the night?” Alef questioned lightly.

“Sure.” Buildrick shrugged. “Would they not let us stay the night in the guard house?”

They hadn’t allowed him, but Buildrick certainly seemed able to worm his way into people’s hearts. They might pay Alef lip service, but judging by the Castle, and even Galenholm as brief of a visit as it was, the regular people would open up for Buildrick. “They might. They haven’t allowed me in the past. Well, they allowed me to camp nearby for the night, but it wasn’t restful at all.”

Buildrick thought it over for a second, before nodding. They were within view, but not so close that the guards would expect them to make it. “I’ll set up a sod house in the tree line then.”

Out by the river was probably a bit too exposed. Alef setup the fire, and started pulling out a pot. “Ah, I think I’m going fishing tonight. We still have a little bit of daylight left.”

Fishing? He actually hadn’t seen anyone fishing, if he really thought about it. His guardian kept him separate, telling him that it wasn’t something he would need to know. But- Buildrick was grinning at him. It was a little hard to see, since his default face was a scowl.

“You wanna fish too?”

“I haven’t ever fished before.” Alef said, “I wouldn’t want to-”

“Do you want to fish?” Buildrick questioned again, getting closer.

Alef didn’t want to ruin Buildrick’s fishing however. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt and scare the fish-”

Buildrick was right in his face now. Leaning in. This close, Alef could stare into sky-blue eyes flecked with black. His eyes were lit up like a beacon on a hill. Buildrick was one to tell him if he’d be in the way. “Well, if you don’t mind a beginner...”

“Why would I mind it?”

That was how Alef found himself sitting on the edge of the river on a stool. He watched the hook in the water bob, waiting for a tug. Buildrick stood beside him, flicking the rod up and down. “If you make the bait jump, the fish and slimes think its actually alive.”

“Slimes?” Alef questioned.

In response to his question, the crude fishing rod bowed. Buildrick dug in his feet, tugging hard. There was a moment of struggling, before Buildrick pulled back. The water frothed, and Alef could see a fish head coming out of the water.

There was also a slime attached to the fish, eating even as it was pulled out of the water. Alef stared at it for a second, caught by the sight of fish and slime flying through the air.

It slammed face-first into Buildrick’s face.

Alef scrambled to his feet, reaching out desperately for the slime before it could cause any more harm. Buildrick shook his head, hands clawing off the slime and flinging it to the ground. It bounced, a few times. It stared at them for a moment- before sliding back into the river. “Well, that was a bust.” Buildrick grumbled, and picked up his rod again. “Just so you know, they don’t usually fly at your face.”

“I- I see.”

Buildrick slid on another bug onto the hook, and tossed it out into the river. Alef hesitated, wondering if he should go for his sword, before convincing himself that he would pay better attention next time. He settled down back on the seat-

And crab pincers erupted from the water. The giant crab snapped its pincers menacingly at Buildrick, who dropped his fishing rod, and picked up his hammer. Alef stood up, reaching for his own sword. Buildrick wound up, heaving his whole body into the hammer. The hard shell of the giant crab monster groaned beneath the power of the hammer, but it wasn’t enough. Alef abandoned his post without a second thought. His sword whistled through the air, stabbing into the thin cracks of the monsters carapace. The monster hissed at him, pincers reaching out to try and rip off his face. Buildrick brought his hammer slamming down again, and this time the crabs legs gave out underneath it. It collapsed, body slackening.

Buildrick grunted, “Well, not fish, but not too bad of a dinner either.”

“Oh, you can eat it?”

“Well, the main body isn’t all that good. Better as fish bait. But the claws are juicy if you fry them just right.” Buildrick replied, already beginning the break down process. The main body of the crab was cracked open, every piece of the meat scraped out. The internal organs were washed and slid into the soup pot over the fire, as stock for the nights dinner. The eyes were plucked and tossed into the soup as well, with various vegetables they’d found in their travels. The pincers were ripped off, and placed on a small flat rock to cook while still in the shell. It already looked good, but Buildrick was picking up his fishing pole again.

“This time for sure, I’ll get a fish.”

Alef glanced back to where his pole was rather conspicuously gone. He’d completely messed up. As a child, he’d left behind his practice swords before. Alef didn’t like thinking about what came after. Buildrick seemed to notice immediately as he was wont to do. “Ah, did your pole drift off downstream?”

The urge to lie, even if he wouldn’t get away with it rose.

“Well, no worried, I can make a new one. Unless you want to learn how.”

“I-” He wanted too, and yet didn’t want too. It seemed like all Buildrick was fishing up were monsters. But, even so-

“If you don’t wanna, you don’t have to.” Buildrick shrugged. He pulled another fishing pole out of nowhere, proffering it to Alef. Alef took it after a moment. “We seem to of picked a bad spot for fishing. Hopefully we don’t fish up a King Slime.”

A… Slime that was a king? “That seems like an odd thing. Wouldn’t the Dragonlord take that as a threat to his own power?”

“Mmmm- I don’t really know how it works. But I guess it’s more like… Even though you’re a King, you’re still subordinate to the bigger King?” Buildrick sounded like he was questioning himself as he flicked the rod back into the river. It bobbed gently in the slow current. “Titles don’t really mean much to monsters anyways. From what I’ve seen at least. You generally get a feel for which monster is the boss judging by how big it is.”

Buildrick would probably know best about it, Alef reasoned. He settled back onto the stool, letting silence wash over them. “So- the King Slime- is it big?”

“Smaller then a troll.”

“I see, so then it would be weaker then a troll.”

“Yep.” Buildrick nodded, before planting his feet in, and tugging. This time, Alef could see a fish fin in the water. Buildrick planted his feet in, pulling hard. The fish struggled, its tall blue fin rising out of the water. Was that- Alef didn’t know what it was. His own land was rather landlocked, so ocean fish were a rare delicacy. Even in Rimuldar he had no clue what to order, and ended up ordering nothing fish related. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, tuna would be so good- c’mon!”

Alef started to reach out to assist, but it was a bit like he wasn’t there at all as Buildrick lifted his arms and pulled hard. The fish came flopping out of the water. Alef stared at the silvery scales with long yellow stripes. Buildrick grunted as he hefted it up. “This one is heftier then most I catch. It could probably feed us for a few days. Oh, Alef, your rod.”

Alef turned back to his own rod, as it dipped under the weight of whatever was pulling on it. He snagged the rod, pulling at it. On the other end, the creature or monster began to struggle, straining against the rod. Alef could hear the wood creaking, as the line went taunt. Alef pulled experimentally, testing on the wood and string. Then, he pulled.

An eight armed beast waved its tentacles at him. It looked a bit like a Lunatik, except it had two eyes. “Ah, an octopus! Makes for good frying.” Buildrick said, leaning over his shoulder. “Do you want to eat it tonight or tomorrow?”

“I- Well- We have the tuna and the crab. I wouldn’t want you to have to overwork yourself if the prep work is a lot.”

“No, not really.” Buildrick said. “Octopus is easy enough to prepare.”

He hauled the tuna up to the small table he’d pulled out of his back. It landed with a thud, and Buildrick pulled out a cooking knife. Alef made sure he had the fishing pole tucked under one arm this time as he watched. The head was chopped off, but the eyes dug out and tossed into soup. A long, lengthwise cut gave Buildrick access to internal organs. The heart was put onto a skewer, the intestines were rinsed out and filled with the ground up liver to make mini sausages-

Alef wasn’t aware when he started drooling, but he certainly was.

The smell was almost overwhelming.

But-

His head popped up, swiveling to where a few guards had started picking their way closer to them on the river side. Buildrick didn’t notice, too deep into the octopus preparation. Alef stood up slowly, wondering if they had done something illegal. He couldn’t think of anything but you could never tell.

Their voices drifted in on the wind. “You can’t just go up to them and beg for food.”

“Wrong, you won’t, but I will.”

“We’re guards of the Kingdom for Godesses sake! Not beggars!”

“We also have been eating nothing but potatoes for the past month because they’ve sent neither relief nor food supplies this entire time. I am not going to demand it, I will pay for it! I have a years worth of pay!”

“I- Well that’s- You- Ahhhh, it really does smell good right?”

Ah, so two hungry guards looking for a handout?

Alef turned back- to four sets of crockery already set out on the table as tuna steaks sizzled in a pan. Buildrick sure liked making stuff when his back was turned or something. Alef had been unaware they even owned four sets of crockery. The guards drew closer, and now, Alef could see the difference between the last time he had passed through. Clothes hung awkwardly on thin bodies, as sunken eyes stared hopefully at the cooking food. They really hadn’t looked that starved the last time he had passed by just a few months ago. Which meant there was quite a bit going wrong.

“I could hear the hungry stomachs grumbling from way back. Sit down.” Buildrick said, cutting the octopus in half. “Alef, you’ve never had octopus before, right?”

“Th-That’s right.”

“Since it’s one you caught, do you want it roasted or boiled? Or both?”

“Both?”

“Both it is. Here, split this tuna steak between the three of you. No need to look like that it’s just for now. More is coming up. Soup and grilled octopus. Plus there’s bread. Though I don’t know how well it goes with seafood soup.”

The guard that had brought the money swallowed, and tried to smile, “No, if possible, I’d like to buy some for the rest as well.”

“How many?”

“Just ten of us in total.”

“Eh, easy enough to give you guys at least one meal and we’ll see about getting you setup for later.” Buildrick waved it off. “Might as well take a bite now.”

The guards needed no further urging. They immediately began stuffing their faces without holding back. Buildrick seemed to soften a bit at the sight, as another tuna steak was flicked into the pot. But still, even though Buildrick seemed happy, Alef couldn’t help but think the food didn’t taste all that good. He might just not like seafood however-

“Something the matter?” Buildrick questioned as he slid a bowl with a few octopus tentacles floating in the top. Half a grilled octopus was also held out to him. “Here, have the spoils of your fishing victory.”

Alef took the octopus, nibbling at the food. It was delicious, he thought, as a whole tuna steak was slid his way. He was being spoiled with extra food and attention. When Buildrick slid him his food, he couldn’t help but think the food was extra delicious.

The light was beginning to wane, when everyone leaned back from the food satisfied. Buildrick began the breakdown process as Alef and the two guards loosened their belts.

Since it seemed like they would be spending the night in a proper bed, Alef didn’t feel bad about lifting his hand and chanting, “Luminos!”

The golden orbs of light flared to life, a soft and gentle glow lighting up the surrounding area. Buildrick stared at them for the longest second, before returning back to work. Alef wondered what was going on for a brief moment, but the guards chatter took his attention away as they surrounded him, mobbing him with innocent, but many, questions.

The guardhouse was lit up, at the edge of the bridge. The stone windows were just slits without any glass, as wane torchlight spilled out into the night. There were plenty of hungry eyes staring at them. Alef found his hand stealing to his sword as the guards stared. “Yo, I hear you need food.” Buildrick announced. “Where’s the kitchen.”

They were led through a bare room. There were a few tables with drinking bottles piled up high enough to be a mess. The paper beneath them was probably illegible. The plates were still stacked neatly, but there was a spot of blood, and the shattered remains of a plate. Someone had gone berserk from the lack of food, and attacked a companion huh? Alef didn’t like this one bit.

The kitchen was a pretty small room- the oven was burning low, with a stack of potatoes along the edge. All of the crates and barrels were empty. No flour, no vegetables, not even pickled fish. When they had said they were in dire straights, they hadn’t been joking. Without thinking about it, Alef took up position at the doors entrance to rebuff any visitors. He didn’t trust those eyes, a deep-seated emotion he couldn’t shake off that if he left Buildrick unguarded the man would be stabbed in the back. “So who’s the usual cook?” Buildrick questioned, “Do you guys know how to fish?”

“I know how to fish.” A young soldier lifted his hand, leaning in around but not passing Alef’s protective bulk. “I did it often in Rimuldar, but about half the time I fish up monsters now instead of fish. The crab monsters are the worst since you can’t cook them. Ah, that’s right, you can call me Nol.”

“Wrong. Alright, let’s start with fishing, and then I’ll show you what you can do with each monster. It looks like you guys have run out of torches pretty much as well.” Buildrick announced. The fire in the oven flared to life, before banking down.

Alef followed quietly, eyes on the men that watched in great interest. Buildrick and Nob setup small fishing stations. Their lines bobbed in the waves- Nob was a better fisherman then Buildrick, because he cursed quietly. “Slime on my line.”

“Reel it in.”

“But-”

“Do you want something other then baked potatoes?”

“...Yes.”

“Reel it in. Slime oil makes for great frying and torch making. We’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

Buildrick, for all of the wry faces he liked to pull, was a surprisingly good teacher. The guards crowded around close, a small knot of helmets chattering about Buildrick’s guidance on how to eat a monster. Scraping out the intestines, using the meat as a stock for a pot of water, using cut up chunks of potato that still had their peelings on them as they held the most nutrients.

The potato patch was expanded- Wheat seeds and butterbean seeds were planted. Alef continued to keep watch as the small guard house was transformed into a mostly independent tower. While it wouldn’t be able to support itself forever, it would be able to do so for much much longer.

It was near midnight by the time they were allowed to go to bed. Buildrick looked as ready to go as he always did, but allowed himself to be ushered off to bed. Alef still couldn’t quite bring himself to trust the soldiers. Their eyes reminded him of the ghost eyes. Speaking of ghosts, they hadn’t interrupted once this night. Usually the ghosts came out the second darkness fell.

A small store room had been cleared out for them, ornamental swords and spears stacked in crates piled up haphazardly against the wall. Alef shoved a few boxes with his foot against the door. There was the chance they’d be trapped by fire, but he figured he could deal with it at that time. Buildrick settled onto the small cot, pulling out the tapestry he’d been picking away at for weeks now.

And Alef pulled out his journal.

It didn’t really have all that much in it. He hadn’t yet dared to write down his dreams other then little fragments of how his dreams made him feel. If he paged back, he could see the rise and dip of how he regarded the dreams as either nightmares or release from duty depending on his mood. He kept track of what Buildrick had made that day, a few fragments of conversations that made him laugh, the things he threw his hands up at and gave up on. But today was a quiet day even with the visit to the shrine. Still, he picked up his pen, hesitating on what to write.

What Buildrick had shown him about fishing? It was a bit inane, but, it was a shining moment. He had messed up, and nothing bad had happened. Buildrick had shrugged and moved on. It was nothing to him. He could make anything, and Alef was beginning to wonder if he just gave up here if it would be okay.

Certainly, Buildrick’s style of fighting had drawn uneasy whispers from the guards, but it had been brushed aside in seconds with the promise of food. Buildrick was deft with a knife when it came to cooking. Deft hands at seemingly anything, and Alef wasn’t sure what he was providing in return.

Like right now, when Buildrick set aside the tapestry to shove the beds together because he realized Alef wouldn’t fit on one, and took up his sewing again. This time in the corner so Alef could squeeze in. Alef settled onto the bed, feeling the cold emanating from Buildrick.

Had the guards noticed when they crowded around close? It was a worry. But still-

“Are we headed off to Kol tomorrow?” Buildrick questioned, eyes flicking up from his sewing. Alef could make out a cracked stone in orange thread on the tapestry.

“Yes, there were a few things I wanted to check in the caverns, and I thought I might be strong enough to see what was behind the steel doors.”

“Steel doors?” Buildrick repeated, his sewing unstopping.

“Yes. There was a guard I met, grievously injured saying that there was a dragon protecting the princess. I… wished to confirm it for myself.”

Buildrick was already pulling a sour face. “A dragon huh? Those things are really tough.”

“You’ve faced a dragon before?” Alef questioned. He supposed he shouldn’t be that surprised. Buildrick was just a bit… different. And Buildrick had shown him many monsters that he hadn’t known existed- hiding away from humanity perhaps? Either way, the facets of the monsters side of the war was beginning to change in his mind, as monsters he never knew could talk began to talk. The hammerhoods waving out their overwhelming joy with their hammers as thanks for the food, the Killer Machine that apologized for being unable to help, the slime that spoke of the original lyre player with such wistful tones- monsters had their own byplay against the Dragon Lord.

Where Buildrick fell, Alef wasn’t certain but at this point, he was willing to follow him. Since Buildrick had smashed a skeleton over the head with a cypress stick half naked in the woods. Though, why- “Buildrick, why were you in the woods up at Galenholm naked?” He didn’t think Buildrick had been betrayed.

“That- I wonder why? My memories of getting there are pretty hazy.” Buildrick said after a moment, “One minute I was… celebrating and waiting. Then, I was in the woods around Galenholm. Though I could kind of guess the reason why when I realized what was going on up above.”

Hmmm, he didn’t think Buildrick was lying to him, but how could such a thing happen? And the reason was, “What reason could you guess?”

“To make.” Buildrick said calmly, “After all, that’s the job of a builder.”

Make what? The end of the world? Alef wondered- “I have to say though, it’s nice to travel together with a friend.”

“A friend?” Alef questioned reflexively. His heart picked up at the thought.

Buildrick’s head tilted to the side, face not moving as he questioned, “Is that not what we are? Or do you not-”

“No, no! Friends is correct!” Alef interrupted. Friend- he’d never had a friend before. His Guardian was far too stern, and his life too organized for that point. Was it pathetic? Probably. But…

Buildrick’s smile at him was small but heartfelt. He could feel himself going red around his ears, as he looked away. Alef coughed into his fist, mumbling something about sleep. Buidlrick’s cold back touched his, as he stared into the dark room for a long, long time.

Chapter Text

Rubiss sure didn’t know how to shut up. Even if Buildrick was already asleep and dreaming, he mentally rolled over, pressing his hands against his ears as Rubiss practically yelled at him to ‘Come back right now’! She knew, and he knew, he didn’t listen. He listened only when the fancy took him, and not before that.

Rubiss’s presence leaned over him, “You are not going to survive much longer.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He knew that.

“You were never destined to live very long in the first place. But this, this is pushing it. I do not wish to see you eaten alive by monsters.”

Eaten alive huh- that didn’t sound very delicious. Rather then that they should definitely clean the meat. “Please. Please my child.” She was begging, “Come back to me. You cannot change the past.”

Morning dawned. With it, his link to the Goddess vanished.

Buildrick wondered if he should say something. Alef was curled around him, and the Sun Stone was nestled against his stomach. Between the two, wrapped up in a thick blanket, Buildrick was hot. While he didn’t mind the heat, the Sun Stone probably shouldn’t be pulled out to be used as a heater. He could fix it, but it’d be hard. His hands were really going downhill.

The tapestry making was going poorly. He could embroider, though it had never been something he’d particularly enjoyed. But he could see the mistakes beginning to crop up. It might just be his own paranoia, but everything he stitched was a recipe. How to combine medical leaves, how to use slime oil to make a torch, how to make a colossal coffer- many things. They may or may not be needed. He might not be needed.

Alef was stronger then anyone he’d ever met before except maybe… The Dragon Lord?

The memories were fighting the Dragon Lord were honestly rather on the fuzzy side. He’d been dying even when he went to face the monster. Releasing the Ball of Light- he didn’t know how to explain it, but he could feel his life fading away. Little scraps that slipped through his fingers. He’d felt better when he arrived in the woods, but he could definitely tell- his time was falling from him faster then he expected. Which just meant he had to work harder and faster. A speed run?

Alef said he had a good idea where the armor was located, but they were both stumped on where the sword could be located. Not even the slightest of rumors. Also- Princess? He and Gwaelin had talked some. But never much about the before times. It hurt too much, and there was too much to do always. He had been the one to convince her to make a throne room. She was the Queen- except now she was the Princess-

It was too much to bother thinking about, Buildrick thought, so he stopped thinking about it. Instead Buildrick sat up, carefully cradling the Sun Stone. Alef reacted almost instantaneously, arm hooking around him like solid steel and bringing him back under his protective bulk. The last time he’d been that thoroughly pinned was when he was in a fight against the Dragon Lord as teeth ground against armor and found their way into soft flesh.

This was a lot better. A soft bed, warm blankets and sleepy eyes that blinked open. Alef’s head craned back towards the door, still blockaded off. “I fell asleep.” He mumbled, arm rising. Buildrick sat up again, still cradling the Sun Stone. He shook off the pile of blankets- Somehow none of them were on Alef.

“Weren’t you cold?” Buildrick questioned.

“No.” Alef said, his smile shooting straight through his heart, “I’m more likely to be hot then cold.”

“I’m surprised you don’t overheat when you have to share the space with me then.” Buildrick replied. He quickly folded the blankets, sliding them into his bag, before pausing at an extra one. Alef took it out of his hands- when had he- Well, Buildrick figured, putting the Sun Stone back in Alef’s bag, he had probably stolen the blanket sometime during the night. He liked his cocoon of blankets, though he could sleep without them. Alef shoved aside the boxes causally, and opened the door.

Bright, cheerful faces greeted them. Nob waved from where he was filleting fish, as Maurice chopped potatoes and dipped them in bubbling slime oil. Jack and Jill were standing on the bridge, wearily straggling back from the night’s guard duty. He couldn’t see the others, they were probably still in bed and asleep with a full stomach. “So where are you two headed?” Maurice questioned, hands not stopping his chopping.

“Kol. And south down that way.”

“Ahhh, that’s right, the caverns right? Be careful down that way. The force that went out to rescue the princess didn’t make it.”

“No?”

There were grim headshakes all around. “No. The King he sent off a newbie platoon for some reason, and shut down traveling. Yammering on and on about the Sage’s old foggerty crap.” Maurice’s voice was particularly raw, the edge shaking from repressed emotions.

Nob’s voice lowered, “His son was one of those that didn’t make it.”

Ah.

Maurice continued cutting, the mood completely killed now. Buildrick continued, “So the King sent a new platoon and-”

“They all died. So he shut down all travel between towns. We’re supposed to stop normal townsfolk from traveling. Instead they should be using the Colossal Coffers to be communicating.” Maurice snapped, “I’m surprised you missed it.”

“I woke up naked in a forest. I missed a lot.”

The startled a chuckle out of Maurice. The knife in his hand shook, as he put down down the knife. One hand covered his face. “Did- Did you r-really wake up naked in the forest?”

“It was my third time waking up naked.” Buildrick announced. Well, he hadn’t exactly been keeping track, it was still about that much. “Lucky I didn’t wake up in a poison swamp this time.”

Nob looked horrified. Maurice’s shoulders were shaking so hard he could barely contain himself. “What- hee hee- What were you doing to wake up naked?”

“When I figure it out myself I’ll let you know. I started traveling with my clothes on, and by the time I got to my destination they were all gone.” The teleportal was pretty odd in what it would and wouldn’t allow.

The choked back laughter was beginning to die down now. “Even though your face looks like a bowl of potatoes, you actually get up to a lot of fun don’t you?”

Fun? It was- “Yeah, it was fun. It doesn't matter if I get dumped out in the woods naked. I mean, I dislike it, but I’m pretty confident in coming out on top.” One day, he and Rubiss were going to have a conversation about dumping him naked in new lands, but he got the feeling from last nights late chat he wasn’t meant to be here.

Well, meant to be or not, his job didn’t change.

“Well, you really did help us out. Anything I can do for you in return?”

“Yeah, I thought I heard Kol was a place of mining, but Alef tells me no?”

“Ah, since the King shut down all travel, that meant the mines as well. It’s part of the reason why prices have been climbing recently for weapons and such. There’s always those who try to fight their way through anyways, and fall to the monsters. But since the King’s orders say no groups are supposed to be leaving...”

“Is that so? Alef and I left Galenholm and Tangateal pretty easily though. I guess Trystain must have said something. Or Launce.”

“Is that so? Galenholm might be different, but those two have some degree of pull on the guards at the castle. Enough that they’ll look the other way.” Maurice mumbled. “I’m surprised you got out of Galenholm. But- did they not give you anything?”

“A letter for Sir Reginald Graynes for if we go down to Cantalin.”

“Ah! The commander! He got demoted down to Cantalin after he fought with the King about which platoon to use to retrieve the Princess.” Maurice tapped his fingers against the table, before abruptly standing up. Buildrick wondered if he was about to be sent on another quest. “If you meet with Sir Graynes, would you deliver my letter as well?”

“A letter?” Buildrick questioned.

“Yes. The roads are cut off even for the soldiers because the Kings st- questionable decisions, and there have been many things I have been writing in hopes of informing him soon. Even if you could take it to Rimuldar and drop the letters off at the Coffers would be good. I believe Kol’s was destroyed.” Maurice slapped a stack of letters at least ten deep on the table. “This should alert him to the King’s decisions and how to best mitigate the worst side effects.”

Alef spoke up for the first time. “So you don’t agree with the King’s decision?”

“I don’t agree with his decision to close the roads.” Maurice stated firmly. “While it does protect a number of the citizens, it also isolates the towns. The coffers are no replacement for actual travel. Moreover, while monster numbers have increased, it isn’t as if there haven't always been monsters on the road. And closing down the mines was quite… egregious of him. However, the one in charge of the mines is quite the character. Convincing them to reopen would be about nearly impossible.”

“What do you think it would take?” Buildrick questioned. He needed to get into the mines. There were rare materials, and he needed them.

“Probably a crown or something knowing that guy.” Jill said sourly, “When we were back in the Kingdom, when it was midnight sometimes he liked to sit in the King’s Throne and have a laugh to himself.”

“Jill, don’t say that. Do you want to get demoted to the wilderlands?” Jack hissed.

Political play was rather a bit above his head. But Alef at least seemed to be keeping up with it, as his eyes flickered back and forth between the arguing soldiers. Buildrick had only just woken up, but the more boring the conversation was, the more likely he was to fall asleep. He could already feel his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. He thought he made a pretty good stab at it, and yet...

Buildrick woke up about a hour later, curled up against Alef’s side. Alef and Maurice were still talking, Alef pointing out how monsters had moved on a old map laid out on the table. Alef had shifted, using his cloak as a way to shield him from the bright light, as the two animatedly talked. Buildrick forced himself to sit up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Too boring for you eh? Can’t say I blame you.” Nob grumbled. He was leaning against the table on the other side, staring at the map with a bit of a disappointed face. “Honestly, it doesn’t seem like the Dragon Lord is making that many moves. More like he’s still forming his army.”

That would make sense. The towns were still standing. And they hadn’t been attacked until whoever the hero was, had come to the Dragon Lord’s side. No telling the length of time between the two however.

“Yet- Trolls were looking to join the army isn’t good. There hasn’t been many reports of them, but they take nearly a whole platoon in and of themselves to take out.” Maurice mumbled. “It would be a good idea to report this to the soldiers at Kol.”

Alef definitely hesitated at that. Buildrick wondered why, as he reached into his bag. “Can you summarize it in a letter?” Buildrick questioned, rummaging for his fishing rod.

“Aye, I can do that. Why don’t you two go out fishing or something to stock up on your own journey while I do? I promised you gold, but as you can see food is in much smaller supply.”

“More fishing huh?” Buildrick mumbled, “There should be plenty of other kinds of fish.”

Nob leaned in now, holding his fishing rod again. “In the river you’ll find mostly Salmon, though since the water is brackish you can find sea animals. It’s not that often though, I’m honestly surprised that you managed to get a Tuna so far up the river.”

“Probably because the slimes in the water were chasing it.” Buildrick said after a second.

Nob nodded, as the two of them settled at the bridge edge. Their lines bobbed in the water. Alef leaned against the railing, eyeing him speculatively. Well, he had already told Alef he was no mind reader. So he wasn’t going to say anything either. Instead he flicked his fishing rod up and down, waiting for the fish to nibble. Nob was a much better fisherman then him. He quickly started reeling in fish, where Buildrick was left without a nibble.

Nob certainly seemed to notice. “Here- make sure you’re going more to the rocks.”

“Better in that direction?”

“Yeah. You weren’t taught a lot on it, were ya?”

“No. I was basically told how to make a fishing rod and turned out on my own.”

Nob whistled, low and soft in stunned surprise. “That was pretty cruel of them eh? Fishing’s usually handed down from parent to child.”

“Well, I wouldn’t really call us friends. They were slacking off from work, and offered a trade. I’d repair their hideaway and they’d teach me how to basically fish and make a fishing rod.”

Alef shifted, “Was that- Ah, never-mind. I’ll ask again later.” He seemed to be thinking something over.

Nob chuckled as he gestured to him to come closer. “Here, I’ll teach you some tricks.”

Well, Buildrick did love learning all kinds of new things. So he scooted closer. Nob leaned in, picking up the line. Somehow, the feeling back at the castle was returning. A powerfully overwhelming feeling of being watched. It put him a bit on edge from the intensity of it. He lifted his head-

Ah, Alef must be feeling left out.

“Alef, come and join us.”

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt.” Alef said which meant he wanted to join in but was demurring.

Nob laughed loudly as he swished his fishing rod. “Don’t be silly, I was the best fisherman in town you know!”

“Is that saying much?” Buildrick questioned reflexively.

Nob sighed, “Your distrust in my skills makes me sad. I’ll show you both how to fish!”

Alef drifted closer, leaning against Buildrick as Nob went off on wild explanations. It actually was pretty useful information, and Nob had a knack. It wasn’t so boring he would fall asleep in the middle of the conversation.

“Did you catch anything?” Maurice questioned, holding a letter that looked more like a book. Buildrick was pretty certain that it was as thick as the Catilan Chronicles. How in the world had the man written that much in such a short amount of time? Except he guessed it wasn’t that short of a time, because the sun was now nearly to it’s tallest height.

“No. Nob was teaching us the ins and outs of fishing.” Buildrick said. Alef stopped leaning on him, the loss leaving him feeling a bit cold.

“Ah, Well-” Maurice hesitated, glancing back to his storage rooms. Buildrick stashed away his fishing rod.

“We’ll find plenty on the food. It looks to be all forest except some desert.” Forests meant mushrooms, and plenty of monsters to chop up and eat.

“Aye. You shouldn’t have any need to wander into the desert so you should be fine.” Maurice seemed rather relieved about something.

Buildrick pulled himself back onto the bridge proper. “No King Slime today. Maybe I’ll fish it up another day.”

Alef took the letter, and passed it over to Buildrick. Buildrick slid it into his bag, and picked up his hammer. “Then, shall we get going Alef?”

“Yes, let’s.” Alef nodded, as he adjusted his own weapon. The guards waved goodbye as they set off down the road. It didn’t take long to get into the forest proper.

It was quite a bit different from what he had originally been expecting. The ground was no longer covered in barren scrub-land. Buildrick could see plenty of small huts with abandoned carts next to them. A transportation system for extra metals probably. The tall mountains to the north rose impressively. They were taller then when he’d last seen them- when the Dragonlord had carved apart the continents, had he chopped down the mountains as well?

Buildrick’s head turned at the sound of flapping wings.

A drakey. This one was big- and purple. So this was where they were at huh? Buildrick unslung his hammer, eyes on the monster. Alef spoke up right behind him, “So, what about this monster are you hunting?”

“Ah, it almost always has milk pouch in it. So if you kill it, and then churn the milk, you get butter.”

“I-Is that different from cow butter?” Alef questioned.

Cow? He’d… never seen a cow before. Hmmm. “I’m not sure. I never had cow butter I don’t think.”

“Well-” Alef was hesitating, “When we get to Kol we can get butter there. They should have some cows.”

Buildrick nodded- and froze as Alef’s sword went whistling past his hear to stab into the Drackey that had come creeping up on them. Alef was quite good- he missed piercing the sack of milk in the body despite having no idea where it was. Instead he pierced through a wing. The drackey hissed, pulling its wing away, not minding the painful looking split. It dripped acidic blood that sizzled as it hit the forest floor. It screeched, magic forming in the air.

Something to put them to sleep. Buildrick backed out of the circle of magic, Alef right behind him. The Drackey charged through its own magic, unaffected by it.

Alef brought his sword down, piercing through its body. It dropped to the ground, silent and still. Buildrick hummed as he picked up the monster. The milk sack was unbroken as he slit open the monsters stomach. He pulled it out and put it to the side. The meat wasn’t any good for eating due to the blood. But, he still made sure to hack it into smaller pieces to scatter into the forest for the bugs. Then, he picked up the milk sack.

It was already half butter from the rather rough treatment. Buildrick began the churning. It was basically massaging the bag with his fingers. Drackey milk was pretty rich- rich enough that he didn’t actually need milk to make cake. Pancakes as well were just fine being made with drakey butter.

They continued on.

Buildrick could sort of recognize landmarks. A large stone here or there, that he had destroyed many years in the future for making stone walls to keep out monsters. Over there, into the desert, ought to be a troll. It was missing. Further south would be- “Hmmm, Dragon territory huh?”

“Oh? Have you seen Dragons before?”

Buildrick nodded. When he had been here last, it had been a desert wasteland scrub instead of a forested miner path. The mountain range had been full of mines, though those mines were empty of nearly all metals. Instead, the mountains they just emerged from had more.

But still, Dragons. Buildrick figured he could probably handle them. Unlike previously, when he was unable to take any of his materials with him, this time he had quite a few bombs stashed away. Though he’d have to make sure Alef stood clear of the blast. Even with the bombs however- “They are really hard to slay. But I suppose if I keep blowing them up it will all work out.”

Alef nodded, thinking it over. “Well, let’s be careful of them. Do you want to go to the mines, or to Kol itself proper?”

“I guess to Kol proper so we can drop off the letter, and then on to the mines? Maybe we can learn more about how to bribe the guards into letting us into the mines. Though I wonder if the miners would actually want to return to work.”

When he had been in Kol previously, they hadn’t actually ever mined before- too busy staging a resistance against the Dragonlord, and surviving. He’d found many bodies littering the ground in monster-made castles, unable to be buried just due to the sheer amount of monsters that made it impossible to extract the bodies. Trolls, Mad Knights and Living armors, Ledgermen slinging spells- the monsters were thick, and bodies were heavy. It was far more important to grab those who were still alive and sling them onto a bed to recover. The living were far more important then the dead.

Barbella spoke in wistful tones of retrieving the bodies and making a graveyard after the sun came back. When they could fight through the hordes and start driving them back.

Buildrick blinked as Alef began to slow down at the curve of the mountain. It was starting to get late, and the spot was a good one. But there was still a bit of sun in the sky, though there was a small mountain stream trickling past…

It looked like a good place to stop and fish and restock on food. And he knew that on the other side of the mountains would be the town. In this age, there was no gate in the middle of the mountain range. No monsters besieging a single town for daring to stand up against the Dragonlord.

Buildrick began shoring up dirt as Alef cleared away twigs and dry brush for a firepit. As they worked, Alef questioned, “About that letter-”

“Oh, for the guards?”

“Yes. Are you going to hand it over?”

“Yeah, sure thing. It seemed like something important to do.” Buildrick shrugged. “You’d know more about the details since I took a nap in the middle of it.”

Alef nodded slowly, his eyes on him. Buildrick ignored it, continuing his work at building just a quick sod house with just two mattresses inside. They settled in around the fire in companionable silence, Buildrick still poking at the thought of Kol in his mind.

A lot of times, people changed. Drastically. When he had first gone to Kol, they were suspicious and wary of him, but willing to do what it took to get back to fighting with Barbella at their head. Gallenholm had been completely razed to the ground. He had really been in the castle town proper, but the guards hadn’t changed that much- they were mostly unhelpful. The only ones willing to brave the wilds were really-

“I don’t wanna camp out in the darkness! It’s too scary!”

The deep male voice was rather high pitched from fear. There was a solid sound of a fist connecting with an arm, “Ahhhh, quit yer winning would ya? Do you want money?”

“Yes.”

“You want to mine?”

“Yes.”

“Then we gotta find a new way to sneak around the guards! We’re the two of the sneakiest that’s why we got sent.”

They were actually about as sneaky as a gigantes stomping through the desert, but nevertheless- Buildrick could feel a smile tugging at his lips as he stood up. Alef was on guard, hand on his sword, as Buildrick followed the arguing voices. In a small mountain path most people would never take in a million years were two miners. Their huge hammers were slung over their shoulders, as their yellow masks kept Buildrick from reading their faces. But even from here, Buildrick could see them squaring up for a fight.

“Hey.” Buildrick called out, approaching slowly, “You guys looking to get into the mines as well?”

The miners stopped their battle, masked faces turning to him. “And who are you?” One of them questioned rather suspiciously.

“Buildrick. And this one is Alef.”

“Alef eh? Somehow that name sounds familiar. But wots innit for you?” One of the miners questioned suspiciously, “You ain’t a miner with those skinny little arms.”

“No, I’m not a miner, just a Builder.”

“Builder! Wot, I thought yer kind was just about gone.” One of the miners said, suspicion growing even further. “You ain’t sent here by the King are ya? Or one of those hero guys?”

“No, I’m not.” Alef was, but Buildrick wasn’t.

The two put their heads together, voices lowering. They were still loud enough that their attempts at whispering were meaningless. “Wot do you think?”

“The little guy we could take iffin it came to a fight, but the big guy I dunno.”

“Ya think they came from the King?”

“Nah, no way. What kind of King would trust someone with a face like that?”

Well- Buildrick glanced up at Alef giving him a thumbs up. “I think they’re gonna let us in.”

Alef grimaced.

Chapter Text

The miners were driving him crazy.

Alef really wanted to bury his face in his hands as the miners cheered (as soft as they could which wasn’t that soft) when Buildrick served them up some food. They had more then enough food on them. Sort of. They seemed to of not talked about what they were going to pack, and they each brought about fifty bottles of alcohol to drink, and about ten steaks to eat. But that was about it. Alef got the feeling that the miner’s quest for a secret passage may of ended in tears if they hadn’t stumbled over each other.

Buildrick passed over food easily, as the Miners ripped in. Their masks had a flap to allow for them to eat and drink without taking off their masks. It was the first time Alef had noticed that. Despite himself, he was a bit curious. What would make the miners hide their faces so thoroughly?

“So, you were looking to sneak into the mines?” Buildrick questioned, sliding the meat pattie between two slices of bread. He called it a burger- it wasn’t from around the area whatever else.

The miners nodded, mouths too full to even speak. Alef edged closer to Buildrick. One of them swallowed, and took a deep swig of the alcohol. “Yeah, it’s been too long! We can’t go without mining for much longer! We wanna work! And earn money! So we can drink!”

“Drink huh?” Buildrick picked up a bottle, inspecting it.

“You shouldn’t drink it kiddo. You look like a lightweight.”

“I’ll try it when I get to Kol then.” Buildrick murmured, setting it back down. Alef was a bit surprised- had Buildrick never had alcohol before? The miners didn’t seem to notice, too busy stuffing their faces again. Though if he thought about it- they hadn’t really spent the night anywhere where there was a chance to get alcohol. But even before that?

What kind of life had Buildrick lived?

Buildrick leaned forward, regarding the two. “So, Latismus. Delmus. Where were you thinking you could break into the mines?”

“Well, ya see, we can’t really circle around the mountains because there’s a poison swamp on the other end.”

There was indeed, though Alef hadn’t seen a mine entrance down that way- he had seen a destroyed bridge that used to connect Kol and Rimuldar. But no mine entrance.

“So we were thinking- the mountains are always riddled full of caverns. If we can get a few new entrances, we can start skipping from entrance to entrance when the guards come to bust us.”

“And how are you going to haul all of it home?”

“Well- we’ve got a woodworker in the village. If we smuggle them out, they can help us make a few new mine cart roads to town. It would be better if we could access the colossal coffers in the mines where we used to. Then from there we could access it in Kol and ship it out to the other towns.”

Buildrick was tapping his fingers against a rock, probably calculating how much effort building the coffer in Galenholm took. He grimaced, indicating that it wasn’t that easy. “Doing it like that sounds a bit of a pain.”

“You agree eh? It’s a lot easier to ship the metal out on carts and horses. But the monsters have been targeting horses like crazy. All the ones in this area are all eaten. There’s supposed to be a few wild herds left across the oceans, but those lands are just monster-infested wilderness. Nobody except bandits live over there. So they’ll have to be eventually shipped over once the Dragon Lord is over with.”

They made it sound so easy to kill off the Dragon Lord. Even though they weren’t the ones fighting it.

One of them abruptly picked up their hammer. At the same second, Alef turned, sword flicking out of its sheathe as a ghost swirled into being above Buildrick’s head. Alef could see its hands clasping together, to bring it down on Buildrick’s head. Buildrick hissed in pain as he scrambled away from his sitting spot, hands falling on his own hammer. The miner’s hammer went whistling through the night air onto the ghost. It was sent spinning into the forest.

“Alright, strike!” The miner cheered, “I ain’t lost my monster mashing touch even wiv the long break!”

Buildrick glanced around the forest, on guard now.

“We should get into shelter and continue the conversation tomorrow.” Buildrick grumbled.

“Wot? You’re speaking like you get attacked by a ghost every night.”

“Is… Isn’t that normal?” Buildrick questioned. “They’ve always followed me around as far back as I can remember.”

“Did ya do something to make monsters hate you in particular?” Latismus – Alef thinks- asked questioningly. Buildrick hummed, looking up at the gray night sky.

“I guess… I woke up?”

“Must’ve woken up somewhere pretty terrible to get ghosts haunting your every step.” Delmus said dryly. There was another ghost beginning to crawl out of the darkness. It eyed Buildrick greedily, clawed fingers flexing in the firelight.

“Well, they’re a little more persistent then normal tonight.” Buildrick mentioned. “Usually they give up after one or two swipes and they get killed. Once I duck into shelters, they can’t see me.”

Alef nodded. They had lost track of time with having two new people in their group for the night. Buildrick had expanded the sod house, but all four beds were close together. It’d be a tight squeeze for the night.

But the two miners seemed rather chuffed by the small sod house and woven grass beds. They slapped Buildrick’s back hard enough to send him stumbling. “Close quarters eh? Just the way we liked it!”

Crammed in together, Buildrick wasn’t really able to work on his tapestry. Alef found himself at the door, Buildrick snuggled in-between the two miners. Alef wondered if his face showed how unhappy he was. He didn’t want to tip off the miners about Buildrick’s less then human status, but it was pretty clear just from how cold he was at night.

Except the two of them were fussing over Buildrick like he was a child, tutting softly, “Eh, aren’t you pretty cold? You’ll catch yer death from a cold if you don’t bundle up. At least, that’s what I was told as a kid.”

Buildrick grumbled, “I won’t catch a cold.”

Alef could faintly remember a saying from childhood about fools not catching colds. He couldn’t quite remember it, and it was nothing he could do anything about as all three fell asleep. Just immediately. Was that a skill that most people had? Alef puzzled over it for a moment- he was never able to just close his eyes and sleep. He was actually a bit envious of their ability to do so.

Alef shifted up against the wall. The two miners were sprawled out, a tangle of limbs that spread across the whole sod house. Buildrick remained still, straight as a board, and unmoving. Alef sighed, as he settled down. He didn’t really have anything he wanted to write today. So he would just leave it be.

Latismus and Delmus were sitting in tired heaps a the edge of the building. Latismus had his arm bound in a cast, as Delmus nursed a black eye. In his dream, their edges were fuzzy, like he wasn’t really looking at them. But, he could recognize them to a degree. Their voices were familiar as they talked about how the guards had chased them away from the mines.

Beside him, a giant hand and just the peeking out of a head made of lava emerged. The intense heat started to set fire to Kol, as he elvelled his sword.

No. This wasn’t him.

Alef wasn’t going to burn down Kol. And he wasn’t-

Latismus fell to his knees, sword pierced all the way through him. The magical hammer slipped through hands that could no longer grip as his body slumped forward. Delmus was running away- no, not running away, Alef recognized in the back of his brain- he was running towards the villagers trapped by a small circle of monsters, using his body as a shield so they could escape into the burning forest. More and more hands made of mud began to erupt from the ground, dragging down those not quick enough- or strong enough- to break free. Knight Armor with nothing inside marched into town alongside Killer Machines that creaked with every step. Every human they saw, they killed. Most scattered into the burning forest, carrying whoever they could.

Alef stood at the entrance, before turning to the giant hand. “This is yours now.”

It gave him a thumbs up of understanding, before sinking into the ground.

Lava began to bubble forth, shooting hot, poisonous streams of gas into the air. The trees vanished quickly, as Alef tossed the flute he had sent monsters to sleep with into the fire. The Sun Stone was lifted in one hand, and cracked in half. One half went to the lava monster, the other half left alone for now.

Above, the Dragon Lord circled the city with lazy wing-beats. Gigantic, overwhelming, his power unmatched. The land shook as his claws reached out. Mountains were suddenly copped in half, and disappeared- the material flung elsewhere. Precious metals, ones that humans spent their whole lives grubbing for were teleported away to somewhere else. The sea rushed into the giant chasms made. Alef didn’t have a clear view of the Sage’s Temple, but he could well guess that it was reduced to rubble in seconds.

Alef turned away. He could hear the screams of people being burnt alive, but it was second to the powerful majesty of purple scales flashing in the light as the Dragon Lord banked and turned back to the castle. He watched, heart pounding, as the Dragon Lord vanished from sight.

Alef shot up in bed, heart going a thousand beats a minute.

That was the first time.

That was the first time he’d dreamed of actually murdering someone he knew. He didn’t know them well, but-

His head turned.

Latismus and Delmus were sleeping sideways on their bed, using Buildrick as a pillow. Buildrick’s face was rather peaceful. Sometime during the night, he had sprawled out as well. One arms was flung across Delmus’s face, one leg shoving into Latismus’s side. Something he hadn’t done with Alef. Then again, Alef always made sure to tuck Buildrick under a heavy blanket.

Buildrick stirred, indicating dawn was here. His internal clock hadn’t been wrong once. He shoved the miners off of him, reaching for his bag. Alef shuffled out of the sod room, careful not to wake the other two. Buildrick emerged shortly after him.

They settled into their morning routine, stewing just a light meal for the morning road. The only noise was of wandering monsters just out of sight from them, and a few birds chirruping and singing their anger at the world. Buildrick glanced around the various bottles still piled up at the edge of the camp- “Hmmm, I suspect they’ll get caught if they drink their way to the mines.”

“I suspect they’ll get caught no matter what.” Alef mumbled, thinking back to his dream. The soldiers had to of broken their arm, or it was monsters. But, seeming how as they were able to fight off monsters to at least some degree… The soldiers had to of done it.

Except- he really didn’t want to think of the dreams being true. He didn’t like them, but Buildrick did.

“Mmm, I was just thinking however- those two are definitely going to try and continue on. You said you wanted to go to Kol first didn’t you?”

“Well, I suppose I’d feel bad if we left them out to dry.” That was a lie. Alef wouldn’t mind it all that much at all. Was this what they called jealousy? His feeling of discontent at being pushed to the outside?

Buildrick nodded, looking thoughtful. “Before we head to the mines I’d like to go to Kol myself and figure out everything that’s going on. See what I’ll need.”

A fist punched through the sod house. Buildrick groaned as it came crumbling down. “Normally it’s a little more stable then that!” He grumbled. “I’m pretty rough with my stuff, but they’re even rougher.”

They being the miners?

Latismus began to fight his way out of the crumbled sod. “I’m alive!!!!!!!”

“You sure about that?” Buildrick questioned dryly. “Alef, I think we might be haunted-”

Strong hands seized Buildrick’s shoulder, shaking him like a ice sphere in a drink. “Don’t go killing us off yet! We’re still alive!”

Buildrick’s laughter was howling in the quiet forest. Alef sighed as he glanced around. He didn’t think there were any guards, but if there were any, they were definitely alerted. Buildrick bumped up against his back, as he pushed back on the hands pressing him down. Alef turned as he thought he heard a pained noise, but Buildrick didn’t seem in distress as he-

Picked up Delmus to toss them in the river. Water splashed everywhere, drenching everything in its path. “Clear your head for a second here in the cold water.”

Delmus stared up at the gray sky, for a long long moment. “Oh Goddess above, I hate not seeing the sun.”

Buildrick nodded, as he stretched out his hand. He could easily help Delmus to his feet. “You two are gonna keep heading to Kol, right?”

“Yeah, we are. You should head back as well. You’ve got nothing but alcohol.”

“It’ll keep us warm eh? Nah, don’t you worry about us, get to town and let Aeroba know we’re doing alright eh? We ain’t the kind to fall prey easily to monsters, and it’s not like the guards will kill us. We might get tossed into the prison for a bit, but eh.”

Buildrick definitely seemed torn between Kol and the miners. And perhaps it was childish of him, but Alef did want to see who Buildrick would pick. “Well, until we meet again then.” Buildrick said after a moment, “We might catch up with you at the mines, or the guards will.”

Delmus and Latismus waved an overenthusiastic goodbye to them as they parted ways. Buildrick was lagging for once, footsteps a little slower. Alef almost regretted not going to the mines, until they rounded the mountain edge.

There was a small patrol on the road, eyeing them suspiciously. Buildrick lifted his hand in greeting- the soldiers snickered. Audibly. Buildrick ignored the snickers with a sturdier heart the Alef had. He called out to the soldiers, “Hey, how much further to Kol?”

“Haven't you heard the King? He said all were supposed to lock down in the city!”

Alef stepped in, calling out, “We were given permission by the King.”

To be exact, only he had been given permission. But they didn’t need to know that. At all. The soldiers whispered to each other, as they registered he was there. Alef kept his smile bright and charming, slowly edging his way in front of Buildrick. The soldiers didn’t really notice. They were too busy muttering to themselves. His ears could catch the slightest scraps. Something about jail, and the king.

“Alright, keep moving on.” One of the soldiers grumbled. “You should be able to get to Kol before dark. Just follow the road and don’t go too deep into the forest, got it? We won’t rescue you if you get lost.”

Buildrick grumbled at that. Alef was pretty certain that Buildrick didn’t really put much care into whether or not he was lost. It always turned out well for his bag and how much he hoarded.

“Of course.” Alef nodded agreeably.

The thick forests of Kol overshadowed them as they walked. Huge trunks stretched to the sky- Buildrick stared up at them. “I don’t think I’ve seen trees as old as these before.” He told Alef.

“Isn’t it quite amazing? Honestly, there’s even a bigger tree south of Rimuldar, though I think it was still a baby.”

“Is that so? Ah, I think I might know what you’re talking about. It’d be nice to see it alive though.” See it alive? Were there similar ones, that were dead now?

“Well, I was told to take the emblem of Loto there to have the Sun Stone and the Staff of Rain combined. Even if you yourself can combine them, then it might be a nice place to stop at just to see the tree. Or maybe after everything is done?”

“Hmmm, I do want to get this over with quickly. I suppose I shouldn’t go off wandering as much.” Buildrick muttered to himself mostly. “And then figure out what I’ll do from there.”

They walked, idly chattering about places Alef had seen, though Buildrick danced around the places he himself had seen. The conversation turned to the wild lands, beyond the ocean. “I never heard of them.”

“Ahhh, well- I haven’t really heard of them either. They weren’t needed in my education apparently so they were skipped. But I believe that they’re talking about the lands beyond these. They’re only accessible by boat, and the rough seas have destroyed all of those.” Alef explained.

“All of them?”

“Yes, normally Cantlin holds the harbor, but I heard rumors it was all destroyed or left to rot. I’m uncertain as I haven't visited the town yet. Same with Damdara. But it’s supposed to be quite the lawless land. No towns, just outposts.”

“That sounds like fun.” Buildrick said, a bit dreamily. “So much empty land to build onto, and fill. It sounds like fun.”

To settle the wild lands would be a task very few would undertake. Many spoke of it in just whispers- nobody went in that direction unless forced. By either becoming a bandit, a vagabond, or simply being exiled. And yet- Buildrick was none of those.

Would the last subset of those in the wild lands be the dreamers?

Buildrick stopped at the entrance to Kol, head craning back to take the town in its entirety. The large town sprawled out into the woodlands. Giant trees grew on every corner of the town, as dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves. A cool breeze blew down the mountain. Buildrick breathed in deep, eyes closing just for a moment. “It smells really good. So did Tangateal, but Kol… It smells better somehow.”

“Because of the trees?”

“Mmm, perhaps. But you can also smell the metal.” Buildrick took another deep breath. “The coal too- it’s pretty faint. I guess the trees must filter it out.”

“Buildrick, you’ve made a number of things during our travels, but what would you consider to be your favorite?”

“Me? Hmmm- I do like a wide variety of stuff. Though… I guess even though I mostly work with whatever I can get my hands on, I like working metal the most.” Buildrick looked back to the large, shut down forges nestled further back into town. “Something about flattening metal soothes me. Not to the point I want to swap jobs and become a miner though.”

Alef nodded.

Buildrick glanced back up to him, still outside the town proper. “And you?”

“Me?”

“What will you do after everything is said and done? What trade will you go into?”

Trade… Trade… Admitting out loud that his Guardian planned on him becoming the next King was a rather bit galling. Being under his Guardian’s thumb after everything he had gone through was the worst. He had always been gathering as much information as he could about the wild lands. Those who vanished into its forested depths and never came back. He wanted to be one of them.

“I suppose I would like to go to the wild lands.” Alef said.

Buildrick nodded, content with the answer. “Sounds like fun. If we’re still together then, let’s do it together.”

“It’s a deal.”

Chapter Text

Buildrick glanced around town. He couldn’t help it. He’d never seen so many buildings before. He’d made plenty of buildings, and rebuilt towns- but looking at Kol, he realized he’d done nothing more then built the main street of town. It was something he’d thought about in Tangateal and in Galenholm, but he hadn’t been there long enough to actually realize it.

But even here- The pall of the Dragon Lord hang rather heavy. The streets were mostly empty except for those buying groceries. There wasn’t anyone wandering the streets freely- which was actually worse then the other towns including the ones he'd rebuilt. Though maybe they had wandered the ‘streets’ for the lack of anything else to do? They were pretty careful about leaving the city to go food gathering, and Buildrick dragged home many of the best looking monsters for eating. Most of them he hadn’t kept a portion for himself for his travels. It just went to the townsfolk. Though mostly they were well able to fend for themselves after years of growing up doing so.

Buildrick stopped, hearing the disheartened grumbles of miners. He had heard plenty of them when Barbella had been captured. Once she was back, it was like a night-and-day difference in their attitudes. Alef had gotten caught up by the mobbing villagers, so Buildrick didn’t hesitate to peel off for a small alleyway.

“Ey. What’s a kid doin’ around these parts? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

Buildrick twisted his head to the side to stare at the masked man. Yep- miner. The pockmark scars were all he needed to know. “I’m looking for Aeroba.”

He didn’t have to see the man’s face to know he was scowling. “Wot! Who gave you that name?!”

“Delmus and Latismus.”

“Figures.” The man subsided into quiet grumbling. “But I can’t trust you that easily.”

“Yeah? Then what do you need?”

“I don’t think those two would trust a child out wandering on their own by themselves.”

“I’m not by myself.”

“Wot! An yer guardian let you wander away?”

“No, I’m not a child.” Buildrick insisted.

“Get out! With you being that short?” The man snorted, shrugging him off. “You’d have to come up with a pretty interesting way of proving it.”

“Not all of us can be so tall and musclebound they no longer have to think.” Buildrick shrugged. It took a minute for it to register in the mans brain. Buildrick could see the gears turning. And then it clicked.

He lived for the moments when it clicked. The man suddenly straightened, and turned. Heavy feet stomped their way to him, until the man was leaning over him. “You.”

“Your breath stinks.” Buildrick snapped back, “I want to talk to Aeroba.”

“Gaaah, I dislike this. You look frail enough that even the slightest wind could knock you down. We don’t need you messing up our plans, ya hear?”

“Then want to arm wrestle?” Buildrick questioned. Despite how twig-like his arms were, he had arm wrestled plenty back in Kol. He was a little weaker, but not so weak that he thought he’d lose.

“Isn’t that a child's way of solving things?” The man was laughing.

“You’re the one talking about strength like it’s the only thing that matters.”

“Because it is!”

They were arguing in circles. Buildrick sighed in exhaustion. That’s when the back door banged open, and a woman dressed in a bunny outfit leaned out, “Hey, Glutimus! Are you coming back in? Oh my! Is that child yours?”

“Of course not!”

Buildrick blinked in surprise. Glutimus? The one he’d known by that name had been a coward. His (probable) ancestor didn’t seem that way however. But that still left him stuck outside without knowing what to do next. The lady in the bunny suit turned.

“Ah, Miss, your tail fell off.”

“Ah! My goodness, this darn thing! There hasn’t been a single seamstress in the entire town since the King cut off travel! My poor tail.” She sighed, picking up the small bit of fluff. “Well, back to gluing it on.”

“Oh, Buildrick? You here?” Alef’s voice floated down the small alleyway. It didn’t bounce off the edges. Instead the sound was absorbed by the plant life struggling to poke up around the cobblestones. Buildrick could immediately pinpoint the second the woman’s eyes turned into hearts.

She coughed into her fist, shoving the miner out of the way as she approached Alef with a coy smile. Alef’s back stiffened ever so slightly. So, Buildrick figured he’d throw him a bone. “Hey Alef, sorry about that. Were we going to the inn?”

“Yes. Was there anything you needed around here?”

“Well, I was looking for Aeroba but-”

The woman chipped in with a bright smile, “If you’re looking for her, I can take you to her!” She hooked her arm around Alef’s arm.

“Ey! We don’t even know who they are! What if they’re with the King?”

The woman was clearly ignoring him, as she swept Alef into the building. Then, it was Buildrick and Glutimus outside. Glutimus groaned. “She’s gonna blow the whole operation.”

“You guys are looking to reopen the mines, right?” Buildrick questioned. “I heard there’s some rare materials deep in the mines.”

“You an’ everyone else. The mines south are actually starting to run dry. We’ll have to move north and west here pretty soon.”

Buildrick nodded. “I saw some rubies and gold on our way to town in the mountains in that direction.”

Glutimus now was looking rather interested. “Is that so?”

“Yes. Though the lands around the sage’s place is nothing but a giant hot spring filled with monsters now. You might want to avoid that part for a few years until they calm down some.”

“What happened over at the Sage’s place? What happened to Brachi?”

“They went to Galenholm after receiving the silver harp.” Buildrick said calmly. “Since Alef and I went together, the Sage got worried that I might be the Hero and said he wanted to take a look at getting a apprentice. Brachi went with him.”

“Brachi did eh? Too bad. We were planning on using him as one of our main forces for breaking into the mines if needed.”

Glutimus gestured for Buildrick to follow. They stepped into a large taverns. Smooth wooden flooring stretched out in all directions to a large stone stage for dancing. Bright lights shone without a flicker set into the stone walls. A counter-top separated diners and bartenders. The place was packed, but oddly quiet. All of the miners were slumped over their drinks without a word, barely paying any attention at all to the women that waited the tables. Alef was surrounded by what seemed to be a dozen women, all eagerly asking him all kinds of questions.

Buildrick however could immediately find Aeroba.

She and Barbella looked just about exactly alike. Her face and body was covered in scars she had earned in the mines. Strong, beefy arms cradled the mug of whatever she was drinking casually as she surveyed her down and out miners. Without a doubt, she was the backbone of them.

Glutimus’s hand solidly connected with his back. “I like you better already! You could tell who it was immediately eh? You can’t be one of the King’s cronies then!”

Aeroba’s head turned, eyes falling on them. She stood up, marching directly in their direction. Buildrick held his ground, wondering if he was about to be steamrolled. “Oi, Glutimus! What’s going on here? Why did you bring in two new folks- eh? Hmmm- Yer face is pretty funny innit?”

Yeah, there it was.

“But… Yer a Builder ain’tchya?” Aeroba questioned, leaning in. Her gloved hands grabbed his face, pulling it up towards her. “Yeah, ya got to be. I ain’t the smartest gal in town, but I know a Builder when I see one. It’s been years since one of your kind’s washed up around this area.”

“That’s what I hear.”

“So, I’m guessin’ you’re trying to get into the mines then, right?”

Aeroba sure could get right to the point. Buildrick pulled his face away from her hands, nodding. “Yeah, sure am. I was thinking you might know a good way to bribe the guards.”

“If I knew that then I’d of already bribed them.” Aeroba turned, gesturing to her table tucked away in the corner. Buildrick waved down Alef, who sent the ladies scattering with just a few polite words. Lucky man. Once someone started yammering at him, he couldn’t get them to stop most of the time. “We’ve been wracking our brains. Alcohol, food, money- you’d think the man would take a few nuggets of gold and look the other way. It’s more then he’d ever make in a year. In fact, that’s what he mentioned being willing to look the other way for when the lock-down first started. But he suddenly changed his mind.”

Aeroba sighed tiredly into her drink, muttering, “He wasn’t that obstinate or cruel just before this whole thing started.”

Oh? Could it be- Well- no, it probably wasn’t a monster. Alef leaned in, questioning, “You look like you have an idea.”

“Oh, that? Well- you see- I was wondering if it was a monster disguised as a human. I saw one only once, but I don’t know how long they can keep their human forms.”

Alef’s smile froze a bit. Buildrick wondered why, but Aeroba was in his face. “Wot? I’ve never heard of that before!”

“No?” It had been semi-common knowledge in Cantalin. “I was warned about it in Cantalin.”

“It would make sense… but I doubt it honestly.” Areoba said after a moment. “He’s a nasty sort, but I don’t see why the monsters would want to shut down the mines like that.”

That was true. Buildrick nodded his agreement. Glutimus scowl was pretty deep however. “It’d make sense though. The guy was always easily bribe-able before.”

“Nah, think about it Glutimus. He’d have to keep it up to all of his men. They’d have to know by now.”

“If you say so Areoba.” Glutimus sighed. “Anyways, this guy said he was talking to Brachi and he and his gramps went off to Galenholm.”

“We did.” Alef confirmed.

Aeroba grumbled. “Damn. He was one of sneakier guys- he was always in and out of town to get to his gramps fairly easily. I can guide the rest through the defenses but it’ll be harder.”

“Well we still gotta figure out what we’d do about the mines.” Buildrick grumbled. “If they’re not bribe-able, then that means we’ll have to dig ourselves a new entrance.” That meant shoring, and braces and fake doors. Hidden doors?

“Then good thing we have a builder eh?” Aeroba flashed him a bright smile.

Buildrick shrugged. “I can carve into the mountains, but I’d like to know where the tunnels are so I can find the current mines.”

“We got a map of the mines we can show you. Mind you, they were always filled with monsters, so I can’t tell you what kind of state they’ll be in once we’re in. But we know how to repair the braces once in.”

Somehow, this felt easier then normal. Usually it took some convincing. But, he supposed if he considered the length of time between the fall of civilization, and when he was resurrected, it was a long, long time. So- he just wasn’t going to worry about it. He was just here to help town get back up and running again.

“Is there a Colossal Coffer in town?” Buildrick questioned.

“Aye, it’s fixed only to the one in the mines however. We process it before it gets sold off, and most of it gets sold to merchants who cart it out of here to the other towns.”

They slowly moved into small talk, as the ‘sunlight’ set and more disheartened miners began to trickle in. Alef could always keep the conversation going, and Buildrick watched the miners. They were more disheartened then he’d seen them before.

Huge mugs slammed down in front of them, as the Bunny Girls got into the swing of things. They flicked flirty winks as Alef as they passed by, carrying food and drinks. Buildrick could see the miners grumbling as they dug out the last few of their coins. Ah, that’s right, money was important around here, wasn’t it?

If they weren’t partying every night, could you really call that a life? They’d even asked him to build them a bar back home. Not immediately, but once Barbella was rescued and the town was well defended, and the hot springs were working already… Wait, between hotsprings and drinking-

“Glutimus?”

“Wot?”

“Hot springs or bar- which one would you pick?”

“...Wot kind of question is that?” Glutimus asked so plaintively Buildrick wondered if he would cry. “You really going to make me choose between them?”

“I mean you can have both eventually, but if Kol was leveled to the ground, which one would you have first?”

“Glutimus! What’s with this guy?” Another miner leaned in, “What’d you do make him so mad to ask that kind of question?”

“Don’t ask me?!”

“Is this a punishment game of some kind?”

There were more miners now, starting to gather at the simple question. The mood was picking up, as they teased each other for their answers. Until the bar picked up and was roaring. Glutimus and Aeroba drifted away, mingling further and further with their cohorts until it was just Buildrick and Alef tucked away in the corner.

Alef leaned in, quietly watching and sipping at his drink. Buildrick tasted his- the alcohol was a unfamiliar taste. He never had it before. Alef sighed softly, smile slowly starting to drop as he unwound. He was good at telling when someone was looking at him. His smile flickered back into blinding brightness, and lingered for a long time after.

Well then. Buildrick shoved the drink towards Alef, wondering if he could swap out the mugs. Alef blinked, and smiled at him as he took the mug. Another one was put in its place, full of a more strong and bitter tasting brew. It was better then the lighter, sweeter drink of before. Buildrick sipped at it slowly. It was plenty warm in the building, the heat almost making him drowsy. Alef lifted a hand, gesturing for a waitress. She bustled away and back in short order, bearing a giant plate full of all kinds of food he’d never had seen before. Alef slid it between the two of them to share.

Buildrick happily dug into the new tastes. Quietly questioning Alef on the unknown tastes and food. This was a tomato- pasta. It was tomato paste, flour noodles, and vegetables mixed and cooked together. This was a hamburger- not made from monster meat, but cow meat. Fried chicken, fried mushrooms, cabbage, milk- cheese. Oh, he did know what cheese was. It wasn’t like the creamy butter from drakies. And thick, ripe strawberries that were sweet and full of flavor. Different from the heartfruit, but similar at the same time. Between each bite, he took another sip of the drinks spread out before him. Alef kept draining drink after drink, happily gesturing for more.

His eyes flickered up to Alef who was watching him. Buildrick rubbed at his cheeks, wondering what had splashed, and Alef looked away. Oh, it was gone then? Buildrick stopped rubbing, and turned his attention back to the food. Fried chicken had a lot more meat on it then fried frog legs. The batter had a different taste to it- probably because they weren’t using monster eggs, but chicken eggs. It still tasted good though.

Glutimus stomped over, mostly drunk, “Oi, guv! You two have been quiet over here all night! You said you wanted to arm-wrestle right? We’re about to start the games.”

Buildrick stood up from his seat, bemusedly following Glutimus to the stone table. There was already a miner sitting there, cracking his knuckles. Buildrick had to pull himself onto the seat, feet unable to touch the ground. How nice, a handicap.

There were jeers and cheers from the ongoing crowd, as Alef stood his ground. Buildrick set down his elbow, taking the miners hand in his. Glutimus raised his hand. “When I say go, alright? Three! Two! One! Go!”

Buildrick grunted as the miner immediately started pressing in his superior weight. But he might be a scrawny twig in comparison, but his strength wasn’t half-baked. He didn’t get stronger from fighting. But- The miners gasped as he started to push back, wrestling the miners arm down onto the table.

He swung a hammer just as big as theirs, and he’d swung his more often then they did at this point. Another couple months in the mine, and Buildrick doubted he’d win. But for now, he pulled off the victory.

There were cheers as the miner sadly walked away, head hung low. More of them were beginning to line up. Buildrick swayed on his seat, as he brought them down one by one. With every win, the miners were getting more and more excited, wild whoops and cheers filling the air, as more and more drinks were passed to him.

Buildrick grumbled as his arm started twinging- he didn’t have the stamina to go all night long it looked like. “I yield.” Buildrick slurred out, hopping off the chair. He was quickly replaced, and he retreated back to the quieter corner with Alef. The noise level was rising steadily as the miners started to get sucked into different games, but it felt oddly isolated from this particular table. Probably why Aeroba had chosen it as her table. She flashed them huge smiles that made men and women alike swoon as she passed by.

A miner dropped to the floor, snoring. The waitresses were quick and efficient- in moments the miner was swarmed, and he and his drunk companion were released into the cool night air singing a merry song. It was far later then Buildrick expected. Alef glanced down, “Are you ready to find an inn?”

“Yeah, sure thing.” Buildrick said, standing up. His legs were wobbly, and his head was spinning. He drunk too much.

“Are you alright?” Alef questioned, hand reaching out to pull him close. He didn’t seem affected by the alcohol at all it seemed.

“Yeah, just drunk too much.” Buildrick mumbled. He leaned heavily into Alef, feeling the wave of heat wash over him. “Where we going?”

“To the inn. There’s one up the main street I’ve stayed in a few times before.” They walked out into the night. The cold air was like a sledgehammer. Buildrick straitened a bit as he sobered just a little. Alef didn’t break strike, hand sweeping out to bring the edge of his cape around him, trapping in what little warmth was left. More miners were stumbling out around them, heading for their own homes. They had no need for the inn after-all.

Buildrick had no second thoughts about remaining huddled in the warmth. The cold was getting worse. Alef knew where he was going, so Buildrick matched his footsteps. Step by step, through the forested town that smelled like metal and just the slightest off tang of coal.

A lady called out, “Hey, want a puff-puff? I’ll make it nice and cheap, just for you~”

A puff-puff? It triggered hazy memories, but nothing concrete. He’d heard it from someone he’d tried to ignore most of the time, hadn’t he. Alef was going to keep walking, but Buildrick had to check, “You sure Alef? I’m pretty sure with the money I got we can get separate rooms.”

“No, not tonight.” Alef replied, but the tips of his ears were pink.

A male voice called out, “Buff-Buff’s! Get yer buff-buffs!”

“Those aren’t bad either if you prefer that.” Buildrick slurred out, “The time I got one I fainted from lack of oxygen they squeezed so hard.”

Alef’s mouth opened, and closed. His ears were so pink now, Buildrick was pretty certain that they were burning. “That- uh, sounds like an experience.”

“It was.” It was his reward for saving Kol. He preferred Barbella’s slap on the back, but even so- the Buff-Buff wasn’t half bad during the time he was conscious. “I bet you’d be pretty good at it, since you actually have muscles unlike me.”

Alef’s ears looked to be on fire now. “I’m glad to hear you think so highly of me.”

He wasn’t sure when exactly it happened, but he found himself on a bed. Alef was pulling off his armor, and putting his sword to the side. These beds were finally big enough for even Alef to sleep in. So without thinking about, Buildrick shed his dirty outer clothes, and crawled in under the sheets. The wind coming through the window brought along that particular smell of hot-springs- but maybe another night.

Buildrick didn’t flinch as Alef piled more blankets on top of him. A warm hand touched his cheek. He didn’t open his eyes, alcohol making him pliant and sleepy. The skin contact was calloused, and rough, human in every way that reassured him. Alef pulled away, the creak of the other bed in the room loud. The cold began to set in again, slowly crawling to his bones.

He shivered, curling up a little tighter.

The Sun Stone was pressed into his arms, and like a life-line, he clung to it. Maybe because the stone was blessed by Rubiss? Either way, the warm stone fought off the cold just enough that he could slip into a quiet sleep filled with food and all new recipes.

Morning was coming.

Buildrick sat up sleepily. His head pounded like a jackhammer. Yep, he had drunk way too much last night. Alef was still asleep on his own bed, looking comfortable for once. He could stretch out all the way on something that wasn’t a thin straw mattress, the blanket tossed off in- was it warm for Alef? Buildrick looked away, to the window that was pulled close. He stumbled wearily towards it, fingers catching on the shutter, and fumbling with the glass. He’d seen the glass windows propped open yesterday, and in other towns. So it should- the glass swung open, and a blast of cold air came rolling in. Still, it felt good in its own way.

The smell of growing things wasn’t something he’d ever get tired of.

Buildrick leaned against the sash, eyes on the eastern sky. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping for. Perhaps a single ray of light through the gray gloom?

He didn’t get it, as the light filtered through the gloom to nearly the brightest it would be. Dawn was over.

And there were still no blue skies.

“Buildrick.” Alef called out, “Are you awake?”

“Yeah.” Buildrick turned around, watching Alef stumble out of bed. He didn’t look hungover at all- the only sign he had been drunk last night was his fingers trembling as he pulled on his armor. “What’s the plan for today?”

“I’m not sure. I thought we might want to go shopping for more food with our bags, and then see what’s going on with the mines. And the cave south that connects to Rimuldar.”

“Mmm, yeah, sounds good. If needed I’ll just make a back-way into the mines. I really, really want to get my hands on some orichalcum.” If the sword wasn’t around, he’d make it. He only had so much time before he couldn’t make it any longer.

Alef began his morning exercises. Buildrick watched him stretch, before turning back to watching the town slowly wake up. It still wasn’t bustling however- with the miners not working, the whole town had pretty much ground to a halt.

Buildrick blinked as out on the town entrance four figures appeared – oh.

It was two soldiers, and two miners being dragged along. The miners whining was becoming more and more audible by the second, as the soldiers were clearly exasperated. The miners were being dragged to- ah, a town jail, probably, their complaints lingering in the cool morning air. Buildrick watched them go, wondering if he should step in, before Alef questioned, “Are you ready?”

“Yeah. You said shops, right?”

“Yes.”

Chapter Text

There was nothing. Alef sighed as they stared at the fairly sad looking food stand. He hadn’t been this way before, in his previous visits. He mostly picked up already cooked and prepared food. But- it was clear from the state of the wares Kol was starting to get on its last legs. All of the food was in a wilted, dried state despite it being so close to fall. He wasn’t involved in the farming side usually, but he did know the basics.

Kol hadn’t received food in several months. It wasn’t too bad- even in town, there were plenty of gardens that people cared for. And there were a few small fields that kept the town itself fed to a degree. But not enough.

Buildrick stared at the wilted, dried vegetables. Alef really couldn’t read his expression. But it seemed like he was thinking, and deciding. Gloved fingers reached out to the vegetables. “Maybe if we finished drying them and used them for soups?” Buildrick murmured.

Alef grimaced at the thought. Kol was already hurting when it came to food. He hadn’t noticed it before. When the King had shut down travel between cities, he hadn’t thought much of it. He actually thought of it as fairly clever when he heard the two in Rimuldar admitting they had only survived the travel by the skin of their teeth- and plenty others hadn’t. But- the travel ban was hurting. It may have been better if the soldiers were at least moving the food between towns, but they weren’t.

The coffers weren’t that good of a solution either- people wanted their money and good traded at the same time, not on a promise. Reputable merchants could do it, but-

“Shall we scavenge like usual instead?” Alef questioned.

Buildrick nodded amicably. His eyes slid around him, to where Aeroba was stumbling out of her own home. He really liked the miners for some reason- Alef brushed it out of his mind. He’d address the fear of Buildrick deciding to stay behind if Buildrick made that decision. Which he was going to hope wasn’t happening.

“You two ‘eading out?”

“Yep. We’ll see what we can do about the mines. Also- those two just got dragged back and put in jail so-”

“Tch. I thought I heard their voices. I’ll have one of the guys check in on them when the guards aren’t paying attention at night. Don’t worry about them. Just let us know if you can get in.”

Buildrick nodded, eyes sliding back to the mountains south of the town. They departed quickly, the guards grumbling and suspicious of them. Alef wondered if they would be able to get out at all if he hadn’t been through several times with his credentials. At the very least, no one mistook them for miners.

Buildrick eyed the minecarts and tracks that ran parallel to the road- they were overgrown and broken already. Shoddily built? Or just that delicate? “Too bad, riding in minecarts is fun.”

“You’ve done so?”

“Yeah, not really to get around, because the monsters are too thick a lot of times. But it’s fun. Maybe if the stuff inside the mines is better, we can go for a ride. It’s big enough for you too.”

Buildrick certainly kept in mind his height. Alef’s smile felt very heartfelt as Buildrick wandered off the path chasing a line of mushrooms. Alef followed, eyes flickering around the forest. It felt different; knowing what was useful in the forest, and what could be mostly ignored. Buildrick paused for a moment to rip up a potato plant, take all but five, and replant them to continue spreading. Then, he kept going, closer to the mountain range. There was still plenty of wild food growing with no one traveling back and forth.

“So why haven’t they mined this mountain range?” Alef questioned.

“Ah, you can kinda tell even from here that it’s pretty much just chalk.” Buildrick replied. “There might be some metals, but not enough to bother with in comparison to the effort it would take. You need darker mountains for the good metals. And hopefully full veins of it too.”

“And the orichalcum? How deep do you think it would be?”

“Really deep. I couldn’t really talk with the hammerhoods, and they didn’t really know much. But they said it was at least as deep as the loud, angry one.” Buildrick said thoughtfully.

Alef glanced around, making sure that they were alone. “Buildrick… are you certain about this?”

“About what?” Buildrick questioned, almost innocently.

“About… well, helping the whole town out.” If Buildrick was on the side of the monsters, then he might be panicking about how to get out of it. But- But- it didn’t seem quite right. He was always pushing to help humans. Not monsters. And plenty of monsters seemed to attack on sight.

Buildrick nodded, eyes on him. “Yeah. I’m sure. Why- are you worried?”

“I suppose just a bit.” He didn’t want to outright accuse Buildrick of not being human. “Because I’ve never seen, or even heard of anyone getting along with monsters like you do.”

Buildrick looked just the slightest bit troubled at that. “Really? I’m sure there’s probably others out there, keeping it quiet. Plus- you know, monsters and humans really aren’t that much different. Some humans are helpful, some aren’t. Some monsters are helpful, and some want to kill you.”

That… Wasn’t the exact same. But Buildrick seemed pretty certain about it. Alef hummed softly to himself. “If you say so.”

Buildrick shrugged, and kept going. The forests ringing the mountains gave way to grassy plains- and beyond that, was the thick, sandy deserts. Alef had mostly kept out of it, and the hills that were there as well. But Buildrick eagerly sped towards it. “You ever have a cactus steak?”

“No.”

“It’s pretty good. I’ll make us some tonight.”

Alef glanced around at the scrub land that gave way to desert. He could see the cacti reaching for the sky, and the bunicorns that roamed the desert. They had certainly eaten their fair share of the meat. Buildrick crouched in front of a round, circular cactus. His sword slid through it in one, quick whack, and he grabbed the cactus between the spines in a way that spoke of long practice.

It was dropped into his bag. Then, Buildrick glanced around, rising onto his tiptoes. Looking for what exactly? Alef approached, wiping his brow as the heat set in. It was cooler because winter was coming, but that didn’t mean it was cool. Especially after Galenholm. “What are you looking for?”

“Ah, I was just thinking- there were some abandoned places around here that we could set up for the night, unless you want to push for it.”

Alef struggled with the thought. They had wandered far off course, in all directions. And Kol… Kol was struggling pretty hard itself. There was no telling when their stores of food would run out, and the riots would begin. “It might be better if we do. I didn’t realize how bad Kol was off food wise last time I visited. Much longer and I suspect it will be… ugly.”

“Yeah, I agree. Food is a foundation of hope too.” Buildrick said, with a nod. “Then let’s go. I’ve still got food leftover that we can eat.”

“Yes, let’s still rest when it gets truly dark though.” Alef said. It was a bit too much to walk all night. Buildrick nodded, hiking his bag up.

They took off, into the night. As they walked, Alef kept one hand on his sword. The ghosts that were following them were giggling maliciously as they honed in on Buildrick. He didn’t even really register in their minds, other then when he blocked their attempts at Buildrick’s head. Buildrick for his part, kept his mouth shut, and kept jogging.

There was going to be no stopping tonight. Alef had known the ghosts hunted Buildrick every night, but this was a bit much. Buildrick seemed pretty amused, keeping up with Alef easily. “It’s been awhile since I’ve run for my life while the sun is down.”

“You do this often?”

“Just usually the first few nights I wake up naked in a new place. Occasionally I don’t pay attention and end up far away from town or a sleeping spot with about nothing.” Buildrick jumped over a fallen log, sparing a glance up at the huge trees. “It’s not that common.”

That sounded fairly common. But Alef kept the thought to himself as they rounded the bend in the road. There were soldiers doing a night patrol- which meant they had gotten to the mountains far faster then expected. The soldiers stopped dead at the sight of two men running in the darkness. Even in the gloomy murk, Alef could see their faces grow pale.

He sneaked a look over his shoulder.

The two ghosts had turned into about ten of them. And a few skeletons. Was that a slime in there too? Whatever it was, it was bouncing. The soldiers were turning and running as well- but nowhere near as fast as Alef and Buildrick. They would soon get caught up in the horde.

Buildrick grumbled as he reached into his bag. He pulled out- “Why are you pulling out the bomb now?” Alef questioned, as Buildrick cut the fuse in half. He lit it up, leaving it on the ground behind him. The explosion’s wave passed them by. Alef grabbed the soldiers arms, pulling them behind a tree. Buildrick didn’t seem to really notice the blast. His hammer was yanked out of wherever he had stashed it. The monsters were in disarray- the skeleton was knocked flat onto it’s back, and the ghosts had vanished in the bright light. No sign of the slime.

Buildrick brought his hammer down on the monsters head. It jerked, and collapsed into a pile of bones and magic. Buildrick straightened, breath blowing out in a heavy sigh. “Well, that bought us some time.”

“Where’s the closest shelter?” Alef questioned ht two rather shaken up soldiers.

“Th-the mine entrance isn’t too far. We have it blockaded up per the King’s orders.” The shorter of the two said, face white.

“Well, I dunno about that being all that much safer with the amount of monsters in there.” Buildrick mumbled. He ducked as Alef gestured, and Alef took the opportunity to slice the ghost in half. It hissed, not dead yet, but disappeared back into the darkness.

“It’ll be brighter at the very least, and easier to take on the monsters one at a time. Can you take us?”

The two nodded, hoisting their spears up. They took off, still at pretty good speed. This time, not along the main path that would take longer but following smaller paths that weren’t nearly as clearly marked. Alef wondered if the miners actually used these particular paths. It didn’t seem like it, but it was honestly hard to tell. Everything was fairly overgrown, especially as the scrub land moved into steep hills. Then, in the mountains looming before them, Alef could pick out the mine’s entrance. It was surprisingly huge- big enough fit even a troll in.

There were watch-fires burning brightly, as soldiers stood guard. Behind them, Alef could see colossal coffers probably waiting to be filled with metals. There was a small platoon of soldiers here- all of them with the same half-starved look in their eyes as the other group of soldiers.

There really was no support for any of them from the King, was there?

Buildrick sped up at the sight of lights. The ghosts that had followed them skirted on the edge of the lights, before quickly vanishing. Alef sighed in relief. Exhaustion pounded on him. He’d been trained to stay awake all night, but it really was different. The adrenaline had kept him awake, but now that he was in some degree of ‘safety’ he just wanted to drop onto the nearest flat surface and sleep. But, it might be a matter of from the frying pan into the fire.

The soldiers were rattled by the appearance of ghosts, whispering to each other as the two that had traveled with Alef and Buildrick quickly retreated to the safety of the group. There were about ten, with more probably around considering the number of beds he could see in a room off to the side.

Inside of the entrance of the mine was all the ‘trappings’ of a normal town. Beds, a working kitchen- Did the miners live at the mines and go back and forth for months or-

“And you might you be?”

“I’m Alef, one of the heroes sent out by the King.” Alef introduced himself for the first time in quite a while it felt. Most of the towns knew who he was to some degree. And he hadn’t really thought of the other ‘heroes’ that came before him, because he hadn't heard of them. When the sky went dark, his guardian hadn’t immediately brought him to see the King. Now- he suspected his Guardian had been doing something shady behind the scenes.

The soldiers grimaced, muttering low to one another. Their boss wasn’t here, probably sleeping while night guard kept up patrols. “They were being chased by what felt like nearly a small army. The short one had a bomb the miners use in the mines though.”

“Yeah, but I can’t imagine what a hero would want with opening the mines. Unless the King said we can abandon post here and let the miners get back in?” This soldier sounded so hopeful, Alef felt bad.

They didn’t have any royal decree from the King. If they were to reopen the mines, the soldiers would probably end up loosing their own jobs, unless Alef somehow managed to intercede on their behalf. Or- there were too many to punish. The soldiers at the bridge, the soldiers here, and Sir Reginald Graynes. Though he’d never met Graynes, judging by statements from all of the soldiers he’d met so far, he was well respected by all but the King.

Which… well… Would Graynes or he be accused of starting a coup?

This whole thing was starting to look to be going sideways in his mind. But- “Did the King send us word?” One of the soldier’s questioned, hopefully.

Alef wondered what to say. “No.” He said after a second. It would be better to start off truthful, and get the general feeling from there.

The soldiers shoulders slumped as they murmured softly about food. Just like the soldiers at the bridge, food was in short supply. And Alef doubted they had any streams nearby to fish from.

“Well… You ain’t miners that’s for certain.” One of the soldiers spoke up now. The others bunched in behind him, letting him be the ‘leader’. “There's still some empty beds in the rooms the miners left behind. A charge though.”

Oh, here came the racketeering eh?

“Fifty thousand gold coins or a good meal.”

That was less of a choice, and more of a desperate plea. Alef glanced down to Buildrick, checking his bags. They had already used up quite a bit of food at the bridge, and hadn’t really restocked since then. Cactus steaks, whatever vegetables Buildrick had gathered, and probably a few slabs of bunicorn meat were all that were left. Buildrick hummed softly, before looking up. “It’ll be a little thin, but we can probably feed the lot of you. I have lots of mushrooms, frogstools, antidote leaves, and wheat for porridge.”

The soldiers hesitated, but it was clear that hunger was rapidly weighing out whatever could be causing them to hold back. “Sounds like a deal. The kitchen is over there. How’s the patrols doing?”

“Other then half an army following these two, been pretty quiet since the boss found those two miners looking for a new entrance.” Another reported.

“Tch. He could be helping us keep an eye out for monsters. They get more active in the dark. Rather then screwing around during the day and catching the miners. Be better if he just-” The man stopped, remembering they had guests. Buildrick was already vanishing into the kitchen.

Alef remained quiet, pretending he hadn’t heard.

The soldiers, emboldened by his silence, began talking again. “Why didn’t he just take the bribe? We all know he’s greedy. Hard to believe that he’d wanted to listen to the King once in his life.”

“The King’s left us out to dry at this point. No food, no relief. We can pretty much consider ourselves on our own now.”

They sounded about ready to riot. Which-

“Hey, you guys ready to eat?” Buildrick poked his head out around the rough ‘corner’ of the kitchen.

The soldiers immediately abandoned their conversation.

Even the ones that were supposed to be on guard duty suddenly appeared. Alef kept his mouth shut, and instead headed out to the entrance to take up guard duty. The soldiers came back, each holding a bowl. They flushed a bit when they saw him, but didn’t say anything. They stood at rest instead, spears cradled in the crooks of their arms, as they ate slowly. They savored each bite.

Buildrick tapped Alef’s elbow. “You should get a bowl full too. I cracked a egg into it to make it extra creamy.”

From the ghosts? Alef could see their eyes glimmering in the darkness as they considered their chances. The guards touched their spears, oh high alert. But as Buildrick walked back into the mines, the ghost eyes faded back into the night, deprived of their prey. Alef hesitated for a moment, eyes on the darkness beyond the watch fires. Then, he turned and walked back in himself.

The meal was fairly simple, but Buildrick wasn’t wrong that they were running short on food themselves. The little gathering in the forest was just for marshrooms, and they had only gotten one cactus from the desert before they hurried on. No wonder the meal at Kol had been surprisingly expensive compared to other times.

Still, with a full belly, and the acknowledgment that they weren’t about to be stabbed in the back any time soon, Alef could feel sleep pounding in on him. The Soldiers gestured-

There were plenty of ‘rooms’ carved into the mines, with enough beds crammed next to each other they might as well be one huge bed. Alef sat down on one, and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, it was to a lot of shouting. He sat up quickly, ripping off the sheets from where Buildrick had tucked him in. His sword was propped up against the headboard, right where he liked it. He grabbed it as he ran towards the noise.

Buildrick was holding a chopping knife, as several soldiers surrounded a chimera. Ah, he was teaching them how to cook chimera meat which would stretch out their thin food stocks even further. The main issue was the man standing at the center of the room.

He was fat.

Alef knew immediately this was the man who was the small groups commander. He did know the word, somewhere… Platoon commander? No, that didn’t sound right.

But either way-

Buildrick brought his cleaver down, separating the head from the body. “Well, as long as you cut off the head fast enough, and pull out the flammable gas chamber, it won’t taint the rest of the meat. It’s a fairly salty meat just so you know.”

“WE WILL NOT BE REDUCED TO EATING MONSTER MEAT!” The Commander bellowed. The soldiers flinched. They started backing away, but just a single bowl of porridge didn’t end their hunger. Their eyes were only on the meat that was only a few tantalizing feet away from them.

Buildrick didn’t flinch. “Monster meat is pretty good just so you know. The Chimera wings are best processed into other stuff, but the meat itself is a mix of chicken and newt meat.”

“N-NEWTS! You mean to say you’ll have us eating the creepy crawlies that eat bugs?”

“I’m pretty sure a lot of things eat bugs.” Buildrick said straight-faced.

He wasn’t wrong- chickens ate a lot of bugs. The Commanders face blushed. “And who let you in anyways? I bet you’re with the miners! We should take you to the prison and jail!”

Alef could see the soldier’s faces go white. Alef cleared his throat, and was rewarded with everyone turning to look at him. “Hello, I’m Alef, one of the Heroes the King sent out. Buildrick here is my-”

“Your manservant I presume? I must stay, you can’t be that great of a hero if you’ve been reduced to eating monster meat.”

There was a saying called a flicker of rage. If his guardian caused a flicker of rage, this was a bonfire. “No. He is my traveling companion. And a good friend.”

The man snorted, mumbling some kind of insult under his breath. Alef wondered if he should pursue it. Buildrick’s mouth was beginning to open for a quick insult. Alef was honestly ready to let him take over and see how Buildrick would bring the man down, but the commander was speaking.

“And what are you two doing here? Certainly not to help out the miners I wouldn’t think. I can’t imagine the King to send us messages through you either.” The commander was staring at him, with a hard look in his eyes. “If you’ve come here because of the miners then I am allowed to throw you in jail.”

He seemed rather eager to do so. Alef kept his smile bright, and unreadable as he lied the way he was taught to keep keep sane under his guardian’s thumb. “No, we heard from Commander Maurice about how there had been no food being sent out to the soldiers. Since Buildrick is well versed in keeping populations fed under high stress circumstances we thought we’d come and lend a hand.” Alef gestured to the Chimera currently lying in the middle of the room. “Which he was doing.”

The sun was pretty high up outside. He’d slept pretty late- but that meant the commander had too if he had only just now discovered what was going on. Not that Alef could talk.

The commander was visibly bristling at the mention of Maurice. The other soldiers looked completely and utterly relieved. This whole thing was turning into a mess. “Commander Maurice sent you?” One of them questioned hopefully.

“Yes.” It was actually a lie, but Alef had a good idea of what kind of person Maurice was. He’d probably back him up on this, or by the time the two met, Alef and Buildrick would be long gone. He didn’t want to stay in this country any longer then he had too.

“Any word on relief being sent out?”

“...None. Maurice hadn’t received any either.”

The soldiers were whispering now. Maurice, while a good distance away, was still far closer the Kol. If he hadn’t received any relief, food supplies, or anything then-

“We’ve been left out to dry, haven’t we?” Was the final summation. Alef couldn’t exactly fight it, because the King had indeed left them out to dry. The soldiers in Kol had food, but that was running low as well.

The commander snarled as he lifted his voice, “What are you doing!? Attempting to sow discord in the hearts of these fine soldiers! Are you attempting to pull a coup or something? Why would you come in here and say such things if not?”

The soldiers looked away. Alef continued his smile. “A coup? Of course now, we are just assisting with the hungry soldiers as Maurice requested. I don’t know what happened to the relief, with all of those monsters out roaming the lands.”

“It is not needed.” The command said firmly. “Commander Maurice has always stuck his nose in too far with his meddling. You should continue moving, if you actually are the hero.”

A spear rattled.

Buildrick grimaced. “Can I at least finish restocking before we’re forced out?”

“What kind of restocking? In this wasteland?” The commander snorted. “No, you both are here to sow chaos. I want you both out and moving along quickly. Amos, Lucinda, remove them from the mines. We should put them in jail, but since you are one of the King’s Chosen, I shall not. But you’d best not linger.”

Alef nodded agreeably. The commander and his men could certainly stay here and rot. Trystain and Maurice had at least tried to be helpful. But this one was far less helpful. He and the rest could starve to death guarding the useless metals.

Buildrick looked down at the Chimera carcass he’d hauled in. “Alright, let me go ahead and finish preparing this, and then we can leave.”

A secret entrance to the mines would be the next best bet. But the high hills didn’t have many hiding spots. It would be quite hard to make a secret entrance- especially one connected to the mines themselves.

One of the men cleared his throat. “Commander. We saw movement to the North. It may be another set of miners looking for a new entrance.”

“Oh ho! Then I shall go and see. Amos, Lucinda, make sure they are removed by the time I get back.”

The commander left with four others.

Amos and Lucinda leaned in, “Anyways, about what you were saying about preparing a Chimera for eating? Don’t worry about the commander, we’ll take care of him.”

“Well, if you take your knife, and slit open the throat from here down to the rib cage, do you see this particular tube? It stands out because its black, but that is it’s gas chamber. It uses magic to generate and ignite the gas, but holds most of it inside. It’s the only non-edible part. The snake part is pretty good grilled, and the chest part is like any other bird meat.”

“Ooooh, that’ll certainly supplement the food we do have left. And you said the mushrooms growing in the caves are good to eat?”

“The ones you showed me last night, yes. It looks like the cooks for the miners were using it as a grow spot. They will grow better and faster if we pluck some and leave the rest for the future.”

“Yeah, you said only to pick twenty or so at a time?”

“Yes, they grow fast, but if you’re not careful you’ll have none left to eat. Usually mushrooms aren’t eaten as often as everything else, but since you’re short of options… Ah, Alef, C’mere. When dawn came around I went out and found something for you since you were still asleep.”

Alef flushed a bit. He held out his hand nonetheless- and was rewarded with a large bouquet of food. Strawberries, plumberries, and heartfruit. “The hills hide a large forest full of plumberry trees and all kinds of other food as well. I gathered some, but it’s end of season for it. We won’t be seeing much more so might as well enjoy.”

“Thank you.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, did you?”

“I haven’t slept at all.” Buildrick replied instantly. “I was scouting out what could be used as food all night last night, and then when dawn came I went out exploring since they mentioned that there were trees over the hills.”

How far had Buildrick gone roaming?

Amos coughed into his fist. “So- were you coming to the mines just to help out, or did you actually have a second reason?”

“Well, Kol is running short of food since there’s no mine.” Buildrick said casually, eyes still on his work as he chopped up the chimera. “But it sounds like the man is immovable. Unless you can think of something he’d love?”

“Hah. If you know someone he can bully forever that’s the only thing that will move him now. We don’t know where he’s getting his food, though we’ve been trying to track it. But the man does nothing but sleep and look for miners to toss into the prisons. The ones back in Kol have it easier, though it sounds like they’ll be in the same boat as us soon.”

“Yes, I saw their food stands.” Alef crouched next to the soldiers, helping Buildrick cut through the bone. “They were practically empty.”

“Tch. Rather then guarding a mine, we should be guarding the trade routes.” Amos grumbled. “There have always been monsters. There's a little more right now, but nothing that patrols along the main road won’t keep off the worst. The Dragon Lord made the sun vanish and pretty much nothing else.”

That… may be true. Alef didn’t know. There were plenty of monsters, but it was hard to tell how much of it was recent, and how much wasn’t. He had talked with Maurice for some time about the movements of monsters, but it wasn’t conclusive in any direction.

Buildrick hummed. “I don’t know about bullying but I could get him a crown or something...”

“No, please no. It’ll just inflate his ego even more.” Amos sighed. “Well, not that it isn’t massively inflated anyways. But… we will need to do something, won’t we? If Kol is running short on food as well, and the King isn’t sending reinforcements… And Sir Graynes was banished off to Cantalin. Ahhh, this entire thing is going to come down on someone, and it’s probably going to be us. Lucinda, how soon do you think one of us can get to Kol?”

“He only sends Mark and Matthew in that direction.” Lucinda objected, “And when we sent out those two to try and get to Kol, they ran into Buildrick and Alef here. But they said that there were more monsters then normal anyways.”

“More then usual?” Amos grumbles were getting louder as he tapped the ground. “That does it. How do you two feel like getting a tour of the mines? I certainly can’t refuse the request of the King’s Chosen, now can I?”

“Sounds like fun, let’s go Alef.”

“V-Very well then?”

They were being used, but Buildrick was happy with the idea of getting into the mines, so Alef wasn’t going to question it. Lucinda gestured for them to follow her, as they approached the large cavern leading down. There were already plenty of side tunnels leading off into the distance, but- “The biggest part of the mine is down the main hall. We haven’t been down that way in a long time. The commander says patrols down that way isn’t needed. I’ve never seen him come this way, but that doesn’t mean anything. Despite his size, he can be quite sneaky. I honestly thought when I took this assignment he’d be bribed to let the miners in within a month. But it hasn’t happened, so we’ve been discussing possible reasons why. Sir Alef, since you have traveled fairly far and wide at this point- can you think of anyone that might be using it?”

“No, I cannot.” Alef shook his head, and glanced down to Buildrick. “Can you?”

“Mmm, well- I’ve never seen the monsters do it, I’ve only seen stuff made out of wood, but monsters are capable of building fortresses probably. At least, they can take over a fortress and claim it as their own.” Buildrick squinted into the darkness beyond the light of the torch. “But most monsters don’t really care about gold or anything like that. Unless I’m completely wrong.”

He hadn’t been wrong so far. Alef grimaced as he put his hand on his sword. “Then we should find proof if we can to make your case easier.”

“Indeed. Lucinda, are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Chapter Text

The caverns slowly narrowed down. Buildrick didn’t have to duck, but he could see all of his taller companions having to do so now. Even for the miners, it would be a tight squeeze. Most of it was dirt from collapsed roofs- it would be wider once repaired. But now, far away from the entrance, he could see it.

The clear signs that there was digging ongoing. The metal veins were crudely carved out of the wall, though plenty of it was left behind. Enough that Buildrick could reach out and yank lumps of coal and iron from the walls. Copper was there too, in large chunks. The metals gave way to silver slowly, and then, even deeper, came the gold.

But still- none of the rare metals he was looking for.

But it was close. He couldn’t explain it- he could sense that somewhere deep within the mines there was undoubtedly what he was seeking. Buildrick ran his fingers through the loose dirt. He wasn’t a miner, so he didn’t know it as well as them, but it was fresh.

He patted his hammer, glancing around at the dark cavern. The only light was from the torches, and even that was just the barest light as to not attract attention to themselves. Buildrick shouldered his hammer.

The path gave way to a tall cliff face.

Down below sparks flew.

Empty suits of armor stomped too and fro, carrying giant buckets full of metal with them. Killing machines whirled and clanked as they marched. Their ‘sword’ hands had been converted to shovels for easier digging. Monsters looking like giant moles hauled the metals off into deeper parts of the mines. Buildrick watched them, wondering if it would be smart to go charging into the heart of the group. It hadn’t felt like a good idea to rescue Barbella, though they had somehow managed to survive it. But then again, he’d done similar raids alone against fortresses of monsters and clawed his way out of the other side still alive.

“The monsters are using the mines.” Amos sounded dizzy from horror. “The commander has to know about this.”

It was a bit odd to think of the commander being so corrupted that the only reason anyone could think of was he was being bribed by monsters. Not that he was just lazy- no, he was actively being bribed.

“We’ll need several platoons of soldiers to clear this place out.” Lucinda whispered. Her eyes were wide as she surveyed the monsters.

“If we shut down the operations or get rid of their boss, the rest of them disperse pretty quickly.” Buildrick murmured back. The real question was, who was the boss? Not anyone down there. None of them were big enough. “But I don’t see the boss.”

“No?”

“None of them are big enough.” The bosses he’d seen were always big- smaller monsters didn’t become the boss for a reason.

“Boy, you sure are a smart one, aren’t you?”

All four whirled at the chuckle from behind them. The Commander was standing there, looking rather bemused. “I was wondering what was setting off the alerts, but I didn’t figure it would be you lot. I thought for sure you’d of sent them on their way to die before confronting me. I guess I misjudged you Amos.”

“What, so you were expecting us to stab you in the back?”

“Of course! I’ve been very clear about gaining weight while you all were starving. Honestly, I expected you lot to riot against me so I had a chance to kill you much earlier then this. But no, you kept working away like good little soldiers, undermining me by never killing anyone despite my orders. I was getting a bit tired of this farce anyways. You four will be quite the amazing meal. It’s been sooooo long since I’ve gotten the taste of human flesh.”

This was fast. Buildrick had honestly expected this to take longer. Like, a confrontation of some kind. Then again- he cast a glance back towards the very, very busy group in the middle of the caverns. They were in a bit of a rock and a hard place.

Alef took a deep breath beside him, shifting his stance. The rasp of metal was loud in the tunnel. Buildrick mentally went over what he had. He didn’t have too many traps this time around- he’d never made any spikes to hurt monster feet, nor had he found any golems to make impenetrable walls. All he had were his weapons- and his bombs.

It would have to do.

Amos took a deep breath, leveling his spear. “Lucinda.”

“Yessir.”

“Can you take them and run? I think this might be too many for even a hero to handle by themselves.”

“Unless she can teleport behind your old commander, I think we’re stuck.” Buildrick pointed out.

The Commander howled with laughter. Below, the monsters came to a halt, looking up. Buildrick didn’t hesitate. He wasn’t that good of a fighter, so he’d do whatever dirty tricks he could. Like lighting bombs and tossing them into the center of the cavern.

The boom shook the walls, bringing down dirt. Many monsters were blown away by the explosion, bodies past using. The Commander laughed again, “You don’t hesitate at all! How very nice! Most humans usually do!”

Oh, this one couldn’t be that good of a monster, if it thought of him as human. By now it should of smelled the death rolling off of him. Alef stepped in front of him, sword rising.

“I’ll eat well tonight, that’s for certain!” The commander laughed. “Especially you since you were sent by the King!”

The commanders body was wreathed in a cloud of smoke. It was pretty much instantaneous. One moment, the fat man was standing there. In the next second, a huge, giant, burlap bag rose before them. Around it floated gold coins, crowns, gems, necklaces, pearls- a whole Kings treasury. “More! More! I want more treasures! Your armor and swords can be added after I finish my meal!”

The big bombs he had weren’t really all that good for throwing. They were big, and heavy, meant for blowing slower monsters away. For this, he was going to need to get right down the brawling with his hammer.

Alef shot into battle, fire bursting from his hands. Buildrick took a second to admire the sight of magic, before springing into battle himself. The monsters were climbing up towards them. “Buildrick, any way of closing off the entrance so they can’t sneak up on us?” Alef questioned hopefully.

“It won’t last forever.” Buildrick warned, pulling out blocks of stone. He didn’t have a overabundance of iron.

Amos stabbed, spear piercing into the side of the monster. The Goodybag didn’t seem to notice. It howled for backup, only to be met with silence. Buildrick worked as fast as he could. Stone blocks stacked higher and higher, blockading out the monsters. He could see the stone blocks cracking as monsters began to pound away at it. They couldn’t get through- yet. Buildrick backed up a step, putting down another layer. One could never go wrong with more blockades.

Alef landed next to his side. He wiped away blood from his cheek, eyes dark even in the guttural light. Buildrick lit up a torch, and slammed it into the ground. Better to light up their fighting area.

Lucinda and Amos circled around the Goodybag as best as they could, spears slashing at every spot they could see.

The cavern filled with more and more light, as the torches burned bright. Finally, and at last, they could really see the Goodybag. It towered above the other monsters they had seen, reaching nearly to the ceiling. Definitely the boss monster.

Buildrick grunted as he came in from the side, hammer swinging down on one of the floating gems. It cracked, and shattered like- “Are all of its gems actually glass that’s been colored?” Buildrick questioned.

“No! No! No! That can’t be! I was promised true gems when I agreed to work for the monsters! I- I won’t forgive you humanssssssssss!”

The long ‘pearl’ necklace whipped around, slamming into the stone and earth walls that surrounded them. The thin veneer chipped off, revealing a iron ball on steel chains. Yep- “You’ve definitely been tricked.” Buildrick pointed out. “That’s no chain of pearls either.”

“Don’t- Don’t you say such things!” The Goodybags wailed. The ‘gold’ coins vibrated, the thin gold painting on them peeling off to reveal iron beneath to mimic the weight of gold. It was honestly pitiful to see.

“That’s… definitely the commander for you. He always gets scammed no matter how many times we warned him.” Amos sounded rather pitying.

“You just don’t understand! I’m the greatest!”

Buildrick’s head turned as the walls he built cracked further. Alef didn’t let up. He went charging in. Fire flashed, licking up the sack’s sides. Buildrick grunted as he shoved in a new block of stone just as the monsters broke through. He could hear the howling wind up of the eye-lasers that exploded against the wall and shattered it. Well. He had expected it, that was why he was waiting with a move that blew them all back.

Buildrick rebuilt the wall as quickly as he could, with him on the other side. He’d just have to survive however he could. Not a problem, he was good at surviving. “Alef, I’m leaving the Goodybags to you!” Buildrick called out, using his hammer to swipe a Killing Machine off the ledge that led downward.

It was a lot of Living Armor and Killing Machines. Buildrick was honestly surprised- then again, most monsters in the area probably weren’t that good for digging. He moved down the stairway, setting up bombs for the monsters following after. The stairs crumbled, sending some of the monsters plunging to their death. Others were just hurt, but it at least blocked them from interrupting the battle raging above.

Buildrick set the bombs down each section of the staircase, as he ran. His hammer connected solidly with a Living Armor, and he used the force of it to put himself in the middle of the room.

Here, with this many monsters crowded together, he could really go wild. He had plenty of bombs, and was about to have more then enough monsters to use it on. Giant beams of death lit up the cavern, as the Killer Machines fired indiscriminately. Whether it was magic, or the monsters just not caring, the lasers seemed not to hurt the other Killing Machines. The Living Armors did not seem that lucky however. They were blown back, left stunned for a minute. A minute was all he needed.

The forge he had made some time back hadn’t gotten much use. He had carried it in his journey, because he went through swords and hammers alike like they were made of paper. He didn’t really understand how Alef didn’t have to replace his stuff every week or so from use. Then again, Buildrick knew he didn’t do any of the maintenance Alef did.

And he was getting distracted. Buildrick slammed down bombs after him, as he ran for the nearest corner. The forge slid into place, as the bombs sent the monster army into disruption. He had always been good at metalworking. The miners had been envious of just how fast he could make, and maintain the perfect temperature for working metal. The stone mold of spikes slid into the forge above the burning coals. Copper ingots were shoveled in.

Buildrick whirled, checking behind him.

The Living Armors were approaching. Most of them were missing bits and pieces of their armor, indicating they were close to death. Buildrick swept the hammer sideways, knocking their legs out from beneath them. Then, he brought his hammer in from the top, flattening in the helmet.

The Living Armor dropped. Out for the count, along with the others currently flattened by the number of bombs he had set off. At least the cavern was widened by quite a bit. The only light was the ghostly light that flickered in the injured Living Armor’s chests, and the Killing Machine’s eye lasters.

A wide arc of lasers began to light up the ground before him, letting him know where the explosion would happen. He ran sideways, out of the arc. It exploded against the Knight’s heavy armor. Buildrick kept putting down more and more bombs. He grabbed up whatever looked to be important as he could, but was more concerned about widening out the space to give him enough room to fight.

The forge was done. Buildrick reached in, using his thick gloves to yank the softened copper from the furnace. It rapidly cooled in the cool yet stuffy air. The spikes were big enough that Buildrick could step between them, while the monsters injured themselves. Buildrick slammed them down around him. The Living Armor and Killing Machine’s alike didn’t notice, or didn’t care. They stomped on it, ignoring the spiked ripping through their bodies. More. Set down more. Leave spaces to set up little blocks of stone that would allow his bombs to go off without destroying the spikes. The monsters chased after him, dead silent in their intent to kill him.

Buildrick reached into his bag- he didn’t have much food left, but he could really use something to bring some more power into his arms.

His hammer creaked rather suspiciously as it connected with a Killing Machine. He had just made himself a new one, but with how many battles they seemed to be dropping into one right after the other, his hammers were disappearing in quick order. Buildrick grumbled as he backed away from the monsters. His chest heaved from exhaustion. Staying up all night to restock food was hard. Everyone he met agreed it was a hard job. Especially when they were half-starved themselves. He had always fed people off of monster meat, but all of the soldiers he’d met so far balked at the idea. It didn’t take long to convert them, once they smelled the food cooking.

Buildrick stumbled, knocked flat by a Living Armor slamming into him with his shield. The numbness of a broken arm tingled and sparked painfully. He grabbed medical leaves, running behind the group of monsters to shove them in his mouth. The shovels weren’t nearly as threatening as the sharp curved swords they usually had. It was probably the only reason why he was still alive by himself. Before, when fighting this number of monsters, the miners of Kol had helped. They joined him in his battles.

Right now however, he was alone and on his own.

“Buildrick!”

Alef’s shout caught his ears as he set off another bomb. The monsters were blown away. He looked up.

Alef was standing on the edge, looking for a way down. The Goodybag must have been killed, which left Alef free. Buildrick blinked, as a shovel started whistling towards his head. He threw himself to the side, moving through the spikes as best as he could. The monsters chased after him, swords and shoves rising in the air, as yet another eye laser lit up the ground to the explosion.

Buildrick slammed his hammer into the back of the monster, and was well satisfied to see it go down in a spark of lightning. His hammer crumbled beneath the weight, and he tossed it to the side to grab another one. He could use swords, but he liked hammers better, so that was what he was sticking with. Alef was staring down at them, lit up by the orbs of light that floated around him, mouth compressed into a long, thin line. His eyes flickered back and forth, counting the monsters as Buildrick shoveled another medicinal leaf into his mouth. At this point, it was more of playing the long game of wearing them down. Stopping for a second would lead to being hit in the back.

A sword came thundering down, splitting open his arm. He pulled back, moving back towards his forge still puffing away. More spikes, and-

He set the bomb, moving away again.

The explosion boomed, clearing out a few more- there were just six left now. Much more manageable.

Buildrick stopped at the edge of the spikes, and moved forward. The Living Armor lifted its sword, winging it down towards his unprotected back. Buildrick ignored that, hammer smashing into its side. It didn’t flinch, the blade biting into his shoulder. He gritted his teeth, and slammed his hammer into the side again. Its breastplate went flying off, and it dropped. The sword clattered to the ground, as the next monster reached for him- and fell short.

Alef had jumped down, Buildrick realized with a start. He had jumped down, and used his sword and arms as a cushion as it pierced into the Living Armor. Alef landed lightly on his feet, and used the continuing momentum to shoot forwards. His Sword slammed into the Chest of a Killing Machine whirring and beeping ferociously.

Alef pulled out, fire spinning in one hand to slam against an approaching Living Armor, and sent it stumbling. Buildrick followed up, hammer smashing into it.

It didn’t take long for the two of them to finish off what was left. Buildrick leaned against his hammer, as Alef glanced around. All of the other monsters had disappeared into the tunnels surrounding them. “Did you defeat the Goodybag?”

“Yes.” Alef leaned over him, face serious. “Never do that again.”

“I do what I want.” Buildrick reminded Alef. Because having this many monsters and the boss at the same time was hard, and he wasn’t looking to die. But he could handle himself.

Alef pinched the bridge of his nose, looking a bit upset. Well, Buildrick didn’t bend for anyone. But- “It shouldn’t happen again, probably.” He thought of himself charging into castles alone to retrieve a Banner of Hope. “Maybe.”

“Buildrick. Please.”

“Maybe.” Buildrick insisted, because he wasn’t going to lie to Alef. He tromped wearily over to his chugging forge. His hammer broke it into its miniature form, and he stuffed it into his bag. “So about the Goodybag?”

“Dead. Amos and Lucinda are still waiting for us up above if we can get up there.”

“Leave it to me. I can get stairs up there.” Buildrick shouldered his bag, pausing for a moment. The Living Armors didn’t drop much, but the Killing Machines held a lot of materials he could use. Chips, components- he could maybe build a car, maybe not. Amos waved from up above, holding one of the torches he’d used to light up the room.

Buildrick waved back, eyeing the destroyed staircase.

It was a bit slow going- he didn’t want to just slap on a ladder and call it done. The miners would be coming through here loaded down. The staircase would need to take their heavy weight. Alef followed silently.

Amos and Lucinda slapped his back pretty hard. “Ow. What-”

They slapped his back even harder. Was this their way of-

“Why would you do that?! Why would you blockade us out! And go running off into a den packed full of monsters! You’re no hero! You could’ve died down there!”

“No, I was pretty well prepared.” Buildrick objected, before stopping at their teary eyes. “I’m not apologizing.”

“No, this is the part where you break down and promise to never do it again.” Lucinda said.

“Since when?!”

“Nearly every play that goes on has this as part of their course. Don’t you know how worried you made Alef?!? We boosted him over the wall you made, and then had to finish breaking through ourselves. I mean, it was half damaged by that point but-”

They were really going at it for some reason. Buildrick grumbled as he marched past them and picked up a torch himself. The fake jewels and gold lay scattered on the ground. But it was pretty clear to him all of it was useless. Not even worth bothering with. Buildrick glanced back to Alef.

Alef’s face was drawn, and exhausted. He was injured too, from the giant Goodybag he’d fought up here, and the many monsters he’d helped clear out down below. His sword was chipped, and his breathing still ragged after everything they had just cleared out. Buildrick wanted to bend, but- neither did he want to lie.

“Well, I’ll try to keep out of trouble for a bit.”

“...Well, that’ll have to be good enough for now.” Amos said after a moment. “Now let’s return to the surface. Since the monsters wanted the mines shut down for some reason we can expect that any messages to have come from the King to be intercepted and changed.”

Alef nodded, sword still in his hand as he glanced around. “The caves are quiet now.”

“Now that the boss of the mining monsters has been defeated, the smaller monsters are disorganized. I doubt we’ll see many in the caves for some time. Though they’ll come back.” They always did.

The march back up to the surface wasn’t particularly grueling. Other then the fact that they were all so exhausted that even going ten steps was a bit of a struggle. Slowly, they made their ways through the caverns. They stuck to the main path, wearily dragging their bodies to the entrance.

There were three people lying dead on the ground. Buildrick winced, as Lucinda breath grew ragged. “No- No- did- Did he kill them before he came after us? What’s- What’s going on?”

“Oiiiiiii! Geddownnnnnnnnn!” At the miner’s roar, Buildrick reacted. He grabbed the nearest arms next to him and pulled. He and Amos tumbled to the ground, as a drackey came hissing overhead. Alef skewered it easily, sending its body tumbling down.

Buildrick rose to his feet, as a miner came skidding in. “Wot happened here? We were doing the whole plan of findin' a new entrance, and I came to find several soldier’s dead, and the rest under siege!”

“Where are they?” Amos questioned, panic bubbling in his voice. “How many?”

“Ten of them. They were telling us to run for the mines when they saw two guards change from human to monsters. Since when was that something monsters could do? You lot look pretty roughed up yourselves too. You alright?”

Buildrick slapped medicinal leaves into hands. Every hand. They should of down in the mines, but he had been hoping that they wouldn’t be needed before they could pour fresh water into wounds to clean them out. He could see the soldiers pulling wry faces as they chewed and swallowed the bitter taste, but Alef shook his head as he passed it back. “No, after I fought the Goodybag somehow I feel even more full of energy then before.”

That so? Buildrick nodded, as they followed the miner. There were ten soldiers standing at the entrance of the mines, desperately stabbing at every monster that came close. The Ledgermen in the back were slinging spells, as flying Gargoyles came swooping down from the top. The only thing keeping them back to any degree was the comparatively low ceiling wall.

The monsters took one look at Alef- and ran.

Buildrick was honestly a bit miffed. No monster had ever looked at him and ran other then metal slimes, and they tended to fire off at least one Fireball at his back before they did.

The soldiers whirled, still on guard.

“A-Amos! Lucinda! We-We thought you two were dead! The commander – he-”

“The commander is dead. He turned into a giant monster. The monsters have been using the mines for some nefarious purpose. Mont, we need to send word to Kol immediately- I don’t know what reason why the monsters wanted the mines shut down, but we need to reopen them. We should also reach out to Maurice and see about reopening the trade routes.”

The soldier’s didn’t even hesitate. They saluted, and got down to business. Buildrick, Alef, and the miner found themselves quietly placed to the ‘side’. Buildrick watched the soldiers ebb and flow, bustling back and forth. He… Was hungry.

Buildrick stood up, restlessly wandering into the kitchen. The Chimera meat was hanging out to dry. He pulled it down, sectioning it off. He had plenty mushrooms, and even some heart-fruit though that could be used in a cake- oh, cake. Take some wheat, the Drackey butter, separating out the butter from the cream. Beat the flour and half of the cream together with the egg yolk, while separating out the white to make into icing. Slide the pan into the oven for cooking. While that’s ongoing, take the heart-fruit and wash, the core them. Cut in half, like the strawberries. Pull the cake out of the oven, and set to cool.

He had his own whipped cream cake with fruit.

Buildrick set it down, mentally measuring. There were only twelve soldiers left, and the cake was of a fairly decent size. Enough so that cutting it into sixteen slices, while not giving them much, would still give them a chance to have a taste of something sweet. But, Alef had done a very good job taking care of most of the monsters so-

He slipped two pieces of cake on Alef’s plate, and passed it to him.

Alef took it looking troubled.

The miner was called away in short order to inspect the mine’s bracing. Buildrick could repair it, but it’d be one person versus multiple people if the rest of the miners pitched in.

Then, it was the two of them once again.

“Buildrick.”

“Yeah?”

“The Goodybags… he said he was originally human, and turned into a monster for his love of gold. You mentioned earlier that you didn’t think monsters loved gold, so I was just-”

“I’ve never seen that kind of monster before.” Buildrick admitted, “So I was wrong about monsters not loving gold. Though I’ll admit- I’ve only heard of one other human becoming a monster.” The original hero, that failed- or won he supposed depending on how the hero themselves looked at it- had been turned into a monster. He didn’t have a clear remembrance of them, but they clearly weren’t human any longer. Or was that just his own feelings getting mixed in? Still- “And that human didn’t do it for the money.”

“Did you know them?”

“No, not at all. I just came in after to get what they had taken.” Buildrick leaned against the table. “I don’t even remember most of it. I just kept thinking like hell I was going to lie down and die. I still wanted to sleep more in a princess sized bed.”

Alef choked on his cake. “P-Princess sized bed?”

“Mmm, that’s right, you didn’t see me building it, did you? The princesses bed is pretty nice. It’s big, and fluffy, and even after surviving a dragon attack it’s still really soft and just perfect for sleeping.”

Alef’s horror was leaking onto his face. “A- A dragon attack?”

“Well, the entire place was falling down. Claw marks in the walls, broken masonry burned and melted. There was only one bed left standing, and even it was missing half of a leg, with the sheets full of dust and the innards down to half of it size. It was hard! Repairing that room, getting the bed fixed! There were no trees! Just wasteland and rubble!” Buildrick wanted to cry at thought. Tangateal Castle had been hard. Both on his body, and his soul.

Alef reached out, and hesitated before patting his back gently. “It sounds like you had a hard time of it.”

“It was rough, and hard, and I had to kiss an old man to eat.” Buildrick whined.

Alef froze. And there it was again, the feeling like he was trapped in the same room as the Dragon Lord. “You had to do what?”

“Ah. No, sorry- there wasn’t any food. And the only one who could make food was a guy who could squeeze it out of the air. I didn’t really get it, but it was just for what- four or five days? It wasn’t actually a kiss-”

Somehow, he was making excuses for Myrtle. It hadn’t actually been a kiss, it had been more of a wind into his mouth. But- it had be be close to keep from too many nutrients being lost to the arid wind around them. Gwaelin somehow managed to do it on her own- maybe it was a Royal Family thing? “I- I mean, it’s something Sage’s can do, right? Brachi was bringing his gramps food, but the Sage kept saying it wasn’t needed.”

The feeling died a bit. “That’s true.” Alef agreed after a moment. “In the caverns underneath the castle as well...”

Why did it feel like he just dodged a nasty attack? Buildrick wondered how much his panic had shown through as he picked at his remaining piece of cake. They were silent for a second, just eating. Then, the soldiers started trickling in again. They gratefully swiped up a piece of the cake, but kept moving.

“Ah, Buildrick. You said you were a builder and could build many things, did you not?”

“Sure can.”

“Can you build our dead a coffin?” Amos questioned. He looked like he’d aged several years in just a few hours. “We can’t have their bodies exposed to air forever, but nor can I bear to bury them inside of the mines. Even the miners bring their dead back to Kol.”

“I can build a couple of coffins.” Buildrick agreed easily. He stood up, picking up his hammer. Alef followed him like a shadow.

To a clear space where he could work, and quietly stacked three coffins for the humans killed. Buildrick kept his hands steady, as he carved and painted. Then, Alef followed him back to the kitchens. And outside, as he went food gathering. And even-

Buildrick sat on the toilet, staring at Alef’s back.

“Alef?”

“Yes?”

“Do you need something?”

“No?”

“No, seriously, what do you want. I don’t appreciate visitors when I’m in a place like this.”

Alef looked up at the stone ceiling for a moment. “You were the one who said you made no promises about remaining out of trouble.”

“Are you still going on about that?” Buildrick buried his face in his hands. He wasn’t going to lie about staying out of trouble. Especially since, “I’ll have you know I don’t go out looking for trouble, it comes to me instead.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Alef murmured, so soft he nearly missed it.

Buildrick sighed as he hopped off the toilet. It only took a second to straighten himself out, and then approach. Alef was still staring at the ceiling with an odd, hazy look in his eyes. Buildrick lifted his hand, gesturing Alef closer. Alef leaned in slightly, but not enough. Not as Buildrick reached out to wrap his hand around Alef’s bicep and pulled. Surprised black eyes stared into his.

“Listen. I know I’m short. I am not a child. I know I’m not the greatest of fighters. But I can take care of myself. I do not need watched like a wayward sheep.” What was a sheep? The only way he knew of the words was from others teasing him. “I don’t need a guard. Do you really trust me so little to not die?”

Alef’s mouth opened, and closed. He looked troubled. Buildrick let go.

“Buildrick. I apologize. I do not mean to cause offense.” Alef was picking through his words carefully. Haltingly. “I just… I know you are strong. But as I saw that monster coming at you I realized that I couldn’t… stand the thought of you being dead. I know you can take care of yourself. I really do. But… while battling with Lucinda and Amos, I realized how unusual you are in your pure strength.” Alef knelt on the ground, taking him by the hand. Was this his playboy side? “Though, I must say, you weren’t wrong in your previous statement of everyone becoming worried when you fight. But that is why- It’s not a wish to protect, but to fight at your side when the time comes rather then you facing it alone. So won’t you allow me to stay by your side?”

Wait, what?

The miners of Kol had helped the best they could, but there had been more then one battle he’d gone at alone. And they couldn’t follow him into the portal and across the ocean. Though, he hadn’t faced the Dragon Lord alone in the end, he had been left with nothing at first.

“I- I don’t care!” Buildrick said after a second, mind scrambled. He yanked his hand away, well aware his ears were burning. “Fine! Do what you want! I’m going to start repairing the braces in the main caverns!”

Buildrick stomped away, but he didn’t miss Alef’s chuckle as he followed.

Chapter Text

Alef wondered if this could be considered making up after a fight or not. Buildrick still slid him more food then he did others. Or maybe it was just the amount of food Buildrick could shovel down at one time? Every time Alef turned around, he was being offered a piece of a meal. It had happened before, but ever since their little conversation in the bathroom, something had shifted.

For all Buildrick’s face didn’t really move or emote much, his ears could go red. And Alef in return was handed off morsels of food that no one else got. It felt like… A lot like the way when people would call out to him to get a puff-puff and perhaps more. He had… gone a bit wild after leaving behind his Guardian. But even then, the people there had never referred to him by name, just ‘Hero’.

A wall that he hadn’t realized he wanted broken down until Buildrick did so.

He had no doubt how it would’ve gone if he’d gone to the mines alone. The guards would be polite, he’d stay a night, and then be on his way without having exchanged more then three words with them. With Buildrick, he found himself drawn into an argument between the soldiers and the one miner about whether or not fried cactus could be considered a food. Also- the beds- did they have to be so close? Per the miners, the answer was yes. For the soldiers, they preferred at least a few inches of space. Then, it became an argument about weapons-

Obviously, per the miners, they slept with their weapons and limbs entangled. If there was a black eye caused by grabbing weapons during an attack, then there would be a matching one soon enough when tempers inevitably rose and fists went flying.

Alef… Wasn’t really ready to actually make an opinion on it. He and Buildrick were sleeping in separate beds now, but on the road it may as well be one.

Amos pretty much threw himself into the chair, mouth moving as he counted in his mind. It had been about four days. The miners needed a day to get everything they’d hauled out of the mines back in, and they’d be slower at getting back in since they’d take their time.

Maurice on the other hand, was far enough away that all he could do was send a letter and hope it arrived.

A heavy hand slapped his back, nearly sending Alef sprawling. He turned.

Aeroba stood there, muscles gleaming in the torchlight. She carried a huge hammer on her shoulder, and one arm lifted a crate Alef suspected was packed full of tools. The miners bustled behind her carrying tools and- bells?

“Oh, never seen the mine warning system?” Aeroba questioned. “I’ll tell you how it’s setup later. Still, I can’t believe you made old Damas finally move. How’d you bribe him?”

Alef turned to Amos, who winced. “Aeroba, we need to talk. I didn’t want to tell you without… it being face to face.”

“Did he die to monsters?” She questioned, face puckering into a frown. “Alright, I’m coming. You too Alef.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, I get the feeling you know more. And Amos has this bad habit of never telling the truth easily, so I need someone to step in when he’s beating around the bush.” Aeroba tossed the box one-armed to her miners, and followed Amos as he led them to a small room.

“Aeroba, the commander turned into a monster.”

“WAT!” Aeroba's face drained of color, as she stared aghast at Amos.

“Alef and Buildrick can back me up here. He turned into a monster, and they were in the mines emptying it of all the metal they could get their hands on.” Amos shook his head, “Can you think of any particular reason why?”

“No, we always had more metal then normal from those mines, but nothin’ special mind you. I can’t think of anything other then the monsters wanting it for themselves.” Aeroba grumbled as she crossed her arms. “But… Damas turned into a monster? I didn’t think that was possible. Was… Was he still crying?”

“No.” Amos began, but she shushed him, looking to Alef.

Alef froze. The goodybags close to the end had been crying, wailing about missed opportunities. That was all Aeroba needed to know. “Ahhhh, he was crying wasn’t he? Well, never-mind that. It was old stuff anyways.”

Amos’s voice lowered as he whispered, “She and Damas were a fling for a month or so apparently. She left him for her next husband.”

Really? She had that kind of history with the Commander? “I can understand why you didn’t want to tell me in a letter.” Aeroba stared at the two of them, eyes dry, and back straight. “Is that all? I’ll make sure that the miners set up and are more careful then usual. If the monsters are turning into humans, is there any good way of telling them apart?”

“Buildrick might know, but I’m uncertain unfortunately.”

“Ahhh, then- Oi! Buildrick!! Where is he?”

Buildrick rounded the corner carrying stacks of crates on his scrawny arms. Once again, Alef was reminded that despite his tiny body, the man was a powerhouse. “There you are. Get in ‘ere.”

“What? Why? Can it wait until after I’ve finished repairing the braces?”

“Sorry Buildrick, but you’re the only one that has had experience with this before.” Alef said from behind Aeroba.

Buildrick’s face screamed how much he didn’t want to join the conversation. Aeroba and Alef held firm. If it was possible, then-

The door swung shut, as the miner’s whispers grew. “So?”

“Monsters disguising themselves as humans. You know a way to tell them apart?” Aeroba demanded.

Buildrick immediately shook his head. “No. Most of the monsters that had done so revealed themselves pretty quickly. I’m no expert in magic either. But- if you’re talking about someone who is, then wouldn’t one of the Sages have a clue?”

A… Wait- a Sage?

Alef pointed out, “One of the sages died, and the other one went to Galenholm.”

“There’s a third down in Rimuldar, right? Besides, Myra was being trained to take over the Sage duties in Tangateal. She would still have that knowledge. And then if we’re opening trade with Galenholm again, the sage there should hear along with Brachi.” Buildrick objected. “That makes three. Does Cantalin have one?”

“We-Well, if they do I haven’t heard of it. In fact, aren’t the sage’s supposed to be kinda top secret things? How’d you learn about them in the first place?”

“No, as long as you keep helping people, eventually they’ll help you too, right? No, I guess there are some people who won’t really help unless their backs are to a wall, but- Wait.. what did that guy do? Didn’t he just sit around and eat? No, he did send me on my way for a fishing pole I guess but…” His voice trailed off in a mutter as he considered the people he had met in his travels before Alef. The gaping, yawning void of watching Buildrick blockade him out from his fight before came back, twisting and snapping.

Buildrick shook his head, and said strongly, “The sage’s probably know. Now, I’m going into the mines. Glutimus was telling me about the warning system you guys hook up, and I was thinking if we added some magic cannons to it, it should keep off some of the monsters at least.”

“C-Cannons? Magic Cannons? You’ll show me how to make them, right?”

“Sure, I can do that.” Buildrick nodded, as he pointed into the mines, “But I need a lot more materials then what I have now to make them.”

The two trotted off, Aeroba looking genuinely excited as she leaned in close to Buildrick, who was using his hands to explain how it was forged. Alef could feel the void inside of himself growing larger the more he thought about it. Amos shook his head. “Then let’s use our wits to begin the counterattack eh?”

“Counter attack?”

“Aye. Maurice sent back word as well. He had hid a horse, and used it to send word back to us immediately.” Amos held up a packet. It was about as thick as a one of the history books he had studied. “He… uh… wasn’t waiting for us to reopen before reaching out to Galenholm. He met the Sage actually, and let them pass after Brachi begged them to look the other way. But he’s been keeping very, very careful notes of the monsters movements. I could use a second pair of eyes, and we both know Buildrick wouldn’t keep track.”

Amos… wasn’t wrong. Buildrick was many things. But- not really all that interested in those kinds of finer details. But he did want to see what Buildrick was making. “You don’t have to worry about those two. Aeroba will keep him out of trouble. Besides, Aeroba will keep things in the setup stage for a bit yet until she gets a chance to scope out the mines herself.”

Alef hesitated- before nodding. It was hard to refuse such a request after all. Coupled with the fact that he was genuinely curious as to what kind of movements the monsters were making.

For all the writing, it honestly looked to be normal. The monsters weren’t moving that far outside of expectations. As far as Alef could tell, the Dragon Lord wasn’t amassing an army besides the bare-bones of it. There were no generals, no commanding forces- as far as armies went, it seemed to be rather disorganized. There were a few notes of people already picking up travel again. A man in full fancy armor that had crossed the bridge with barely a word to the soldiers standing guard. He may of arrived at Kol.

There was always the chance that the Dragon Lord was so overwhelming confident in its power, that it didn’t feel the need to actively recruit. Most monsters came to it. Alef rested his cheek on his hand, staring at the documentation spread out before him. When traveling, the Killer Machine said it was the fault of the Dragon Lord that the trolls had messed up the hot springs. The slime in the tomb hadn’t any clue what was going on up above. The three Hammerhoods that had taken a shine to Buildrick and followed him like little shadows didn’t talk human, but could still pass on some degree of information as thanks.

The monster-kind wasn’t a monolith.

Then, what about- the monsters in the caverns? They were mining something, or digging for something?

Also, his own dreams. Alef had the feeling that he’d organized a lot of the army in his dreams. Handpicked the strongest monsters. Or- those he just didn’t care about. But it was odd, to think of one… being so carefree with their style of leadership.

What was the Dragon Lord thinking? Did he actually want to rule the world? Everything said seemed to point to yes, but the actions didn’t match.

Alef set down the papers, muttering, “Does he actually want to rule the world? The entire thing… isn’t organized. At all.”

“Indeed, it looks more like the Dragon Lord is so confident in their own abilities it isn’t actually assembling an army.” Amos agreed. “But he did kidnap Princess Gwaelin, and take the orb of light plunging us all into this lasting gloom. So we can at least make the statement he does not wish us well. These other reports are concerning as well.”

“Other reports?”

“Yes, it looks like there are some pretty disturbing reports. Crops are taking twice as long to grow, and are even starting to not grow at all.”

Oh.

Oh.

It didn’t take a genius to realize just how bad that could end up very quickly. Alef winced. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it looks like as long as we sprinkle Holy Water or it’s grown in town, it can grow. But it’s still slower then normal.” Amos set down the papers, and picked up his spear. “That means as well, Kol might continue not getting enough food. Galenholm is already getting snowed under. Rimuldar is open, but news says that it’s not trading food right now. Cantlin is however, though only via the Colossal coffers.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. According to the grapevine, even they have lost control of the Golem that guards it. It allows nothing in. Not monsters, nor humans.”

“And Maurice found all of this out this quickly?”

“No, right now we’re the only ones who know.” Amos smile was a bit bleak. “The Commander said we should focus on ourselves first, but I still kept track of the soldiers to the south. They probably won’t accept reopening the roads very easily however. Especially since Rimuldar’s bridge was destroyed. Any travelers will have to make it through the caverns.”

“Indeed. The monsters in those caverns are quite dangerous for an unwary or unsuspecting traveler.”

Amos nodded, and gathered up the papers. “We should depart this room. We’ve been here for several hours now. The others have probably noticed out absence.”

He was hungry, Alef realized. He nodded as he stood up, shuffling papers together into a neat and tidy stack. Amos took the papers from him, and stuffed them away. “Please do not speak of the information you saw lightly. Now that we know that monsters are in the ranks, we must be careful. If you run across someone you believe you can trust, then I will trust in you.”

Alef nodded his assent.

They opened the doors to the room- to a scene of absolute chaos.

Buildrick was lifting Glutimus over his head, and staring down into a giant pot of slowly heating soup. There were knocked out miners scattered behind him, as Aeroba held the line to keep them from rushing Buildrick and putting an end to whatever… Whatever they were doing. The soldiers were bunched in a corner, looking on with horrified looks. Except for Lucinda who had pulled out a giant mug about the size of her own head. She was chugging as she ignored the ongoing yelling.

Alef wanted to ask what was going on, but Buildrick was already speaking.

“Now, repeat after me.”

“Y-Yes.”

“I will not fire the cannon without warning.”

“C’mon, it was just a little fun-”

Buildrick took a step closer to the pot, body shifting. Glutimus rushed out with a, “I won’t touch it again unless Aeroba gives me the go!”

Buildrick stopped- and dropped Glutimus on the small platform. The disdain that rolled off of him was very evident. Evident enough that the miners still on their feet looked down at their feet and shuffled from side to side. “The cannons are not a toy. I keyed them to hurt humans less then monsters, but it will still hurt. Do not fire them without clearing everything around you.”

“Yessssssss.” The miners sounded like a group of school children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Buildrick grunted as he hopped down off the platform. Aeroba dropped her guarding stance. She reached out- to ruffle Buildrick’s hair.

“You’re pretty strong ain’t ya? Well, if you ever choose to become a miner I’ll welcome you with open arms.”

“No thanks.” Buildrick immediately refused. “I enjoy being a builder.”

“That’s wot you all say.” Aeroba sighed, withdrawing her hand. “Well, the offer is always open.”

Buildrick turned away- and finally noticed Alef standing at the entrance. “Oh, Alef! Aeroba and I just finished clearing out the mines. While there’s still monsters, the actual mining should be starting soon.”

That… was a lot faster then he expected.

Aeroba leaned in, her grin making the miners behind her swoon. “We’re keeping to the top levels. These guys haven’t been in a mine for months now, and we need to get our night and day shifts started as soon as possible. We brought along a few gals to get our sleeping arrangements all sorted.”

Buildrick nodded. “Everything is pretty much all set up anyways from what I understand. So mining can begin immediately.”

Alef glanced outside- it was dark. Night time had fallen. There were no stars but- “Then you should probably go to bed yourself since you didn’t sleep last night.”

“Nah, I can keep-”

Aeroba shoved him toward the bedrooms. “Nope. Anyone who wants to work has a required amount of rest. A ten hour shift in the mines means ten hours off for sleeping. The more tired you are, the greater the danger. You realize that yourself, don’t you?”

Buildrick groaned. “I get it, I get it. Alright, then before I do, Alef, want to join me in some hunting?”

“What are we hunting?” Alef questioned. His stomach was empty, and he was honestly looking forward to going to bed.

“Chimeras. They’re already gathering, but the miners pulverize the meat and make it hard to prepare.”

Aalef nodded, resigning himself to a few more hours of fighting and-

Aeroba grabbed Buildrick by the soldier. “What about resting do you not understand?”

“Nobody asked you!”

“Glutimus! Send him off to bed! If you want in our mines you have to obey the rules!”

Buildrick was picked up and thrown over one shoulder about as easily as if he were one of the hammers or pickaxes they tossed to each other. Alef watched Buildrick be carted off. Aeroba patted his back. “You look about done in yourself. I heard from the guys that the two of you share a room, I’ll have him dropped off there unless you need a break.”

The miners called Aeroba a goddess.

Alef wanted to join them for that moment. Truly, Aeroba was the guardian angel of the mines.

“No, once he’s in bed he’s out like a light. Thank you Aeroba.”

“No problem. You coming down with us into the mine’s tomorrow morning? We’ll probably aim deep to figure out what the monsters were trying to dig up.”

“Yes, barring any unexpected circumstances.” Alef agreed.

Unexpected circumstances included sleeping through dawn once again, like he had been doing so for the past four days. Buildrick didn’t wake him, instead plunging into the mines with Aeroba.

Alef scowled at his bowl of soup. He didn’t dislike Aeroba, but he had wanted to go into the mines to make sure that Buildrick didn’t get in over his head. Glutimus leaned in, head cocking as the bell rung. “Oh, monster that we need gathered for already?”

“Mmm?”

“We hang bells in the mines, to alert each other of a cave in or for monsters. Two rings for cave ins, one ring for monsters. Oi! Gather up everyone! Grab yer weapons and-”

“DRAGON!”

The yell bounced off the walls, forwarded by each miner.

Glutimus swore. “Alright! Change of plans! We’ll get fried if we fight it inside the caverns! Everyone is to grab everything they can! Where’s the meat, we gotta lure it outside into the plains where we stand a chance! You too Alef, grab yer gear.”

“But- inside-”

“Nah, if they’re relaying, then none of them is dead yet! But if we try and fight the dragon in the caverns, we will!”

Aeroba’s voice was loud, and carrying, bouncing off the stone walls like they were built for carrying sound. Which they might be. “Outside! Get outside with yer best weapons! Those who can’t fight need to head fer the forest!”

“Move the cannons outside!” Buildrick yelled right after her. Alef could feel his heart easing as he picked up his sword. It was less impressive compared to the huge hammers the miners were lifting. But, it was what he was used too.

Alef could hear slapping feet- and a dragons roar.

There was an odd click that bounced off the walls, before-

Even from this far away he could see the flames. Alef’s breath froze at the sight of the deadly red and orange flames that lit up the tunnels. They were almost immediately blocked by a small wall being built. The runners kept running, as Buildrick took a few steps back- and joined them.

They rushed past the big general hall, heading for the stretch of glorious sky.

Flung over one shoulder in Aeroba’s arms, was a large, yellow bundle. No, not a bundle- a woman. Alef couldn’t see her very well, but he could guess suddenly, why the monsters had taken over the mines.

Strawberry blond hair flew in the wind, as wide green eyes caught his.

This was wrong, he thought. When they met, it should be in a dingy cavern lit only by a dragon’s flickering breath and the soft light of nearly out torches. Not underneath wide plains as Aeroba and the Princess was surrounded by the miners.

The dragon came to a halt, flames puffing out in little licks and spurts. Alef took a deep breath. This wasn’t what he was expecting, but even so-

He didn’t intend on letting a single one of the miner’s die under his watch.

Chapter Text

It was dark.

Gwaelin wrapped her arms around her legs as she stared at the wall.

There was nothing in the room. Not even so much as a scrap of paper. The torches were guttural, and only threw the very faintest of light. Strong iron bars barred any visitors from reaching her without first facing the dragon.

As in in response to her thoughts, the large green dragon laying in front of the bars snorted. Its head rose, bright, golden eyes glittering in the light. It was surveying the small cavern she thought. It sniffed the air, before climbing to it’s feet. She could feel the ground quivering as it stomped towards the doors. It seemed to be able to recognize when someone was coming.

Her heart clenched.

Gwaelin shifted on the bed, heart thundering.

Then, the dragon laid back down.

She breathed out in relief.

It was impossible to keep track of time. The food on the table never vanished- she’d pick up a hard piece of bread, and there was another one already on the plate. The cup she drank from never emptied. The pot… she didn’t want to think about the pot.

But, their little game of pure terror was over. The dragon had gone back to settling down, and Gwaelin was left with nothing but her thoughts and dreams. Nightmares more like. She dreamed of returning home with the Hero dropping her off with a gentle smile that charmed her. She dreamed of speaking to him via a magical amulet, and his soft replies that set her aflame with passion. Sometimes, the dreams shifted, to dreams of him not teleporting her back to the castle, but walking her back. Carrying her all the way, as they talked. Sometimes, he would even pause at the castle- and she would be so happy when they continued on, to other cities and locations together. Just talking, enjoying each others company.

Gwaelin dreamed of a dragon’s wings covering the castle. Her brave soldiers rushing her out, as her father stood in the rubble of the throne room. Gwaelin dreamed of seeing her soldiers die, one by one, eaten by trolls, by dragons, by- by so many monsters. She dreamed of the one she thought to be her hero watching the castle burn. The gray wasteland of nothing but ash. Of a short, not really broad back that stood between her and danger. Of the act of rebuilding, spreading holy water to purify the land and drive back the curse. Of sitting in an empty throne room, and knowing her father would not walk through the doors.

Other fragments drifted through her mind, here and there. Of greeting other… heroes(?) from other worlds coming to face the Dragon Lord. Some of them fell to either claw or words- those worlds became the same, full of gray ash and gloomy skies.

She squeezed her arms around her legs tighter. It hurt.

Just some time ago, a platoon of soldiers had attempted to rescue her. Half of them battled the dragon, while the other half had formed a line to try and get her out.

The Dragon had torn through them like butter. They fell quickly, ignobly, and she had been tossed back into her cage with a tail slam that had broken her leg. Gwaelin had tried to heal herself- but unlike her brother, her healing lessons had been much more sparse. All of her lessons had been like that.

Gwaelin glanced to the door. Her soldier’s bodies had all been dragged away in hours by monsters. Had… they been eaten? Or turned into the skeletal soldiers that patrolled the hallways? She couldn’t see them, but she could hear the sound of bones rattling.

She was going to go insane if she had to stay here much longer.

It felt like Gwaelin had been trapped down here longer then normal. Certainly, she wanted to say their was a chance that the Hero had completely ignored her, and found what he needed. She would be here until her father sent out more soldiers. The Green Dragon would wander away without commands from the Dragon Lord to guard her.

She didn’t want to be stuck down here that long with only her dreams to keep her company.

Gwaelin blinked as a torch flickered. The Dragon’s head rose, staring at the double steel doors in anticipation. Who- Who was coming? Another person to die? Another hero who would fall to the terrible flames? A-

The wall caved in on the far side. Gwaelin stared at it blankly, eyes wide, as a voice crowed, “Orhilcalum! I told you I spotted it!”

“Aye, that would be well worth even monsters digging out… oi, isn’t that torches? What’d… ey? Isn’t that-”

Gwaelin stared at the two people who stood in a hammer carved entrance. One was a tall, buff woman with kind, strong eyes. The other, a short young man with dark, stormy eyes that spoke of grief and loss. They stared at her with jaws dropped. None of the three could bring themselves to move.

The Dragon roared.

And like that, the magic was broken. “Aeroba, grab the Princess and run.”

“We’re both running!” Aerboa yelled, as she easily swept Gwaelin up. It wasn’t like her dreams of being lifted into a Princess carry in one arm- no- it was a sack of potatoes carry across a shoulder as Aeroba retreated through the entrance.

Buildrick (she knew that was his name for some reason) was just a step behind her as the Dragon pulled the bars out from the wall. He slammed down blocks that looked to be from the Castle, blockading the entrance as the two took off.

Aeroba lashed out, her hammer hitting a giant bell that was strung up. Just once, as she hollered, “We got a Dragon in the mines! Everyone out!”

Gwaelin couldn’t see them- but she could hear them. Heavy feet pounded on flattened ground as miners abandoned their digging. Across Aeroba’s shoulder she could see Buildrick stop, letting the last few miners escape past him before erecting a short wall to slow the Dragon down even further. Red and gold lit up the hallways as the Dragon screamed and breathed fire, its calls bouncing off of the walls. Buildrick backed up a few steps- and joined back into the race for the surface. He grabbed miner’s elbows as they nearly tipped over, straightening them so they didn’t fall or be left behind.

Buildrick was probably faster then that. He could slam down barricades quickly, buying more and more time for the miners to get out, and for Aeroba to get her to the surface. Still, her heart clenched in fear as Buildrick skidded to another halt, slamming down more walls.

A huge claw ripped through them as easily as if they were butter. Buildrick grumbled something under his breath as he reached into his bag. He pulled out- a bomb? It was slammed down as the Dragon’s head thrust through the hole it had made. The explosion a second later made her ears ring.

A breeze caught her hair. The smell of dirt drifted in, as shouts rang in the air. Abruptly, there was sky. And light. Beautiful, glorious light, as wane as it was with the gloom. Her head tilted up as she stared at the sky. Never again, she vowed, would she take the sky for granted.

Aeroba came to a halt, glancing around. The horns on her hat brushed against her back, threatening to tangle in her hair. “Alright, stay behind the dragon as much as possible! We’ve slain dragons before, but we’ve been out of work, so don’t get cocky! Aye, Princess, can you walk?”

“N-No. It hurts-”

“Fine then, I’ll keep you on my shoulder. You won’t be the first or last. Ey, Amos, you ever fought a dragon before?”

“No.”

“Then learn from the rest eh?”

Aeroba’s laughter shook her whole body as she turned to face the dragon. Gwaelin craned her neck around, staring at the action as best as she could.

The Dragon was big she realized- bigger then she originally thought. Its green scales glittered in the murky sunlight, as golden eyes evaluated the soldiers and miners surrounding it. There were pockmarks on its scales where the ballista arrows had bounced off harmlessly. Scorch marks where something else had done the trick. She could see a man that stood out from the miners and soldiers, tall and handsome in orange clothes she vaguely recognized from her dreams.

His dark brown eyes flickered to her, before moving on. Dismissing her as the Dragon snarled. Its voice was low and raspy, “No steal.”

The miners flinched, as the soldiers spears rattled. Even Gawelin had to admit, she wasn’t expecting the dragon to talk. Buildrick was the only one ready for a retort. “People don’t belong to anyone but themselves.”

“Grr. Hate it.” The Dragon snarled. “King told me to guard. Me Guard. Stay awake. Long time. Me want to sleep, but will sleep after I eat you all.”

“Why eat us when you could go crawling back into your cave and sleep?” Buildrick snapped back.

“...King kill me if not.” The Dragon seemed to be afraid? “Besides. Me like King.”

The fear and reverence the dragon held for it’s King was enough for it to dig in its claws and prepare to fight. The dragon took a deep breath, and Gwaelin could hear a sharp, clicking noise through the ringing in her ears. “We got fire incoming!”

Everyone scattered as fire licked into the air. Gwaelin could see a flash of orange and red as Alef went hurtling past the soldiers. His sword bounced off hard scales as the Dragon twisted its head. Buildrick came following up, his huge hammer smashing against the Dragons tail. It yelped in pain, and whipped around. Buildrick was knocked backwards.

The miners came charging in now, some of them holding metal nets. “Wrap up its mouth so it can’t breathe fire!”

Gwaelin could see the slightest glimpse of the net being stretched out and tossed. Alef drove in again, forcing the Dragon into the net or loose an eye. The net wrapped around its mouth- and was immediately snapped as the Dragon stretched open its jaws. “Wat! That was steel wires!”

The dragon snorted, looking rather pleased with itself as it swung its tail around. “Me Strong.”

Alef came in from side, sword gleaming in the light. His shield slammed against the Dragon’s head, driving it into the ground as he drew his sword back. It was a flash like liquid silver plunging into the glimmering eye. The dragon yelped, and twisted its head. Gwaelin winced as she heard the sound of metal snapping, and Alef hopped backwards, scowling.

The half-shaved sword in his hand dripped blood that sizzled in the dirt. Gwae,lin clung to Aeroba’s shoulder as she bustled further back- and she was handed off. A Soldier grunted as she was placed in his arms gently. “Alright, this Dragon might be tougher then some of the others. You guys should book it if it looks like we’re loosing. I’m gonna get stuck in now.”

Aeroba turned, hefting her hammer as she started barking orders. The miners ran for their lives as the Dragon twisted and lunged. One went down with a pained grunt that made her flinch, as flesh tore away gruesomely. She could see his heartbeat came the terrified thought, with every pulse of the blood.

Buildrick came in swinging, his hammer smashing against the dragon’s nose and forcing it back. Aeroba was there in a heartbeat, grabbing the miner and taking him back towards the group. Buildrick shifted his stance, putting his full weight into slamming the hammer down on top of the Dragon’s snout. It snorted, tail whipping around to aim for his head with it’s spikes. Alef was there, his shield rising to block the worst of it. The sharp ridge spikes dug into the metal, leaving deep gouges. Buildrick and Alef were pushed back, Buildrick losing the grip on his weapon.

Gwaelin gasped as Buildrick grabbed a miner, bringing them both down as fire shot into the air.

A dragon truly was its own one-man army. It had fought off the people surrounding it, like it was little more then flies surrounding it. Its head rose, towering over them. Alef’s eyes narrowed, and he shot forward into the gap as the Dragon wrapped its jaws around a luckless soldier. There was no coming back from being bitten in half, and Gwaelin wanted to cover her eyes. But she couldn’t bring herself to look away from Alef.

He danced through the Dragon’s flailing limbs, avoiding most of the heaviest attacks, hand reaching out for the hammer Buildrick had lost. He could hold it easily with one hand- a feat no one else was able to do. He spun, away from sharp snapping teeth that slid through his cloak, but not through flesh. His usually warm brown eyes had gone dark, as he came to a halt. His entire stance changed- no longer light on his feet, but planting himself in to the ground. Both hands grabbed the hammers handle, as he put his full weight into bringing the hammer down.

The scales on the dragon shattered beneath the weight of the hammer.

A roar of delight shot to the skies at the sight. Buildrick grabbed the miner he’d covered, and lifted him to the corner, where he was quickly moved further back into the group for healing. The miners were whooping and hollering, as the Dragon focused in on Alef. It snarled, lunging for him, as Buildrick turned. The miners skidded as they hauled up on the net tossed over the back, before they were forced to let go or risk the metal wires taking off their hands. The Dragon could move, shooting towards Alef with blinding speed, jaws opened wide.

Alef brought his shield up. He didn’t finch as teeth sank into the metal, even as the shield began to buckle. He brought his arm holding the hammer around- slamming into the bleeding eye. The Dragon jerked back, before realizing it s mistake. It charged in again, as Alef grabbed the hammers handle with both hands to bring it down on the other side of the head. Gwaelin was surprised he could aim like that.

Buildrick came sliding in, a miner’s hammer cocked back in his hands. He couldn’t shatter the tough, thick scales, but it did split the Dragon’s attention. It twisted, tail aiming for Buildrick’s head. Buildrick backed up, the spines ripping through his cheek and sinew. He kept backing up, pressing his jaw together as he stuffed a medical herb in his mouth and swallowed. It started knitting back together as Alef pressed in on the attack.

The Dragon thrashed, as Alef brought the hammer down on its foot. Buildrick went in, a dark shadow right behind Alef as his hammer smashed into the Dragons chin. It snarled, only able to hop on three feet now as it lunged. Buildrick didn’t flinch as sharp, serrated teeth sank into his arm. Alef swung around, his hammer slamming into the back of the Dragon’s head. Metal creaked warningly- it wasn’t supposed to be used like this. Or it was, but it was reaching the end of its life.

Buildrick stumbled back as the Dragon released his arm, and reached into his bag. There were more bombs then the one he used in the caverns- he stuffed them underneath the Dragon as it went after Alef. The bombs went off, sending the Dragon staggering as it crawled on two legs. It roared, the roar sending everyone hearing it to their knees.

It wasn’t giving up. Its head swung, fixating on her.

Even if it had to give up its life, Gwaelin realized, it would deliver her to the Dragon Lord.

The soldier started booking it, scrambling for the high ground as the Dragon surged after them. Gwaelin could hear swearing from the miners, as they desperately cast out nets to slow down the Dragon. It shredded through them as easily as butter, but Gwaelin could see the long gashes caused by the wire. It spat out fire, and the miners scattered, some of them unable to run fast enough. It was going for all or nothing. Alef stumbled to his feet, charging after it. He swung the hammer- and let it go. It flew through the air, smashing into the Dragons back. It stumbled, just for a second.

Alef yanked the hammer out of Buildrick’s hand. He ran, at a speed she had never seen a human hit before, as he used the Dragons body as a springboard. He leapt into the air, and came back down, using his falling velocity and magic to smash into the Dragons neck. The Dragon writhed, and fell hard. The soldier stopped, looking back. Alef was slowing down, but still approaching her fast.

A tail came out of the dust cloud slamming into the soldier and bisecting him. Gwaelin fell with a pained cry, as large claws emerged to reach out. Then-

Like she was as light as a feather, she was swept up into a arm. Alef raised his shield in his free hand, pain flickering in his eyes as the claws tore through metal and flesh. He jerked back, and Gwaelin could feel the Dragon being pulled by his pure power and strength. The dust cleared, as golden eyes stared down at them. The Dragon was a mess- scales shattered, blood hissing and spitting acid into the ground, the hammer still buried into its skull though half melted. It took another step forward and fell. Life left its eyes as it stared directly at her.

A deep choking silence fell as miners and soldiers approached behind Buildrick.

Buildrick straggled his way over, lifting up the Dragons head. She could feel Alef’s flinch through his arms, as the sizzling blood splattered on gloves, but Buildrick let go a second later. He looked up at the two of them. “How do you guys feel about Dragon Steaks for dinner tonight?”

One of the miners sighed in relief from behind, dropping his hammer. “It’s over?”

“Yep. Dead.” Buildrick walked over to the dead soldier. One hand closed the dead's open, staring eyes. “Good job on slaying the Dragon.”

“Yes. I guess though returning to town would be for the best so I can get new equipment. I took as best care as I could of them, but it seems like they’ve reached the end of their lifespan.” Alef grimaced as he looked at his sword and shield- even his armor had holes in it from the dragons blood.

“Well- if Aeroba gives the okay, and I can borrow the forges, I can make you a sword.” Buildrick glanced to Aeroba.

She sighed. “You can’t use it- c’mon, you think I’d say that? I saw what you dug up down there. I’ll make sure the forges are cleared for you. But as for now-”

Her hand slammed into Alef’s back. He was sent stumbling. Gwaelin didn’t think she’d ever seen him make this kind of wry, petulant look of exasperation. But his arms didn’t let her down, nor did they falter. “Not quite so hard please.”

Aeroba pounded his back even harder. His shoulders bent under the force of her blows. “Not bad! Amazing even! That’s the least amount we’ve lost in years of fighting Dragons! We couldn’t of done it without you and Buildrick eh?”

The soldiers cautiously approached, as Buildrick gestured for a few miners to come closer. Between all of them, they managed to hoist the dragon up, and out. Medical herbs were passed around, as everyone took the time to bind their wounds before eating. Ah. Was that the piece she was missing to make her leg heal wrong?

“That reminds me!” Aeroba turned with a grin that could set a heart aflame. “We never actually got to meet our Princess eh?”

Alef carefully let her down, supporting her as she stumbled on only one good leg. “Ah yes, thank you all ever so much for rescuing me. I am Princess Gwaelin. Pleased to meet you all.”

It felt odd- she couldn’t think of a time this had happened. Either she was rescued by Alef, or- No. No, those weren’t her memories. She wasn’t going to be bogged down by them. She smiled brightly and cheerfully as she picked up the hem of her skirt. She curtsied low and deep to the gathered group. She was rewarded by low murmurs of surprise and admiration. She straightened, making sure to keep her smile bright. “I don’t know how I can repay you.”

The miners giggled, shuffling their feet. Like the little kids that would stare at her when she went into town. Aeroba laughed, “Well, you’ll have to ask Alef later after the feast! Hey Buildrick, how long!”

“I can get cooking pretty soon.”

With that, everything began to shift again. Gwaelin knew she was certainly at the center of attention, but it was at the center of the soldier’s attention now as she was hustled into a small healing room. Alef watched her go for a long, long moment, before turning back to the task of preparing a dragon for eating. Others picked up the bodies that had been left behind, bearing them into the caverns before they were lost from view as they entered a small room. There was a young woman there, wearing a clerics uniform except for the bunny ears perched on top of her head.

Gwaelin didn’t cry when the woman touched her ‘healed’ leg, though she certainly wanted too. The woman grimaced as she shook her head. “Oh dear, it’s far too badly healed for me to fix.”

The ‘general’ leaned forward. “Nothing?”

“No, no. It was broken in five places, and then never set before being healed. I could fix it, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable with the tools I have on hand. I’d need to rebreak her leg in the exact same place, set the leg, and then leave it overnight for the bones and muscle to begin the healing process again. I don’t have anything to deaden the pain.”

Gwaelin and the Generals face went white at that statement.

The woman continued, “But, I think if you were to go to Rimuldar Princess, they would be able to fix it. They have plants that can numb the pain.”

“Is that so? The if we were to cross the bridge-”

There were two identical winces. The bridge had been destroyed then. “Oh- then how have travelers been crossing to Rimuldar?”

There were even more winces, attempting to be hidden from her. Surely… Surely travel hadn’t been shut down completely. Even if it was just soldiers that were going to and fro to facilitate trade and food, there had to be some path. The General coughed into his fist. “The trade routes were closed per the Kings orders. We recently reopened ours because our previous General was… found to be on the monsters side. We thought it might be best while we await word to see if the orders were actually from the King.”

Her father probably had sent out those orders. Still, she would happily take the blame for her subjects. “I’m certain that Father would never send out such a order. I will speak with him myself when I return to the castle and make certain that all trade routes are reopened. Now then, you said Rimuldar might be able to heal me?”

“Yes Princess.” The Doctor nodded, “They are known as a town of healing for a good reason. The nuns there have many secrets that take a long time to learn, so thereby haven’t spread very far yet.”

“I see. With the roads closed, I would need a very strong group to take me there. And since the soldiers here will be busy with guarding Kol… Then…” Nobody. There was nobody that could take her to Rimuldar. She wasn’t going to believe in dreams that hadn’t happened. Whatever she had dreamed of the Hero, except-

If she didn’t marry the Hero, or convince them to take her away, she’d be married to King Winslow. The only man who’d been able to establish a Kingdom, albeit only straight across the sea. Lianport. He was old- about eighty years old, and had gone through fifteen wives. Whatever else, she absolutely couldn’t marry him. There was a very good chance she wouldn’t survive as well.

Even if it was forced, as long as he got her out of the castle, then it was fine. From there, even if they couldn’t grow to love each other, at least tolerating each other-

“The Hero who rescued me, do you think he would be willing to do it?”

“That- I know I have asked him to go to Rimuldar to take word to the soldiers there. But- I do not think we can ask them. They would have to carry you.”

“I know.” Gwaelin smiled as brightly as she could. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t ask. Afterall, he is the hero my father picked, and quite strong. I don’t believe anyone could think me unsafe with him.”

The generals face clearly stated how much he didn’t want too allow this. Nevertheless, Gwaelin wasn’t bending. Once she made her decision, she couldn’t think of a time, in both her dreams and in real life, when she wavered from it without a very good reason. “Will you escort me to the main eating room? I would not want to miss the feast. And I have many people to thank. Especially the Heroes.”

The general grimaced as he nodded, and stood. Gwaelin could limp well enough by leaning on him, but she certainly wouldn’t be winning any speed records. She gritted her teeth as she stumbled, when an orange arm caught her around the waist. Alef was holding a dragon thigh bone in one hand- where he was going Gwaelin wasn’t certain.

“Oh! Thank you!” Gwaelin beamed at him.

“Of course. Are you headed to the dining room? To join in the festivities?”

“Yes, would you be so kind as to escort me?”

“Certainly.” Alef dropped onto one knee, to hook his arm more easily around her body. He lifted- less of a princess carry, and more of her sitting in the crook of his arm. Her heart fluttered in response. Her smile was genuine as giggled and leaned on him. She trusted him.

Alef moved easily through the caverns. He didn’t sneak glances at her, but his face was lit up by the brightly burning torches that lined the cavern walls. Gwaelin pressed her hands together, “Sir Hero!” It felt wrong to use his name, when he hadn’t introduced himself. “Might I know your name?”

“...My name is Alef, Princess.”

“Oh, please, call me Gwaelin! I owe you and everyone else a great deal for rescuing me from the dragon, even though you weren’t expecting to find me.”

At least the two down in the mines didn’t. And there were plenty dead in her rescue. Both the platoon, and the miners and soldiers. Many had died to save her. Where- Where would they be buried?

“Ah yes- that reminds me- as for the burial of those who are dead. Where will they be buried?”

“The bodies will be transported to Kol for burial. We have already sent a few bodies to be buried there, but these will join them. Lucinda is preparing them for transport.”

‘Preparing for transport’ sounded so very cold and far removed from the fact that they had been real people just a few hours before. Gwaelin nodded, glancing around as they emerged into a huge room. The stone flooring stretched to actual walls. There was a large door nearby the exit/entrance that led outside. Torches burned brightly lighting up the hustle and bustle of waitresses and bartenders moving back and forth busily preparing.

“Where would you like to be?” Alef questioned.

“Oh, by the door would be nice if possible. I would so like to see the sky.”

Alef glanced to the general, who nodded, gesturing to two of his soldiers. They split off towards the door, taking up guard. The waitresses wasted no time in shoving a heavy wooden table closer to door. Gwaelin had to admit, she was quite fascinated- she wouldn’t be able to budge the table even if her leg was fully healed. The two women did it in high heels with their bunny ears flicking cutely. “Here we go! Hopefully fit for a Princess!”

“Oh, it’s quite lovely!” She said it sincerely, and was rewarded by the two women blushing. A heavy wooden stool with a thin fur coating was pushed into place for her. Like this, she had a clear view of the murky sky outside, and the thin scrub-land. She missed trees, and forest, but she wasn’t going to be seeing it anytime soon.

“Alef, did you get the meat shank dipped in salt?”

“My apologies, I met the Princess on the way.” Alef turned, waving a hand, “I’ll get it right now.”

“No hurry, it won’t go bad once its in salt.” Buildrick emerged from the kitchen, carrying a large platter of Dragon Steaks on one shoulder. Was it odd to be eating Dragon when it was just trying to kill them a few hours ago? Something that had talked to them?

She had never seen the Green Dragon talk before, she was pretty certain. Though, it wasn’t worth thinking about she supposed. Not extremely hard.

A plate was set before her. There was fresh bread, creamy soup filled with mushrooms, salted jerky, freshly boiled eggs chilling on a bed of ice from… who knew where. Buildrick trotted away, waving his hand to the waitresses and bartenders yells as they pitched in to help cook.

Alef trotted off.

It was a scene she had never seen before. It would be nice, she thought, if she could help. With what, she wasn’t certain, but the the air felt electrified and full of vigor she wasn’t expecting. One of the waitresses abruptly split off, as a woman soldier came in. “Ah, where-”

“They are all in the cold room for now. The funeral pyres are still being built if you would like to go visit the bodies.”

Ah. So that was what was going to happen. The ashes would be much easier to transport. And gravestones could still be erected. But even so-

“It’s always sad when we loose someone to the Dragon attacks eh? Poor Miranda, she was sweet on him.” A waitress whispered to another. They worked quickly and efficiently, taking over the duties of the waitress who had disappeared without a complaint.

Now, now she could hear the low murmurs, and see the reddened eyes as they worked. It was less that they didn’t mourn the death, as they kept themselves busy as to keep from breaking.

“Lucinda.”

“Commander Amos.”

“Please take over guard duty. I wish to go inspect the funeral pyres.” Amos ordered.

Lucinda nodded, taking up position. She stood in parade rest by Gwaelins side, as Amos took off into the caverns behind. The noises started up again, a low, rolling hubbub of talking. Gwaelin reached out to the food placed before her, quietly partaking as she watched. It was overwhelming to hear so many voices after days of silence. It was overwhelming to see light.

And yet, even with all of these voices, there was no one to talk too. The waitresses were busy, the soldiers were busy, and she was alone.

Alef reentered the room, eyes sweeping the busy groups. “Buildrick, anything else-”

“No, everything is in the oven. The cooks can take it from here. I’m going out to help build the funeral pyres.” Buildrick trotted right past her. As always, he was filled with boundless energy even when looking half… dead. Alef watched him go, before his eyes turned back to her.

Chapter Text

Alef watched Buildrick go. Buildrick had several new burns from the Dragon blood, but he certainly seemed in high spirits. It wasn’t immediate obvious but his eyes were lighter then normal, and his hands moved quicker then normal. Just from meeting the princess, huh?

She seemed… vaguely familiar to him. He was pretty sure he’d met her before, but he couldn’t think of when, or where. The only time he’d actually met really heard Princess Gwaelin was when his Guardians had mentioned her, or when the King had mentioned her. He’d never met her before. And yet- her face was familiar. Her face, her scent, the weight of her body-

Holding her when rescuing her from the Dragon had felt so right. She fit, in a way he wasn’t expecting. It felt as good as wrapping around Buildrick late at night and the two of them falling asleep warm and snug in their little sod house.

Alef frowned, and shook his head.

He still wasn’t certain what exactly his feelings for Buildrick was. Other then gratefulness for no longer being alone, and being taken care of every night. Still-

Princess Gwaelin looked him in the eyes, and smiled. She didn’t gesture for him to come closer, but he approached anyways. Lucinda shot him a quick grin. They had become fairly friendly during the near week they had been together. Enough so she felt comfortable asking, "Here to ask the Princess for a favor?”

Gwaelin spoke up there, “Actually, it is I who has a favor to ask of Lord Alef.”

Lord, huh? He didn’t really like that.

“Is that so? I cannot make any promises as there are a few duties I find myself in need of taking care of.”

Teleporting Gwaelin to the Castle was certainly doable- he’d teleported there before. But it would take months to get down to Rimuldar, and with the food situation being what it was, he found his priorities shifting. The King wasn’t taking care of his own country after-all.

“I believe you should not go far out of your way. Will you not sit and share this meal Sir Buildrick prepared for me?”

Alef settled down, as the Guards remained standing at guard. They didn’t seem too concerned however. They were mostly focused on the outside air, waiting for any wandering monster to just try to attack. The monsters didn’t seem willing however, as miners bustled, and Buildrick set down the logs and stone in pyres. Gwaelin’s smile was soft, and charming. “I hear you are headed to Rimuldar next.”

“That is correct. Buildrick and I are headed to Rimuldar next.” He was uncertain how much he should tell her, but, she continued on.

“I was told my father may of ordered the roads to be shut down, and the bridge to Rimuldar was destroyed. I must agree with my soldiers, that my father would not of sent out such a decree. So, I was hoping I would be able to travel with you until Rimuldar. I can convince the soldiers there to reopen the roads, and receive treatment for my leg.”

Wait- her leg? He’d only caught a glimpse between the dragon and the rescue. But still- “I cannot-”

“But surely, you must agree that I would an valuable asset.” Gwaelin battered her eyes at him. He could feel his ears coloring at that.

“I do agree you’d be valuable, but it’s not up to just me.” Alef hedged carefully. Buildrick might refuse. Might. Alef couldn’t think of a time, even exasperated by the people around him, Buildrick refusing company but- It was a possibility. He certainly hoped not.

Gwaelins smile didn’t waver as she nodded. “Certainly! Tell me Sir Alef, have you ever been to Rimuldar before?”

Like a door being opened, Alef found himself being drawn into just chatting. About Rimuldar, the condition of the roads, the conditions of the bridges that he had crossed, Tangateal castle- Alef had never seen such a look of relief when he mentioned that Myra was alive, and taking care of her room. He didn’t mention that the room had been remolded- she would see it eventually.

It was far easier to chitchat with her then with Buildrick. Buildrick was steady, and always present, but quiet. He answered questions, and asked a few curious questions, but didn’t really talk much. Alef had been told he was quiet as well, but still, with as good company as Princess Gwaelin, it was hard to keep from talking.

A mug slid down his way, and then over to Princess Gwaelin. Alef twisted to look up at Buildrick. His blue eyes were clouded over from exhaustion. Buildrick cradled a mug himself, as he waved what seemed to be a goodbye, but Lucinda interrupted, “Ey, Buildrick, you can’t slide the Princess cheap beer!”

“Why not?” Buildrick questioned deadpan.

“Because!”

Gwaelin picked up the beer as Lucinda continued to scold Buildrick. Alef watched her sniff it a bit apprehensively- before taking a sip. Her eyes widened a bit comically. Oh, no good huh? Buildrick reached out to pluck the beer out from her hands immediately. He was a mind-reader at times.

A different mug was slid her way. “This might be more to your taste.”

The foam was much thinner on this one- she sipped at it. Her smile was quite genuine as she sipped again. Buildrick took the mug she had been sipping from – and chugged it. There were hollers from the miners beginning to trickle in as they watched him. Alef sighed. “There we go. No waste.” Buildrick mumbled, glancing back towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna go check on the food.”

“Ah, Buildrick, when you’re done there, we may need to discuss a request.”

“A request?” Buildrick perked up at that. “A building request?”

“No, a travel one.”

Buildrick immediately deflated. “Oh. Okay. Then I’m off for food. Oh, wait. Princess- Do you want any cake? Or any food in particular?”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly ask for anything more before the feast begins.” Gwaelin demurred.

Buildrick stared down at her for a long moment. Then, he nodded. “You, Alef, Lucinda or George and Greggory guarding the doors know where to find me if you change your mind. Also, they’re going to be holding the burning soon.”

Alef would never stop admiring Buildricks ability to remember names. Outside, he could see a few men lugging oil to the stone and wood pyres.

“Thank you. I will let you know if I can dream up anything.”

Buildrick nodded as he drifted off back to the kitchens. Gwaelin turned back to Alef. “So- How did you meet Sir Buildrick and begin traveling with him?”

Alef wondered if the story was appropriate or not, before making a decision. She would just have to accept it. It would, at least, give her an idea of what she was getting into. “Ah, we met when I stumbled across him naked and unconscious in the middle of the forest.”

Lucinda choked as she attempted to smother her laughter. Gwaelin looked horrified, hands covering her mouth. “Oh no! Was he attacked by monsters?”

“I’ve asked multiple times, but he says his memories are very hazy surrounding the circumstances. But yes, he was alright. Shortly after waking, he made himself a cypress stick out of a tree branch, and charged at a skeleton while naked to beat it into dust.”

Lucinda's face had gone red from holding back her howling laughter. Gwaelins horror was intensifying. “Bu-I mean, a skeleton, with nothing but a cypress stick? Didn't he get hurt? Alef-”

“No, I chased after him, but- well, there wasn’t much I could do to stop him.”

Gwaelin nodded, as if she could already understand that. And maybe she could. She looked troubled, even as she glanced over his shoulder towards the kitchens. “And you two have been traveling ever since?”

“Yes. Truthfully, he has been taking care of me quite a bit. Before, when I traveled, I would find a tree to set my back too, or even a cactus if I couldn’t find a tree, and was unable to sleep much more then a doze. Every movement was quite probably a monster, and a number of times, they were indeed monsters. Buildrick has been providing shelter, food, and a reliable fighting companion.”

Gwaelin smiled, “It sounds like you’ve found a good friend to travel with.”

Alef nodded his assent. Gwaelin gasped, as she saw large, bound cloth bodies being carried out. “Oh, Sir Alef. Would you please escort me outside? It would be wrong of me not to pay my dues to those who fell in battle.”

Alef stood. Lucinda’s grin at him was knowing, but he ignored it as he easily lifted Gwaelin into his arms. It was a bit embarrassing, to see others turn to stare, but it was easily ignored. Buildrick appeared at his side, plopping down a few hard stools for those who had a hard time standing.

Everyone was silent, as vats of oil were poured over the bodies. More logs were stacked on top, with coal stuffed into some of the cracks. Aeroba and Amos were standing solemnly side by side, both holding torches in their hand.

There were no words, just silence as they lit the pyres. Gwaelin hung onto his arm, as she watched the flames lick their way up the wood. The oil caught, the flames heat as hot as a dragons. Alef stood still and silent, as Buildrick leaned on him from the other side. The deaths meant little to him, but they meant a great deal to the two that clung to him for just a bit of human touch.

It took some time, but slowly, the flames and people dispersed. Aeroba glanced at him, motioning for him to take the Princess back inside as they moved the ash aside. Alef didn’t hesitate to scoop up Gwaelin, as Buildrick left his side to go closer to the funeral pyres. The last bit he saw was of blackened bones being pulled from the fires to be placed in small boxes.

Gwaelin stared down at the clean tablecloth. Her eyes were dry, but her hands were trembling. She didn’t look up, until shouting came from the kitchen. Alef’s head craned to see cooks beating down flames, and others rushing to kitchens. Lucinda cleared her throat, “I’ll be right back. Alef, I’m counting on you.”

She rushed to the kitchens as well.

The sound of laughter came echoing out just a minute later. It was a bit hollow, and Gwaelin finally murmured, mostly to herself, “It’s amazing, how people don’t stop.”

“Indeed. It wasn’t that long ago that they were all alive.”

Buildrick entered, trotting behind Aeroba and Amos. The two held the plain wooden boxes with freshly carved names. Buildrick split off towards the kitchen. Amos and Aeroba came back, this time absent of boxes, and a number of people missing.

They watched the miners, soldiers and waitresses spread out, filling the room. They were a little slow, exhausted even with medicinal herbs to heal them. They picked their own tables, grouping close together with friends. There was more then one unabashedly weeping, as hands patted their shoulders in consolation.

A giant platter of Dragon Steaks came down onto the table. Bowls of nuts, chips, cheese were placed there as well, as the Waitresses moved efficiently. Buildrick approached, holding something conspicuously absent on all the other tables- several salads. “Foods ready. The miners are as gathered as they will be. Soldiers too. Que-Princess Gwaelin, Alef, either of you want to start off the celebrations? Or should Aeroba?”

Whatever Gwaelin was about to say was lost as Aeroba climbed atop a table. Tired eyes turned to her as she surveyed her group. Alef could see waitresses and bartenders scrubbing at red eyes, and even a few of the soldiers slumping down as she placed full mugs before empty seats at a table. “You all did wonderfully.” Her voice was sincere, sharp, and ringing in the silence that had fallen. “We lost some good men and women out there today. Friends we will never get back. And now, now that the mines are open, it will probably continue. Just as it had before.”

She was commanding, deserving of respect as she stood on the table in front of her workers. Old scars shone in the flickering torchlight as she spoke. Buildrick settled next to him, eyes on her as he sipped on his mug slowly. Alef didn’t think twice about wrapping his arm around his shoulders, and pulling him closer.

No one noticed them, until Aeroba turned. “Three cheers for Alef who slew the Dragon, and Buildrick who provided the weapon!”

Buildrick sunk into his chair at that. Alef could feel his smile freezing on his face.

“Cheers for the Princess gracing us with her presence tonight! Listen up ya lot, I know you can get rowdy, but no fighting tonight!”

The cheers at that were muted, lacking quite the same energy as the night they had spent at the tavern. But- even so, “Eat! Eat and Rest! Tomorrow we dig and face the dangers again. For what are we?”

“The Miners of Kol!” The shout rung in the air, shaking the rafters. And with that- the feast began. More food came piling out of the kitchens- Alef was a bit surprised. One would never think that the food situation was beginning to look bad.

“I wonder where they got all of this.”

“The salad is mine. I went searching for more food. The rest of it can keep for awhile, and they always had extras.” Buildrick supplied. “Nuts just came in season, so Kol had plenty to sell even on an IOU since the mines reopened.”

Buidrick pushed the salad to the center, and Alef watched Gwaelin pull it closer to herself. She nibbled at the greens, not touching the meat. “Now, what did you say you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Ah, Yes. Princess Gwaelin has requested we escort her to Rimuldar for healing. Since we travel together, I wanted to see how you felt about it.”

Buildrick looked at Gwaelin, and she smiled in response. “I don’t care. It’s not too hard to extend the sod house a little further.”

“Sod... house?”

“It’d take hours to make a full wooden house. So we’ve been making do with dirt instead. And straw mattresses, since it’d be a pain to wash sheets.”

Ah, was that why they weren’t using beds? It made sense- the straw mattresses were comfortable enough for the two of them. Gwaelin turned it over in her mind, taking the time to think it through. “I understand. Even so, I must insist that you two take me there.”

“Then, Alef- you’d be the one carrying her probably. Or I can make a wheelbarrow.”

Alef covered up a laugh at the thought. Gwaelin did chuckle loudly. “I should be able to hobble a bit, but I do not know how fast we can flee with a wheelbarrow.”

“Well, I don’t think that between Alef and I you’ll be in all that much trouble. But- maybe you will be. Since we can’t exactly erect castle walls around you while traveling. But if Alef has no objections then neither do I. Just as long as we get to Kol first.”

“Oh? Is there something going on at Kol?”

“Alef has no weapons, and needs his armor repaired. The mines don’t really have a good forge.”

“Indeed, it would be amiss to set out unprepared.”

Gwaelin was eating a bit more now. “So then, tell me Sir Buildrick-”

“Sir?” Buildrick questioned. “I don’t think I’ve been called Sir before. Usually it’s simpleton. Or dead faced. Or-”

Gwaelin shook her head. “I don’t see why someone would say such terrible things. You look very strong and striking.”

Buildrick choked on his drink. His ears had gone just a little bit of red. Alef smiled at the sight. It was very rare indeed for someone to pay Buildrick a compliment at first glance. “Did I say something wrong Sir Buildrick?”

“No, you didn’t. I just… never-mind. The second time… Ahhh. I’m going back to the kitchens.”

Alef and Gwaelin both grabbed him before he could disappear. Alef shook his head, “You need to rest as well.”

“Indeed. Besides, I would like to hear more about your own travels. Sir Alef said he found you unconscious in the woods naked and alone.”

Buildrick settled back down with a grumble. The hours trickled past, Gwaelin listening with wide, shining eyes of how their travels went- mostly together. There were a lot more fun stories when together, then when alone. Like, Alef bowed his head a bit red in the face when Buildrick described Alef accidentally dumping an entire pot of food into the fire. Buildrick went silent when Alef reminded him of his propensity to wander off the main path straight into thickets of monsters.

Their talking stretched, until Gwaelin yawned. Lucinda glanced up as Alef approached with Gwaelin in his arms. “Oh, you two going to bed together?”

“No, I thought I should take her to whatever room you’ve set aside for her.” Alef demurred. Gwaelin’s gaze flickered to him, before she nodded as well.

“Sir Alef I’m certain is tired, and I wouldn’t want to trouble him any further.”

“Ahhh, if you’re sure. Follow me, and I’ll take you to a room. I apologize though Princess, we managed to get you a single room, but the bed won’t be what you’re used too.”

“Oh, I could never complain about that. It would be quite ill of me to demand anything more then what they are willing to give.”

The caverns melted into each other, leading deeper into the caves. Gwaelins fingers began to tighten on his arm, the deeper they went. Ah- “Lucinda, is there a room closer to the surface?”

“Unless we kick everyone out of the shared dormitory, then no.”

“Well-” Gwaelins voice wavered, but she swallowed her fear. “Then, I suppose we should keep going. Sir Alef, you should stay the night to make sure no monsters come near.”

It sounded less like a request, and more like a demand. “Well- I would not wish to disturb your rest, and I-”

“But thou must Sir Alef. There are still many monsters roaming the caverns, right? So surely you won’t leave me unguarded.” Her voice was desperate, and the hand clinging to him was trebling. But even so, Alef didn’t plan on spending the night in her bedroom.

“Come now Princess, take a look at the room before saying anything more.” Lucinda cajoled, trying to give him an out as well. “Buildrick decorated it for you.”

Thick, heavy curtains hid the rock walls. Candelbraum shone with a bright steady light over a small desk, with a polished silver mirror. A basket full of multicolored flowers sat at the foot of the bed. A bookcase full of books peeked out from beneath the curtains. A open book and a writing utinsel with a tall, straight chair sat at the table.

It was quite a nice bedroom. Gwaelin certainly seemed to agree. Alef put her down carefully, as she tottered to the chair with the book lying open on it. “We put your room next to Alef’s here.” Lucinda continued, “The walls aren’t so thick that no one will hear you call out for help.”

“I see. Yes, you’re right. This will certainly be acceptable.” Gwaelin curtsied lightly, and nearly tipped over. Alef caught her before she did.

“You should sit and rest for now. If you have need of me, then I am in the next room over.”

Gwaelin giggled as he set her in the chair. She waved as he exited the room-

And everything came crashing in.

Alef covered his face, as the events of the day caught up like a hammer to the back of his head. Almost hysterically, the thought of not letting anyone die bubbled up. He’d truly overestimated himself. There were plenty dead. He had failed. Right before his eyes, he had seen men get cut in half. The dragon had been-

“Alef?” Buildrick was standing in the hallway, holding a torch. “You headed to bed?”

There were deep circles under his eyes. Alef nodded. “Yes, aren’t you?”

“I thought I would bind this Chimera Wing to Kol.” Buildrick said, lifting the Chimera Wing in the air. “Apparently, if you use a piece of Kol, you can guide the wing there.”

“Ohhhh, interesting. I wonder if my own magic can be used to teleport there then. I’ve only been able to make it teleport me to Tangateal Castle.” Alef was grateful for a distraction. “But you should do it in the morning.”

Buildrick stared up at him for a long, long moment. His blue eyes had flecks in them, Alef thought. White? Gray? Buildrick sighed as he pulled off his hat. In the torchlight, Alef could see silvery strands mixed in with blond. “You’re right. I would like to take a nice hot bath but a cold water wash will have to do.”

Alef nodded. “I must agree, a hot springs would be nice, but I doubt we’ll be so lucky as to find a hidden one here.”

“Probably not unfortunately. Though- I might be able to make one if I can get my hands on lava. But I doubt we can unless we get very unlucky.” Buildrick said it as calmly as if lava was an everyday occurrence. Or perhaps not? They stepped into their shared room, each separating for their nightly routine. Buildrick, settling down with a tapestry, and Alef with his journal.

He could see Buildricks fingers remain steady- even as tears began to roll down his face. There were yellow helmets, soldier helmets, a pair of bunny ears. All those who fell. Alef put down his journal, and hesitated. His guardians would scold him for crying. So he didn’t anymore. He learned how to swallow the tears, and keep a smile. But- Buildrick was in pain, and he wanted- to help. Somehow. Someway.

So Alef did the only thing he could think of.

He sat down next to him, and wrapped his arm around Buildrick’s shoulder. Buildrick said nothing, he just dropped his sewing to lean into Alefs chest. Alef was a bit surprised to realize just how badly he was trembling. He had looked death in the eyes, but not like this. He knew Buildrick could take care of himself, and he’d thought the miners could as well. He’d been looking forward to seeing how the miners fought.

His Guardians lectures reminding him of just how much power he held, and how needed to use it for the sake of the Kingdom came to mind. For the sake of the Kingdom… For the sake of the people. He had thought it was for them before, but now he realized the weight. They could fight. Buildrick fought, in his own weird way, more ferociously then them. The soldiers fought better then the miners, since that was trained- but Alef had seen the way their spears skittered off the Dragons scales. The miners had been better with their hammers- but there was such a difference in power. It really… made it clear the difference. And just why he was being depended upon to fight the Dragon Lord. But even so-

He didn’t know the miners like Buildrick probably did. But even so- He really had been fighting desperately to keep everyone alive, and he had failed.

Buildrick reached out, pulling his head down against his shoulder. His hand patted the back of his head, comforting him. Alef closed his eyes, fighting against the urge to be comforted. “Should it not be the other way around?”

“Why can’t it be both ways?”

Why couldn’t it be, huh? There were plenty of reasons Alef could think of, but they all felt very small to the cold hands that sank into his hair and simply held.

Chapter Text

Gwaelin flipped through the book curiously- wherever Buildrick had picked them up, she wasn't certain. It was probably from someone dead. It was a log of a traveling merchant- Other books in the tiny bookcase were old, old texts from a sage. Some of it was sourced from the miners- There was more then one dog eared steamy romance novel that filled the shelves.

It was nothing like the library at home, but it was somehow more touching knowing how hard everyone had pitched in to provide her with books to read. She didn’t really want to sleep, though she supposed she should. It was just a relief to finally drag her mind off of being held captive for months.

So she read, eyeing the steamy romance novel, but promising herself she’d read it later- maybe she could tuck it into her dress. The miners surely wouldn’t miss it. Or… perhaps they would. The merchants logs were dry and boring, and the romance novel looked extremely well read. And yes, she had peeked at a few of the pages…

Gwaelin picked up the romance novel, and flipped it open again. The pages were crinkled, there were bend in the spine and corners where other readers had left off. She could tell the last third was probably a tearjerker, just from how waterlogged the pages were.

She couldn’t wait to read it.

The first few pages had all kinds of scribbles- miners unexpectedly having to write weights or numbers down. Gwaelin couldn't really see the patterns to them, but she was certain that there were some.

She ignored the bed looming in the corner.

It wasn’t anything like the bed in her jail cell. The sheets were clean albeit an off white. They were neat, and there were no bedposts to throw her into darkness. All of the candles looked like they would last for a long, long time.

Still-

Gwaelin turned back to her book, ears alert for any sound outside of her door. Thankfully, the door was thin- thin enough that she could hear as the guards swapped shifts, and as the hours grew longer- the miners headed off to their shifts. Mixed in with those heavy footfalls was the light running of someone headed off to some job or another. It seemed familiar. Familiar it a way that seemed t was morning. She had read the night away rather then sleep any further.

Gwaelin closed the book, as she heard footsteps approach her door. She took a second to straighten her hair, and plaster on her best smile as a knock came at the door. “Come in!”

Lucinda opened the door, and Gwaelin could see Alef in the background. He was looking up and down the hallway thoughtfully. Looking for his travel companion. Somehow it felt like she would be left behind in a second if she wasn’t careful. But-

Alef swept her up as easily as if she was nothing but a feather. She leaned into his chest in return. Lucinda averted her eyes, and said nothing as she left.

It made sense- there would be no one else she would be safer with. Alef strode to the eating room. “So, then, are we leaving today?”

“Yes, it seems that they have a way to bind the wings to different cities. To a degree- Everyone in the group has to of been to the city or something… I don’t really understand it.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of the studies into it. Apparently it used to be possible, but the knowledge was lost.”

“Is that so? Aeroba told Buildrick there was a way to bind it to Kol. I wonder if they discovered it recently then? We’ll have to ask when Buildrick comes by again.”

There were more steaks for breakfast.

Gwaelin stared at the thick dragon steaks. A sunny-side egg crackled off to the side, still cooking in its own grease. Fried potatoes steamed gently, covered in aromatic herbs and rock salt. She could see the miners eagerly tearing into their similar meals. Was this… really normal? She had thought that there was a bit too much food last night, but the miners were wolfing down the extra big breakfast as if it wasn’t enough. Some were even begging for seconds actually. “Sir Alef-”

Gwaelin cut herself off as Alef looked up from his own plate. He had been clearly favored, with five steaks stacked up on his platter. He had already eaten half of all five with a speed she hadn’t been expecting. In her dreams, he ate slower, and more daintily (at least at first something whispered). He swallowed a bit hastily. “Yes?”

“Oh, I don’t think I could finish a whole one of these. Would you like to share?”

“Whatever you can’t finish I probably will be able to do so.” Alef agreed. He finished off one of the steaks. Gwaelin ate carefully- last night she couldn’t bring herself to eat the steaks, but it felt further away now. Or maybe she had just become numb enough to accept it.

The meat was surprisingly tender. Usually a meat eaters meat was much more tough and gamy, from what she could remember of wolves being hunted. But Dragon steak was juicy, soft, almost like butter to her knife as she carefully ate. Another salad was pushed in front of her as Buildrick leaned in, “Hey, we got the warp wings primed to Kol. Princess Gwaelin, whenever you’re ready we can take off.” He turned, as if to trot off to another job.

Alef was far quicker. His hand reached out to catch his elbow. His smile could be award winning, Gwaelin thought. “Won’t you join us for breakfast? Gwaelin and I were discussing how you might be priming them and were curious to learn more.”

Buildrick wavered, glancing further into the caverns. There were cartloads of precious metals being pushed to the storage room for transport to Kol. Then, he sat down. A waitress was right behind him, efficiently dishing out food to him as well. Only a single steak for him as well- a smaller one. “This is your seconds, so I made it smaller.” The waitress winked as she sailed past. Buildrick mumbled his thanks as he cut off a piece and slid the rest to Alef.

Gwaelin was quite happy to add to the pile.

“So what did you two want to know?”

“How did you modify it to go to Kol?”

“Oh, that? Aeroba had been working on it for some time while trying to find a way into the mines. She was working with someone in Galenholm and had a secret line of communication open with them. So when Brachi and his gramps arrived in Galenholm, she had her guy nab them and shake them down with questions. The gramps apparently didn’t want to answer until Brachi heard about us, and put in a good word.”

Brachi? Gramps? Gwaelin considered the ties. “When… you say gramps- do you perhaps mean… a Sage?” It was a bit appalling to think about a sage being called gramps so casually.

“Yeah.”

Buildrick held no reverence for the Sage. Even though sages were so rare as there to be only three in the whole world. “Meeting a sage is supposed to be quite a feat. Many people go their entire lives without meeting one.”

“Well, if they would bother living in towns instead of out in the wilderness-” Buildrick grumbled in response. Gwaelin watched the two eat, quite full herself. They ate differently- Alef was fast, but neat. Buildrick on the other hand, was fast and messy. He didn’t take even a moment to savor the food, just shoveling it down as quickly as he could to move on. Alef was much of the same way.

“Ah, that reminds me- while we’re in town, if any more food has arrived we should probably stock up. I don’t know how much food I can scrounge on the way to Rimuldar. It’ll probably be mostly meat.”

“Is the food situation bad?”

Buildrick nodded even as Alef shrugged. “The only vegetables they were selling were old and half dry. They could be ground down or dried further. But not used as is. And that was early in the morning, when they’re setting out their more enticing wares.”

“Hmm, I wonder about that however. Most of the miners weren’t waking up that early after a night of partying. Though the bins were half-empty so it didn’t matter all that much.” Alef murmured.

A hand clapped Alef and Buildrick’s shoulders. “You two ready to go back? We’re taking Lucinda with us since Amos and the rest will be guarding the miners and pathways.”

“Ready!” They both said, in sync. Gwaelin shifted, rising on one foot to be swept off her feet. Alef adjusted his helmet, and almost reached out to where his sword hung at his side. But it wasn’t his- it looked to be a quick replacement that wasn’t of good quality, if Gwaelin peered down at it.

They walked out to the entrance. Lucinda was waiting for them there, with a bag stuffed full of letters. Aeroba hooked her arm around Lucinda’s waist, and gestured for Alef to come closer. Alef placed one hand on her shoulder. Buildrick stared at them for a moment, before sighing as he reached out to to stand on tiptoe to grab ahold of Alef’s shoulder. They probably looked a bit silly like this. But, Aeroba tossed the wing into the air, and Gwaelin felt magic wrap around them, lifting them into the air. There as a moment of weightlessness even though she was quite secure, before like a bucket on a rope- they were pulled in the direction of Kol.

It was nothing like being carried by a dragons claws, and without realizing it, she sighed in relief.

They touched down gently, at the center of town. The bright, bold banner flapped in the air before them. It was a town. It was a place of safety, even for a little bit. Soldiers marched past towards the entrance- their uniforms were ill fitting. They hung too loose around the wrists, and the chest was too thin. Ah, the food situation was getting bad, wasn’t it? And her father had left them all out to dry. She felt a bit of shame for her fathers poor decisions.

“We’re in!” Aeroba roared.

The town came alive.

Miners, waitresses, bartenders, the shop-keeps, the bath workers- they all turned out at Aerobas roar. Father had trouble getting even eighty percent of the nearby town to turn out for his own speeches. The townspeople flocked at Aerobas voice, they-

They loved her that much, Gawelin thought, staring at the men and women alike swooning over her. Alef let her down so she could stand, as Aeroba turned, lifting Lucinda on one arm as easily as Alef lifted her. “Alright! The mines are open!”

The cheering roar that rose was infectious. Buildrick hummed, voice so soft Gwaelin doubt she’d be able to catch it if she wasn’t right next to him. “Their whole family line really makes those around them loyal. Or maybe because they both held everyone together, everyone else is loyal?”

“Buildrick?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just thinking of someone who’s probably related to her named Barbella. You can pretty much tell, since they both command loyalty in a way I’ve never really seen before.”

“Indeed, she’s quite stunning, isn’t she?” Gwaelin agreed.

Alef questioned, “Then will you stay here-”

“No.” Gwaelin glanced at Buildrick as their responses synced.

Aeroba turned back to them. “I can hear you lot you know. Barbella eh? I haven’t heard of a family member named like that, but I’ll take it as a compliment that I remind you of her. Anyways, Buildrick, are you off to the forges? It’ll take a bit before we can get enough metal to start processing efficiently, so we’ll use you to warm the forges up after months of being left cold.”

“Leave it to me.” Buildrick agreed.

“Might I come along with?” Gwaelin questioned. The forges- she’d never been allowed near them before. Something whispered to her that she should go. Whatever Buildrick was about to do would be-

“It’ll get pretty hot.” Buildrick warned.

Gwaelin nodded immediately. Alef shifted, glancing to the large forges that rose up. “Then off you lot get.” Aeroba waved them off, “I’ve got plenty of other work to do. Just make sure you come to me before you leave so we can make sure all of Lady Gwaelin’s needs are sorted.”

Oh, that was right- she would have needs. Needs she probably could ask to be fulfilled, but- It would be nice to have enough without having to ask every time.

“Oh, Aeroba- do you have anywhere I can stick a colossal coffer?”

“A coffer? I can probably make room for you for some gold, yeah. But what would you do with it?”

“Link it to a bag so she can access it anywhere. That way she can take anything she wants.”

“That’d make things easier, but not really something you can do for a bunch of people eh?”

“Well, it won’t mix at least. Whatever is in Alef’s bag, I can’t touch unless I go through his bag. Which I guess I dip in there every morning to put away some stuff.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Alef said blandly. It was going to be a surprise she’d find out more on the road Gwaelin figured. “Then- I do have the extra one you built. Shall we use it for Princess Gwaelin?”

“Yeah, once I get a spot. Also- Qu-Princess Gwaelin, what kind of bag do you want to go with it?”

“Oh, do I get to pick? Something white?”

There were three identical winces. Not a good idea then. Gwealin thought it over. “Then, a small red bag? I doubt I will be keeping many big things in there, so it doesn’t need to be too wide.”

“Yeah, that’d be easier. Is leather alright?”

“It is.”

“Then, I’ll get started on it before the forges.” Buildrick mumbled after a moment of thinking it over. “In case you decide you want to leave while I’m forging, since it might take some time.”

“Is that so? Then should I get an inn room for the night?”

“Might be for the best.”

“Let’s make this easy, shall we? How’d you feel like spending an hour or so with me Princess Gwaelin? That way these two can get what they need to done, and we can get you what you need.”

She didn’t want to part from Alef and Buildrick, but they weren’t so close she could come out and say it. Nor did she comfortable enough to speak of what she would need to them yet. “I’d be happy to join you. Buildrick, you’ll let me know when the forges begin, right?”

“You’ll see them.” Aerboa promised, as she scooped Gwaelin from out of Alef’s arms. “Buildrick, go ask the waitresses down at the tavern fer some space. They’ve got the room, and will probably be the cheapest.” Her arms were just as muscular as Alef’s, Gwaelin noticed appreciatively. Alef waved as he strode off through the crowds with Buildrick.

Somehow, it felt like she was being left behind, until Alef parted from Buildrick. He was looking for something else- out of town. Oh, was he going to hunt for supplies then? Or maybe something else? The inn or-

Aeroba kicked in the door. The room was stuffed full from top to bottom with books, and all kinds of gizmos and gadgetry. There were buttons, gears, stones that glowed with some kind of inner magic- it was an inventors workshop. “My husband likes to tinker around in here. But this will give us a chance to talk. Here.”

The seat was soft, and plush. A far cry from the hard chairs that were in the mines. But- As Aeroba settled down in the seat across from her, Gwaelin could feel her stomach twist in some kind of odd anticipation. Was she going to be attacked?

Aerboa smiled, it was a gentle, heartbreaking smile. “Are you alright?”

“I- Well- Of course-”

“I mean it. You were kidnapped just yesterday, and nobody really had a chance to really talk to you about well… anything. I know Amos trusts Alef for some reason, but I don’t know the man very well. So I wanted to make sure- are you alright with this?”

Oh, Aeroba was watching her carefully, not as a chance for weakness, but just because she was… “I am okay with this. I was in-fact the one who requested it originally.” Gwaelin smiled at her, “Is it odd to say I felt safer in Alef’s arms then in the castle when we first heard the stirrings of the Dragon Lord?”

“Is that so? Alright, then I guess I have no option of butting in. If worst comes to worst, probably Buildrick will protect you- I might not of known him for longer, but he’s definitely a Builder if I ever saw one. Alright then- It sounds like you’re gonna get yer own personal bag that can hold as much as yer heart desires or there about. So tell me- what’d you like?”

They talked, for a long, long time. About the state of the road, her fathers commandments he had sent out- most of them were actually fairly reasonable. He’d been quick about deploying extra soldiers out to guard the towns before sending out a search party for her. It was nothing personal- they both knew their duty. Her brother was caught in Lianport across the sea, and unable to get back to the castle before all ships sank in the rough seas. Aeroba didn’t have much when it came to beyond Kol and Galenholm. She had been working hard to protect them both in her own way. The conversation turned slowly to steamy romance novel Gwaelin was almost through with.

Aeroba winked as she said she could keep it.

There was knocking at the door.

Aeroba casually grabbed her hammer as she opened the door- To Buildrick standing there, balancing a crate of coal on the top of his head. In his hands he held a pristine, red leather pouch. “I got it all setup. I’m off to fire up the forges. Alef will be by in a second to give you guys some time to pack whatever you want.”

“Oh, do please wait for me, it should not take long.”

Buildrick nodded as he trotted out the door with his crate of coal.

Aeroba and Gwaelin began to pack. It was built quite cleverly, Gwaelin realized. Although at first glance it looked to be a fairly shallow pouch, the mouth of it expanded by nearly twice its length to be able to fit in just about anything. Be it books, or cloth.

Another knock came at the door. Alef greeted them with a smile. “Are you ready to go to the forges?”

“Yes. Thank you Sir Alef.” Gwaelin turned to Aeroba, curtsying as best as she could on one lame leg. “Thank you very much Lady Aeroba for your kind treatment of me. I’m afraid I do not have any coin to pay you right this moment, but I will send a missive to my father the moment we get to Rimuldar to make sure you’re recompensed.”

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that.” Aeroba said, looking a bit amused.

She didn’t follow them to the forges, simply waved goodbye to them and closed the door.

The sun was wane, and dark. But there was still light- plenty of it. The whole town buzzed with life- mothers scolded children for playing a bit too loud, while taking their husbands by the hands as they skipped down the road. Some people leaned against door stoops as they planted their flower bulbs into dirt- waiting for spring. Here and there, she could spot other couples- two women swinging their hands back and forth as they walked down the road, two men as they locked arms with huge grins. The city was revived.

Alef strode through the crowds, eyes the only things that flickered back and forth between the thronging people. Most only stared at the odd sight. But they were quickly left behind. Gwaelin could see the large crate Buildrick was carrying weaving through the crowds making for the huge furnaces.

They entered just a bit behind Buildrick, but he was quite quick. The giant forges were clean, but not really quiet and empty as Buildrick moved fast. He didn’t haphazardly stack them, instead he was quite careful as he placed what looked to be just three large nuggets of ore at the center. Was that truly enough? Buildrick took a deep breath, as he leveled his hammer. He seemed to be thinking something over- and he lit the coal.

Heat washed over them, and Buildrick slammed the furnace’s door shut. He stepped on the bellows, pumping in some more air until he seemed certain that the forge was heated up.

Then, he moved on. More metals- more common metals- were pulled out. Iron was pushed in, heating it up again. The impurities were pounded off, shaking out until it was pure steel. Then, the steel ingots were lined up.

She had always thought the blacksmiths would use huge, swinging strikes to to forge metal. There were plenty of big strikes- but plenty of smaller ones as well, as Buildrick shaped the edge of the steel broadsword. That was odd, Buildrick had promised something amazing, had he not?

Buildrick lifted it, tipping it back and forth, before plunging it into the water. He set it to the side- and started making another one. Alef curiously reached out to the sword. “How does it feel?” Buildrick questioned, eyes not flickering up from his work.

“Well balanced. It’s better then most swords I can buy.”

“Good for a warm up. Just a bit off though. I’m gonna make a new one.”

Oh. Were… Were forging whole swords be considered a warm-up? Buildrick grunted as he placed the metal back into the furnace to warm up some more to continue working. This time, he seemed a bit happier about the way the metal moved as he held it in the air. His hammer rung in the forge, and the anvil shook.

Alef took the water-quenched broadsword a bit bemusedly. This time, his eyes lit up as he swung the sword in the air. “Oh, it’s perfectly balanced now.”

“Good. Then that means I can get started on the main one.”

Buildrick rolled his shoulders, as he threw open the first door he had piled high.

The effect was immediate. A wave of heat slammed into them as heavy as a Dragons tail. Alef took a step back, as sweat prickled on his face. Buildrick either ignored it, or didn’t notice it. He started shoveling in more shovelfuls of coal, using his foot to work the bellows for the air. The heat was getting oppressive now. It felt like she would get baked alive, and she was aware of just how much she was sweating through her dress as Alef backed up even further, to the door.

The cool air of Kol washed over them. A blacksmith chuckled as they passed by them. “What’s the matter younglings? Having a hard time with the heat?”

“It is a bit hotter then I expected.” Gwaelin felt free to admit.

The blacksmith roared with laughter as he stepped into the doorway- and stopped. They could see sweat beading and trickling down the blacksmiths bald crown. He tugged at his beard, murmuring a swear under his breath. Then, he too backed out. “Well. I don’t think I’ve felt that kind of heat since I was a babe and a builder came through.”

“Aeroba mentioned that as well.” Alef said, eyes flickering from the blacksmith to the long figure in the forges. The heat was starting to spill out into the forest.

“Aye, they came, dug up something great, forged some teleportals and left. Said they might be needed, or we could reuse them.” The blacksmith shook his head. “Builders are odd folks. No one can ever really get a good handle on them. Still- I feel like I should lend a hand in keeping the forges heat up.”

Another blasting wave of heat came rolling out. Buildrick had thrown open the forges doors. They all backed up a step. Gwaelin could just barely see the giant tongs reaching in to pull out the nuggets he had put in before.

The blacksmiths whistle was low and sharp as he immediately recognized the metal. It was glowing from the heat, a deep cherry red mixed with the bright yellow of the sun. It looked like a miniature sun, as Buildrick slammed it onto the anvil. Its heat was rapidly fading, as he swung up his hammer- and brought it crashing down.

The sound of metal and magic being forged rung in the air.

It was like catnip to the villagers of a mining town. Heads turned, not interested in those standing in the doorway- but the one inside, as his hammer rose and fell again. The metal rung like a bell, but much deeper. More like a drum then a bell. Blacksmiths gathered around, peeking through the door at the lone Builder inside. Most of what they were talking about went over her head, but Gwaelin could understand what Buildrick was doing wasn't normal. She peeked inside as something fluttered.

Behind Buildrick, she could see it. The glowing form of a woman with wings and pointed ears. She hovered behind him, hand outstretched as if to give him just a little bit more. A little bit more that wasn’t received as Buildrick took a deep breath, and stuck the metal back into the forge. A barrier perhaps?

Gwaelin looked up at Alef, but he didn’t seem to notice the woman.

The woman turned, ruby eyes worried and distraught. Her mouth moved- as if trying to say something, but it was drowned out by the forges opening once more. The heat drove even more people back, away from the forges. Buildrick didn’t flinch, as sparks flew past him. He was focused on the sword, and sword alone.

The woman drifted around his head, hand reaching out to touch the metal. It flickered with golden holy light. Granting it with Her blessing as it was being forged.

The drum like booms rung in the air, as the smell of metal permeated the air. Smoke drifted by, which Gwaelin discarded as being part of the forges.

That was when the monsters in the forest began to scream.

Chapter Text

The forest was on fire.

Alef stared at the flames licking up the giant trees in surprised horror. He could hear shouts rising up from the townsfolk. Fingers pointed, yelling to each other to grab buckets- and that’s when the monsters came rushing in.

Giant creatures made from flame came striding out of the forest, giggling and dancing as they approached. With every step they took, flames started licking up around their feet. The dry underbrush of the forest stood no chance- it went up in a spark of flames. It looked like a scene from Hell, Alef thought, as he shifted the iron broadsword he hadn’t realized he still carried in his hands.

He took a step forward- and stopped. Gwaelin was still in his arms, and there wasn’t any guarantee that he could protect her during a battle with this many people. “You there, sir! Ma’m! Come quickly! Aeroba will take care of the battle, but if you can’t fight or aren’t brave enough to dampen the fires in the mean time, you need to hide with the children!”

Alef glanced up to Gwaelin. Her face was pale. “What if they’re targeting me? I can’t put those children into danger.”

There was that aspect as well. Alef grimaced as he looked around, before giving in. He’d have to fight while holding Gwaelin. He took a deep breath, lifting his sword.

Alef had never dreamed his training to fight one armed would turn into something like this. He was using the training from his childhood- but in a way nobody had expected. Alef shifted his stance, eyes on the monsters. “Tell me if you get injured at any point.”

“I- I do know how to heal. If you tell me when you’re injured I can pray for your recovery.” Her voice sounded faint, as he started moving towards the monsters. The sound of the hammer ringing against metal filled the air again. Buildrick was still forging. Surely… the monsters weren’t marching to kill Buildrick, were they?

Alef leaped over a small wall, sword driving into one of the fire monsters face. It split, and started reforming. A soldier called out, “Magic! Put some magic in it!”

Alef spun, magic filling the blade to bring it chopping down on the monsters arm. It fell off, and didn’t reform. It screeched, obviously hurt. “Humaaaaaaaaaaaaan!” Its voice was the low, crackling roar of a bonfire. Alef cut it in half, and didn’t stop to watch it fade away.

Alef surveyed the scene- soldiers and miners were holding back monsters as townsfolk rushed behind them. Bunny eared waitresses wielding hammers twice the size of themselves lined the other side, creating a solid wall. The townsfolk were holding buckets of water- they were attempting to form a chain to put out the fire, but the monsters kept encroaching, separating them. Miners and waitresses alike brought their hammers to bear as they chased off the monsters. But where was the boss- the commander?

It should be-

The well started steaming. Alef approached it cautiously, cutting down any monster in his way. The pave stones shifted, and a giant hand made of molten magma began to rise into the air.

If Kol was being attacked by a molten magma hand, then Galenholm- “Aeroba!” His shout rung in the air, “Do you have a way to Galenholm?”

“I can maybe rig a one-way trip? Wat are you on when this guy here is-”

“I think… this guy has an ice companion of him. At Galenholm.” The fuzzy dreams were roaring in his head. Gwaelin’s hands tightened on his shoulder. A warning? It felt like a warning, but he ignored it. He kept his eyes on the monster. It- It was still emerging, as eyes peeked out and stared at them.

“You’re pretty smart humannnnnnn.” Its voice was low, but hissing and bubbling unnaturally being made from lava. “You’re right.”

“I’m surprised you’d admit that.”

“It doesn’t matter either way. Both cities will fall. The Dragon Lord said to hold offffff, but the last one to conquer is the loser.” It bubbled, “So we decided to strike now. We didn’t think the Princessssss was here too.” It laughed, and the ground quaked in response. “If we killlll the Builder and take back the Princess, then surely we’ll be exalted above the rest of the monsterssss.”

There would be no negotiating with this monster. Alef’s mouth compressed into a thin line as Aeroba began to swear softly. She was looking back and forth- trying to figure out how many to leave behind, and how many to take. “Alef, can you take care of the big guy?”

“Leave it to me.” It wasn’t like he was expecting backup. Buildrick’s hammer was striking without pause.

“Alright! Glutimus! Yer up! Help the man out however he asks! Maxi- Yer in charge of the rest! Make sure that fire is put out! Everyone in Brachi’s squad! Get over here!”

A small group broke off, wielding large hammers. Aeroba gathered them up, and Alef dodged the large hand aiming for his head. It gurgled and bubbled its frustration. It swung, the heat rising off of it threatening to cook them. Glutimus and his crew were in there in seconds. They hadn’t had much luck with the net trick on the dragon, but in town there were plenty of strong structures other then humans to hook onto.

It screamed its frustration as it spouted forth a plume of lava. It was… a lot less hot then Alef expected. Still painful enough to burn, but not as hot as the Dragon’s breath. Alef picked his way closer, sword rising in a desperate attack for one of the eyes. It jerked back, and closed its eyes. His blade slipped through the rocks, into the magma flesh beneath. But his sword was heating up. Glowing red and losing it's strength.

A bucket of water was slammed down, “Quench!” Glutimus roared, as he whirled around. A flaming creature had tried to get closer- he smashed it flat in one whack. Alef darted towards the bucket. Water sizzled and bubbled. The flaming head snarled in response. The metal wires snapped from the heat.

In the background, the ringing continued, until it abruptly stopped. “Glutimus- can you go check on Buildrick?”

“We got a mite more to be worried about now! Dammit- Trachi- Check in on Buildrick! ‘Ere you two, we’re gonna pull down the monster and pin it again as best as we can. We ain’t gonna roll over and die!”

Alef suppressed a grin at that. It was far different from what he’d been told, and even what he thought towns were like. A molten glob of lava hit his leg, making him stumble Gwaelin pressed her hands together, mumbling a soft prayer- the wounds healed. She knew healing magic? No, it made sense- she probably had to of known them. Alef weaved through the blasts of molten magma, watching the miners out of the corner of his eye.

They were approaching from the back, batting off the smaller monsters.

The forest fire was beginning to die down a bit in the distance. The town was beating back the monsters. Gwaelin gasped as lava singed her hair- He whirled, cutting down another bullet. His sword was getting hot again, this couldn’t keep going. The blade was extremely dull- to near the point of unsuitability.

“Alef!” Buildrick’s voice cracked.

He looked like a corpse, just shambling about. Every movement was slow, and jerky, and he was doubled over wheezing just taking a few steps. But in his hands he held a blade. It was perhaps the most beautiful blade he’d ever seen- the steel? Orhilcalum? -blade shone in the pale light. Royal blue and gold protected the sword handle. It overflowed with magic. It was a sword that spoke of power.

“Oh, isn’t that the Sword of Legends? The one thought lost?” Gwaelin whispered.

Alef didn’t exactly abandon the fight- but he did move quickly. “Trade.” Was all he could get out. He felt a bit bad for doing so, but he put Gwaelin in Buildrick’s arms, as he took the proffered blade. Buildrick staggered beneath the weight, before steeling himself. Gwaelin pressed her hand against his forehead, murmuring more prayers.

The rest was lost as Alef went charging into battle. The blade was perfectly weighted in his hand, as he swept through the hand trying to smash him flat. Even when it brushed him, it left bruises. It, and he, knew that the battle had tipped into his favor. The blade caught the bare edges of the light, like rippling thunder. Thunder… somehow it niggled at him, but he ignored it.

Instead he aimed for the eyes once again.

The Monster attempted to sink back into the ground. This sword Alef knew, wouldn’t break. Like carving open a crabbid, he thrust in, and through the rocks. The blade cut through the rock as easily as warm butter. The monster snarled, its hand reaching out to brush against his helmet. The red horn snapped off. Alef pushed in, ignoring the burns across his face.

It fell. A crashing roar of rocks and lava spread out. The monsters surrounding them froze, glancing at each other. They broke, running for the forest. The miners whooped as they rushed after them. The townsfolk with buckets rushed for the opened well. The smoke that lingered in the forest was heavy, but decreasing.

Alef ignored it all as he strode back. The giant monster made of lava bubbled, sinking into the ground. He was pretty certain it was dead, but if not, it certainly wouldn’t be fighting for a long, long time. Buildrick was standing on wobbly feet, looking ready to keel over. Gwaelin’s eyes were closed, the faintest tinge of gold surrounding her. It didn’t sink into Buildrick’s skin like she was clearly willing it to do.

Alef wiped off the blade. It wasn’t even all that hot from the lava- still cool enough for his gloved, calloused hands to clean off. Even chopping through rocks hadn’t dulled its edge. “Buildrick, Princess Gwaelin.”

“Oh! Sir Alef, is your healing magic stronger then mine? He seems quite faint.”

Alef reached out, summoning his magic into his hand.

Like there was a shield it bounced off of Buildrick. No, not entirely. The tiniest sliver slipped past, sinking into Buildrick’s skin. Bildrick perked up a bit, but his eyes were still sunken and hollow. If Alef looked closer- he could see the specks of black were growing.

Gwaelin sighed in relief as she was set down onto her own two feet. Buildrick rubbed at his eyes tiredly, questioning, “How’d the sword work out?”

“It’s the greatest sword I have ever swung.”

Buildrick grunted in acknowledgment, hearing exactly what he wanted to hear. “I heard from the rest that Aeroba went to Galenholm- should we go there too?”

Well, Buildrick probably shouldn’t go. But-

Glutimus hand solidly connected with his back. Alef nearly went flat on his face. It wasn’t unfriendly- no, it was far too much friendliness in those back pounds as about half a dozen miners gathered around silently pounding his back from the sheer exultation of being alive. Buildrick swatted hands away with a scowl. “No, seriously, don’t celebrate until we got word from Galenholm.”

“I’m right here.” Aeroba announced. She was bleeding, and sharp icicles stuck out of her skin. Her hammer was cracked, and her armor was in tatters. “You better get out of town asap.”

“Wot! C’mon Aeroba, it ain’t their fault that they-”

“You lot shut up!” Aeroba snapped. “I came as fast as I could because I wanted to warn ya- The ice head is heading your way wailing about revenge. It’ll probably avoid town if ya leave, but I dunno how much time we have until it arrives. Maybe not for a day or two. So ya best leave soon.”

Alef had never been cuddled to a chest before. Not like this where Glutimus gasped, holding Alef’s head close to his chest. It felt a lot like a mother holding her child close when someone was saying something the child shouldn’t be hearing. It was both patronizing, embarrassing, and a bit heartwarming. “What’re ya talking about! Kol isn’t so weak as to break just because of that! Better to confront it before it arrives!”

“It ain’t a matter of fighting it! I’m saying that they should get out before it comes and we’ll handle the rest! You lot weren’t thinking I was going to toss them out on their ear did you?! Wot kind of hard hearted lady do you think I am?”

“That’s Aeroba we know!” Glutimus let go of his head. Alef straitened. Gwaelin quietly wrapped her arm around his arm. Was she feeling down about the monster coming after them? Would she wish to go back to the castle? She… wasn't like he expected- a headstrong princess that listened to nobody but herself.

“Sir Alef, Sir Buildrick, I do hope that I will not slow you down.”

She still wanted to come.

Buildrick shrugged, one shoulder and still wobbling on his feet. “It should be fine as long as you stick with Alef. I’ll do my best too but-”

“Yer lucky to still be on your feet ain’t ya? Go to bed. I heard it from my men they found you face down in the forge after passing out.” Aeroba pointed at the inn still standing. Alef’s worry grew as Buildrick shook his head.

“Nah, it’s fine. I’ll lend a hammer in rebuilding the town.” Buildrick refuted. Alef scooped up Gwaelin in one arm- and scooped up Buildrick in the other. They didn’t weigh much, and he felt stronger after fighting the magma monster. Buildrick struggled against his grip.

“Aeroba, sorry about this. I’m not too badly off, so I’ll be back in Buildrick’s place.”

“What’s with you lot and not listening! I know when to dangle a carrot or threaten a stick, and right now all three of you need a cube of sugar. You look half dead yerself Alef.”

Alef certainly wasn’t going to complain. Buildrick had gone completely limp on his shoulder, and was surprisingly heavy. “Put me down. I wanna rebuild.”

Gwaelin leaned over, “I’m certain the majority of rebuilding efforts will be in the morning as they finish putting out the fires and killing off the last of the attacking monsters. Though most of them look to have fled.”

“Ugh.” Buildrick grumbled. “I wanna build and clear out. There’s been entirely too much fighting. The dragon, and then the fire head guy, but I guess I didn't actually fight him.” His complaining cut off as Glutimus patted his head.

“We’ll take care of the rest. If yer so unhappy, I’ll give ya a buff-buff in the morning.”

Alef couldn’t see Buildrick’s face. He could kind of guess what kind of face he made when he heard an elbow connecting with ribs. Gwaelin shifted in his arms- trying to choke back laughter he guessed as the slightest giggle came out from between her lips.

“Off you lot go. We got plenty of others who hide when the battle starts and come out later to do cleanup. No shame as long as one does their part.” Aeroba waved them off. Alef didn’t hesitate any further.

Buildrick’s complaining faded to a background noise as he walked, until it too stopped. Mostly from Buildrick passing out.

The inn he had stayed the previous times he had visited was still standing. It was surprisingly untouched by the fire, although the scent of ash lingered in the air. There was a trap door thrown open on the floor. Somewhere to hide. The innkeeper tossed them a glance, noting the gleaming sword and half melted armor. Then, their eyes flickered to the two people he carried. “You remember where your room is?”

“Yes.”

“We could only offer you the one room before because that soldier looking guy got the other before you, but he left just a bit before the monsters attacked. Probably ain’t coming back if he didn’t during the attack. Yer welcome to it if you need.”

“No, just one room is fine.” Alef refused politely.

“Then off you go. I’ll knock when dinner is served.”

The innskeep bustled off, counting on her fingers to make sure she’d sent everyone home. Or, in some cases, Alef thought looking at a child’s face peeking out around the corner, keeping them while cleanup happened. The child’s eyes flickered to his sword, lighting up like he recognized it. Alef wearily passed the child, as another one giggled, “It looks like the other one!” Their voices faded, as he kept going.

Alef stopped at the doorway, surveying the three beds pushed together. “Where would you like to be Princess Gwaelin?” He set her down gently, as Buildrick stirred.

“Oh, perhaps… by the window?”

Alef escorted her to the bed, and dumped Buildrick in the middle bed. Buildrick took mere seconds to roll into a tight ball in the sheets, ignoring the grime and dirt that had settled into his skin. Alef reached out to start pushing the beds apart, when Gwaelin shook her head, “Pray, do not feel troubled on my account. This is fine.”

Well, he didn’t know how much trouble it would be to leave a space in the small room, so he nodded assent. Gwaelin’s eyes tracked him as he pulled off his armor. “Can I help you with something?” He questioned, almost defensively. Buildrick would do his own stuff- they each had separate wind down routines. Gwaelin was just watching.

“No, is it wrong to watch? I haven’t seen anyone take off their armor before.”

The slight irritation vanished. Alef put his armor to the side. “I see. I don’t think it’s that interesting.”

“Oh, but isn’t it? It’s different from the soldiers back at the castle- yours seems to take longer. But you do seem to receive much more protection from it.” Gwaelin’s smile was soft as she leaned back on the bed. Her hand brushed against Buildrick’s cheek. Soot came away. “Oh, he is ever so cold.”

“Yes.” Alef didn’t expand, but Gwaelin didn’t seem to care was she pulled a blanket over Buildrick. The air was warm, almost sweaty. The thick scent of ash was beginning to die. Alef cracked open a window- to a small, absolutely terrified slime huddled in the small container hung in the window. It shrunk under the plants, teary eyes begging to be left alone. It was burned, a deep red rash that stood out on the blue. There were still plenty of folks running around below with weapons. Fleeing would be a risky thing for it yet. It… probably wasn’t going to harm anyone. It was already smaller then most slimes. Alef reached out.

It cringed backwards, unable or unwilling to even try for an attack. Alef let just the smallest amount of magic through his fingers- just enough that the burn faded to practically nothing. More ash swept in through the open window. Alef pulled his hand back, and swung shut the window. He couldn’t bring himself to let it in. The slime watched him as he closed the window, and turned back to peeking over the ledge at the humans below.

Gwaelin had taken the time to pile even more blankets on top of Buildrick, who couldn’t stop shivering. Alef reached into his bag, fingers catching on the sun stone. He wasn’t going to give it up to the Sage, unless the Sage could give it back. He’d find some other way across the water rather then give up his rather important bed warmer.

Alef slipped the stone underneath the sheets, and listened to Buildrick’s sigh of relief. “Does he do this often?”

“I wouldn’t say often- He is usually cold at night, but not to this extent. He has been pushing himself these past few days between the dragon, and now the forging.” Alef brushed back the long blond hair, noting just how cold, and unmoving Buildrick was. He was still, and quiet. It terrified him, just how cold Buildrick was.

“Will it really be alright to leave Kol if a giant ice monster is approaching? You were able to slay the magma monster, but you were struggling until you received your new sword.”

“Yes. I suspect once we’re on the move, the monsters will communicate back that we have left.”

“Oh? I suppose that makes sense. They do have ways of communicating. I wonder why… none have ever talked to us before. I mean, I knew the Dragon Lord could talk, because we did talk. But I haven't really heart any of the other monsters that could talk. And- Something happened to the previous general as well?”

“Yes. He received an offer from the monsters and turned into one himself. That, or he was replaced by a monster disguised as a human.” It was unclear which one. He leaned more towards turning into a monster. Was this a good thing to talk to the Princess about however?

“I see. So if the General was replaced, I suppose he did a well enough of a job that the monsters wished him for themselves. It’s odd they didn’t try to infiltrate the miners to put Aeroba to the sword. That would’ve brought a good deal of despair to the town.”

“You’re right. Perhaps we managed to stop it before then? Or perhaps their only intention was to empty the mines. The town was in quite a depressed state before the mines reopened.” Alef reached into his bag, pulling out his journal. He had written down a few things about the towns he had passed through- that included notes about the general mood. “When I passed through some months ago the town seemed a bit more hopeful that the situation would be ending soon.”

“So then it’s only been a recent issue with everyone’s moods?” Gwaelin questioned.

“Galenholm seemed much of the same way. When we were there last we actually didn’t go grocery shopping.” Alef sighed at the thought. At the time, he’d been wanting to move fast, out of town. Before Buildrick could change his mind and leave him at town. He also- “But, Buildrick might have a better idea as to the mood of the town. It’s not something I could consider myself best at gauging. Tangateal town as well- the city was bustling but I know Launce was thanked for directing folks to shops with food.”

“Even the castle town is running out of food and my father still hasn’t opened the roads back up. What in the world could he be thinking?” Gawelin murmured, “If it continues much longer I would not be surprised to see riots begin.”

“Riots?”

“Oh, never mind me.” She smiled at him, shoveling her worried look behind her smile. “It’s just my own prattling.”

“As the princess of the castle, I’m certain you would have more information then I would. Any information at all that you can think of.” Alef was ready to take any information he could. “Even any information about the Dragon King would be helpful.”

“Oh… I don’t really remember much. I was dead asleep when he came, and he didn’t talk to me much. He already had the orb of light in his hands.”

Alef thought of his dream, of being offered half of the world. “Did he make you an offer?”

Gwaelin’s smile froze. He had indeed made her an offer. Perhaps not the same one that he had been made- but- it seemed all who came to him would have an offer of some kind. Though he probably shouldn’t be basing his decisions on dreams.

Still, it was a good thing to know. “No, forget I asked.” Alef eased away from the conversation. It wouldn’t do to upset her. He didn’t want too anyways.

“No… He offered me the whole world.”

Something deep within him stung. He had only been offered half. Was that not unfair? Why would it be unfair? The Dragonlord and he had not yet met. They wouldn’t until he found a way across the ocean. The thought of betraying all of the folks who had helped left a gaping hole in his heart as well. Launce, Myra, and Trystain in Tangateal who had helped hide him from his guardian. Maurice in the guard house who had been willing to spend his own pay to feed his men. Aeroba and her crew of miners- they were a loud, rowdy lot that he had become fond of during their battles together. Amos and Lucinda who guarded the mines and were willing to look the other way when their orders were hurting more then helping.

There was plenty to fight for now.

And at least one town was willing to join in the fight. To the best of their ability.

His guardian had already been old when he began training. Alef had always thought his fighting prowess might be overblown. Watching Buildrick had been the first crack in the thought process- but there were plenty of others who fought even worse then Buildrick. The miners had tried, but Alef had a feeling if he hadn’t been in town when the lava monster had arrived, their town would’ve been destroyed.

His guardian had called him a one-man army.

And Alef supposed he was one now.

Buildrick rolled over. Gwaelin nearly fell off the bed in surprise, before giggling as she tucked the blankets in around him. A wet cloth mopped up soot streaks and grime- Alef hadn’t even noticed the basin, nor would he really thought of using it he supposed. Alef peeked outside- the carpenters of the town were already constructing scaffolding to begin the rebuilding process. It was a process they seemed well used too. Dead bodies were being carted off to the graveyard on the shoulders of companions or borne out in makeshift stretchers.

It was odd to be so far removed from that aspect, even if Aeroba had given him the go ahead. There were others he could see taking a nap as they clung to their weapons. They huddled in house awnings, sleeping.

“Sir Alef. Won’t you come and sit down with me?” Gwaelin questioned. “And tell me more about your travels and the conditions- I mean pains of the road.”

They talked, late into the night, only really pausing to eat. The brief spark of resentment was gone by morning as Alef sank into the bed on the other side of Buildrick, and slept.

Chapter Text

The heat was even more oppressive then Buildrick remembered. He trudged along in Alef’s wake, as the man sliced through branches as easily as if they were butter. It would’ve taken him at least two whacks. Buildrick stopped as his eyes caught sight of a huge foliage peeking out of low lying water puddles. Alef paused as he started towards it. It was easy enough to rip up the fronds.

This far from the road, he could see the bodkin’s homes carefully hidden in the foliage of the trees a good distance away. Without thinking, he took a step further into the forest. “Buildrick!”

At Alef’s yell, he stopped. That’s right, he shouldn’t wander around no matter how much he wanted too.

They had the Princess, who true to his memories, was a real trooper. In the previous world she hadn’t complained about sharing a bed or a room with anyone. She had rejected the idea of rebuilding a Throne Room until he had been the one to explain why. Gwaelin was alright in his book any day.

If it had just been him and Alef, Buildrick would’ve kept going to visit the Bodkins.

But for now-

Buildrick turned around, and started trudging back. His feet still felt heavy, even after three days on the road. A spot of yellow made him pause, and he bent over pushing aside foliage to reveal it. Tingleweed. It wasn’t nearly as widespread as it had been before. Or maybe… now that the road was no longer in use the Tingleweed was spreading. Either case was the worse case solution.

“Is something the matter?” Alef questioned, eyeing the amount of work it would take to get over to there with not a small amount of trepedition.

“Yeah, have you guys ever seen a Tingleweed?”

“A what?”

“Wait there, one sec. I’ll dig it up and show you.” Buildrick dug into his bag. As always, it was full to the brim. No matter how much he convinced himself he didn’t need it, he gathered all kinds of stuff on his travels. This would probably be yet another thing to be added into his bag. A shovel was extracted. He slid it into the ground, and pulled up, bringing up the whole plant in one quick sweep. He made sure to catch it by the roots.

He trotted through the thick undergrowth, alert for any more yellow.

Gwaelin leaned over as she saw the yellow. “Oh, it’s quite pretty!”

“I dunno if this will be a problem, but just as a heads up, if it stings you it’ll paralyze you. I know the cure, but it’ll be hard to procure since we haven’t seen any killerpillers recently. Or if you give it some time, at least for me, it eventually wore off. For some people it didn’t.”

Gwaelin yanked her hand away immediately. Alef reached out- and grabbed it as casually as if it was a milkblossom. “Really? I have often crossed this flower and it doesn’t affect me. Are you sure it’s this flower?”

“Pretty sure yeah.” Buildrick hesitated, before touching the petals himself. Just to double check. Like a lightning bolt through his system, he could feel the sharp stingers sinking into his hand and paralyzing him. He grunted as he pulled back.

Alef tossed the flower to the side. His arm reached out to catch him and pull him against his side. Like this, they were a sweaty, hot mess of three people standing at the roadside. “Let’s not test the potency like that again.” Alef said after a moment, as the electric bolts slowly vanished from Buildrick’s system.

“You’re the one who asked. What are you, a freak of nature? I noticed this when we were crossing the poison swamp as well- you don’t react at all to poisons unless it gets on your skin, and it’s about as painful as an oil burn for you.”

Alef grimaced in the way that said he knew why, but didn’t want to talk about it. Gwaelin reached down to him, patting his head. “I’m sure it’s because Alef is an amazing person.”

For most people they’d think it trite, but Buildrick knew just how much she meant it. Still. “Yeah, yeah, Alef is definitely the most amazing person around, but that’s a whole different thing entirely. We’re talking about briers and stickers that paralyze anything it touches. Except Alef.”

“Maybe it’s because I have so many callouses from wielding my sword?” Alef questioned. His eyes didn’t leave Buildrick, until he could walk in a straight line. They set off down the road again. At least the sun wasn’t blazing down on them, but it was still very hot. Gwaelin wasn’t the one walking, but he could see her lifting up her hair and fanning in an attempt to cool down some.

“Perhaps. I doubt it, don’t you?”

“Wellll-” Alef hesitated, and pulled off his helmet. Buildrick could almost see the steam rising off of his head. No wait, judging by how Gwaelin leaned off to the side, there was actually steam coming off of it. The two of them seemed to be pretty miserable. “Well,” Alef tried again as he tucked his helmet under one arm, “I couldn’t give you a true answer. But there may be a problem. I’m pretty sure on the way to Rimuldar there is a field of these growing.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll probably want to prepare before we enter it.”

“If it’s that painful, then I may just carry you through it.”

“With all the monsters swarming around here? No, no, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“Nothing major I hope?”

“That’s-”

“Nothing major I presume?” Alef repeated, a little more insistently.

Buildrick scowled. “No, no, I just need a few confusing claws from the Scarewolves and I have all the other materials to make a Defuddle drop and then a Catholicon Ring. I got the gold, silver, and a few antidote herbs and a few tingle tablets. Then it’s just a matter of combining them in the herbalist’s pot.”

“Ah, I’ve noticed that you do have a lot of different tables and furnaces to be able to make everything. Are you unable to combine them into one table?”

Combine them into one huh? That would be a lot better then what he had now, but… “I probably can, but it’d take a lot of testing and magic. And materials. Prototyping and such. Since a lot of the crafting stations I make have their own specific magic and purposes.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, like I could probably combine a regular builder’s table, and a carpenters table, but combining those with a herbalist pot or a divine table would be harder.” Buildrick hummed as he thought it over. “It’d make things a lot easier though. Though I suspect that when it comes to the anvil and forge those can’t be done on a crafting table unless it’s very soft metal.”

“That makes sense. How long do you think it would take to combine all of the tables?”

“Hmmm- Maybe ten or twenty years.” It was a rough estimate. A lot of what he’d done before was finding the groundwork, or the actual inventions made before, and then bringing new life to them. He was proud of his ability to create things himself, but he had been a lot more focused on survival then anything else. And, there would be plenty left to be done once he went back. Seeing how the towns were built in this world had given him plenty of ideas.

“That is quite the long time! You’ll have to show me when you do complete it.”

Buildrick hummed noncommittally. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be in this world. Or if he could even leave this world now that he was in it. Gwaelin didn’t notice as her hand flapped to fan off her face. Alef was starting to get red from the heat.

Buildrick glanced around- “Oh, it looks like there’s an abandoned house up the road a bit. Shall we stop there for the night until we can figure out a way to cool down?”

Alef nodded, wiping sweat away. Buildrick sped up his walking, unslinging his hammer and ready to take care of any monsters within. It was still fairly sturdy- the windows were cracked and broken, and there were a few holes punched into the walls. A few arrows too. Whatever had happened had involved the bodkins. But there was a thick layer of dust on everything. The dressers, the broken bed in the corner, the half-broken cooking pot that still had the residue of whatever someone had been cooking-

It didn’t take long to patch up the house. The builders of the house originally had done a good job of keeping the slats loose. They’d used thick stone slabs to bury the house into the ground and (hopefully) not flood, but that was probably what the level two was for. The stone was cool to the touch, even with the warm air surrounding it.

It took seconds to fix the walls. A minute or so to fix the broken door. He peeked out into the road. Alef was struggling- the second day was always the hardest is what he had heard. It was getting to mid-afternoon, so the hottest part of the day.

Alef set down Gwaelin and doubled over in the doorway. He looked absolutely exhausted from the heat. “Take off your armor and lie down on the floor Alef. Gwaelin, come sit here in the corner. It’s also cooler.”

They both thankfully sank onto the cool floor. Buildrick pulled off his own hat- he wasn’t too sweaty, nothing like them. “I apologize Alef. I did not expect this heat.” Gwaelin sighed as she pulled her hair back as much as she could.

“I knew it was hot, but I feel like it’s hotter then what it was before.” Alef grumbled into the ground. “Gwaelin doesn't weigh so much as to be giving me this many problems.”

“It’s probably not the weight but the fact that you both generate a bunch of heat.” Buildrick pointed out.

Alef grunted, breathing evening out like he was about to take a nap. Buildrick prodded him, “Don’t go to sleep yet. I’m heading out again.”

“Where?”

“I’ll be keeping close- I just want to gather some more fronds. I was thinking about making some training togs. They’re light, airy, and keep you cool. The only problem is that they’re just made of cloth, so it’s not as defensive.”

“You said cooler, right?”

“Yes. As cooler as you can get in this heat.” Which wasn’t much, but Alef was going to overheat if he remained in his armor much longer. Or at least roast alive. “The sun isn’t out so there’s not much we can do about your head.”

“Just something a little cooler.” Alef begged. Buldirck smothered his smile.

“Alright, then I’ll be back once I got enough for all of us. Unless you’d rather stay as you are Gwaelin?”

“...Let me see them first.”

Oh? He’d thought that Gwaelin would jump on the chance. Then again, she was the Princess and not the Queen. Not yet. There was any number of reasons why she wouldn’t say yes. He guessed. He couldn’t read minds.

Buildrick tromped outside. There were plenty of Begonia growing in and around the stream just behind the small hut. Buildrick could see killerpillers crawling in the greenery. Their giant, caterpillar like bodies rose into the air every so often to look around for something to eat. Or to check for danger. There were his materials for tingle tablets. With their stingers, the sticky poison he’d hunted in the catacombs, all that left were the claws.

Buildrick scooped up the huge pile of leaves. As much as he’d like to keep collecting, he didn’t want to keep having to toss out other materials to make room for his new materials. Plus, inviting trouble on his own head by having monsters attack wasn’t high on his list today.

A hiss from the underbrush was his only warning as a Killerpiller’s pincer aimed straight for his head. It slammed against his cheek, leaving a bruise. Buildrick whirled, hammer smashing into it side. It hissed again, heaving its body upwards once more. Buildrick circled around, feeling it dig a narrow gash into his arm, as he brought his hammer down again.

It fell.

Killerpillers weren’t half bad for eating, though they certainly weren’t the worst. Still, the stinger could be used, and the meat cut up and fried wasn’t half bad. “Buildrick?” Gwaelin’s head peeked out the windows, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, got us some lunch. I’ll be in in a minute.”

Gwaelin watched in interest as Buildrick began to prepare the Killerpiller for eating. The skin was peeled off, the internal organs were tossed out. They ate a lot of poisonous plants, and while the meat was safe, the internal organs weren’t. They were buried into the ground to compost. The meat was chopped into bit sized pieces. He’d picked up bite-sized frying from Kol. Crack a Ghost’s egg into a bowl, mix it with just a bit of cows milk that he had successfully gotten from the market. Cornstarch and flour to coat with some seasonings. Then fry it golden brown. He held out a fork to Gwaelin, offering her a bite. She hesitantly took it.

Her face lit up as she bit in and chewed. It was hot food, for a hot climate.

The killerpiller had been eating good. It was fat and juicy. Alef stirred on the cold ground, sitting up and rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “Here, have a snack.”

“Ah, thanks.” Alef sat up. He leaned against the wall as he nibbled at the meat. Buildrick shoved his table into the far corner, along with his herbalist pot. He couldn’t make any more then one Tingle Tablet, but that was a start.

Still- Buildrick flattened a Begonia leaf to use as a filter. A Water Filter Fountain wasn’t exactly needed, but- Alef grimaced as he drank warm water. Cool pure water from the fountain would be much more palatable. “One sec, I’ll get you some more water.”

“You were attacked, weren’t you? Is the forest dangerous?”

“Not that dangerous. Just a killerpiller which we’re eating now.” Buildrick blew off the concern as rooted around in his bag- he thought he had made a sewing station. Making one wouldn’t be that hard.

Buildrick jumped in surprise as Gwaelin’s hand brushed his cheek. The healing magic sank in, healing up his cut. “Please allow me to be your healer. There is not much else I can do for you while traveling.”

Buildrick nodded, and continued working and setting up. Training togs needed fibrous fabric, which meant stripping the leaves of their fibers and weaving them. Even before that- The fountain bubbled in the stream, giving him cold, pure water. Alef drank greedily.

Buildrick sat at the sewing table, ripping out the fibers from the leaves. Gwaelin was still watching him. Most people who watched him that intently wanted to try it themselves. In towns, most of those who watched wanted to do it themselves. Learning how to make things- with the banner the curse lifted enough they too could build to a small degree. “Do you want to join in?” He questioned.

“Ah- Is that okay? I wouldn’t want to make it unusable.”

“There’s plenty more growing all around.” Buildrick shrugged. “I got too much anyways.”

Just his habit.

He slid over a giant leaf to her. “Here, you grab this stem and just pull.”

Gwaelin was a quick learner. It didn’t take long for her to begin stripping out the long fibers from the leaves. Buildrick stripped them quickly, and pressed out the water with a press on the table. With the fibers dry, they were quickly woven into cloth. It was a loose cloth, perfect for the training togs. Combine orange and blue slime to make the dying material. Use some dried slime intestines as string since actual stitching material was rare, or not nearly as plentiful. Well, used to be rare. It was different now. But he hadn’t seen any cotton plants yet. Gwaelin dipped her fingers into each step, a bit clumsily, but with a great deal of book knowledge. There were some flecks, here and there in her dyed clothes, but that was easily patched. Alef leaned against the table as he watched them create.

Usually, a Builder’s table had a bit of time-speeding magic to make mass production faster. It wasn’t anything much. Just a little bit. But since he had two people watching so closely, he didn’t use the magic. He kept it slow enough that they could see all of the steps.

“Training togs are complete.” Buildrick announced. “Just need some adjustments to fit you.”

“They do look much more airy then what we have on now.” Gwaelin agreed with a hint of wistfulness. “But I wouldn’t be able to go into town like that. If my father caught word...”

“Then as long as we stop out of town before then, it’s fine, correct?” Buildrick questioned. “Because I think it’ll take about a week for it to arrive in town, right Alef?”

“It’ll take several days. And at the very least we all know that nobody will be traveling on the road at all besides us.” Alef pointed out quite helpfully. “It may even be a good idea to stop in the afternoons when it’s the hottest and find a place to rest until it starts cooling down.”

“I thought you said we couldn’t travel at night?” Gwaelin questioned.

“We can’t, but we can still put in a few hours in the afternoon.” Alef pointed out. “It’s not too late by the time it cools down.”

“True, and Buildrick spoils us greatly by building us a place to sleep each night so we don’t have to fear the rain. We’ve only been in this hot wetland for half a day, and it has been quite hot this entire time.”

“It’ll be cooler in the afternoon and evening. Also if we start getting to the flooded parts.” Buildrick chimed in. If there were any flooded areas. They’d probably be far off the road. “Well, that’d probably be off the main road. So we shouldn’t run into anything like that while we’re going to Rimuldar.”

They had gone south, but hadn’t yet picked if they were going east or west around the mountains. To the east would probably be a lot more Bodkins and Tingleweed. To the west- would be a hut where the dead were raised a broken down Killing Machine guarded its masters grave. Though, the Killing Machine and its master might still be alive. If they were, then he could probably find some gears the creator would be willing to part with.

Buildrick wouldn’t mind building another car. That would make the whole travel time speed up by a lot. Like getting from Cantalin to Tangateal in days, not months speed. But if he couldn’t make it, he couldn’t make it. Instead, he stood with the cloth.

Gwaelin caved after seeing the two of them in their training togs. Though Alef for some reason refused to take off his orange under-suit, Buildrick had no problem swapping out entirely. Then again, he wasn’t the one hacking into the underbrush to clear out a path. So it wasn’t his arms getting scratched.

The sun was lower in the sky when they decided to try setting out again. There was a nice breeze sweeping down the mountains, and the sun was low enough that- “Let’s go East, shall we?” Gwaelin suggested. “So our backs are to the sun and we can perhaps get the breeze off the coast.”

Nods, all around.

They set off, Buildrick’s eyes sweeping the trees and ground for any further materials. Over there- a cotton plant. Buildrick deviated off the road to snag it casually. A green head stared at him, eyes wide in surprise. A bodkin out gathering cotton to make their hoods probably. He shrugged as he tossed the bodkin the cotton fluff. There was plenty more around. It snatched it, and reached into its own bag to pull out- wheat. He was always happy for more wheat.

He accepted the trade with a nod, and came back to the main road. “Buildrick?” Gwaelin questioned, “Was that just a monster over there?”

Alef’s face froze as he started mouthing something to Buildrick. Something about no, and don’t? Buildrick shrugged, noncommittally. “They’re all around us, and not all of them attack on sight. So maybe?”

“Oh… Well-” Gwaelin hesitated, as if considering what she should say. Then, she went for it. “Sir Alef healed a slime whilst you were sleeping in Kol. So I was wondering if this might be related.”

Buildrick could feel his eyebrows rising upwards. Alef had always been remarkably on edge around monsters. To the point Buildrick had thought he’d toss out the hammerhoods that had wanted to sleep in the same house that night at the hotsprings. He’d been purposeful about leaving them behind to sleep in the house to go for one last soak.

“It was burned and hiding in a planter box. I didn’t think it was a part of the attack.” Alef mumbled.

“Ahhhh, I see. No need to worry though- you can usually tell if a monster is gonna attack or not just by their actions. Besides, it’d be better not to attack them when we’re not that far from their village.”

“What?” Alef glanced around at that. “I didn’t see anything made in the underbrush.”

Buildrick pointed upwards to the houses in the trees. “We’ve been passing them for a bit. They’re fairly offset from the road.” Not that there really was a road. “Or this might be a monster road.”

“Correct, you are.” A voice pipped up from the bushes. A small green face peeked out. Alef’s hand fell on his sword, but the bodkin was only looking at one person. “My thanks, I forgot to give.”

“You guys were always polite.” Buildrick muttered.

“And- warning I came to give. If you continue on this way, beware the yellow flowers. Spreading they are. Choking out all other life they are. Killerpillers protect them, they do, and we have a hard time fighting back, we are.” The Bodkin lifted its bow as if to wave goodbye.

Buildrick held out a hand, “Can we make a trade?”

“Another trade, you wish? Careful we must be. The Dragon Lord has many eyes, he does. Do not wish to cross the King we do not.” The Bodkin shivered in fear at the thought.

Gwaelin certainly seemed intrigued. “This is a monster road?”

“Yes, Humans went west to the fortress, they did. This road was for the rich man in the mountains, it is. But monster use instead, yes. Number of visitors who take this road are small they are. Killerpillers overrun the forest they do.”

“Can you not break down the burrows?”

“...The Dragonlord might get angry, he might. The Killerpillers will immediately attack humans on sight, they do. Bodkins prefer cooking and fishing, we do. Our bows are not as strong as the boyers, no. They will attack you, they will.” The Bodkin scuttled further back into the greenery. “Terrible time it is. Careful on your walking, I wish you.”

It disappeared into the underbrush. Buildrick watched it go.

Gwaelin’s eyes were a lot like a eagle fishing up something from the river. Sharp, and calculating. “That is useful information.”

“Yeah, if the killerpillers keep spreading like they are, then eventually this whole forest is going to be impenetrable by both monsters and humans.” Buildrick shook his head. “The Bodkins aren’t immune to the flowers, and the drakey’s have to sleep somewhere.”

Chapter Text

Night was beginning to fall. It was quick, here in the south and warm lands of Rimuldar. Gwaelin could see a few slitted eyes starting to peer out in the darkness, hungrily fixated on Buildrick’s back. Well, the only reason why she could tell, was because Alef tensed beneath her. His eyes swept the darkness, as he called out, “Buildrick, see a good place to camp for the night?”

“No.” Buildrick shook his head as he started totting back. Gwaelin could feel the tension thrumming through Alef as the ghosts that followed Buildrick began to get closer. She had to admit- she was getting more and more worried as well. The ghosts weren’t being all that stealthy about being ready to kill him, and they hadn’t been in the caves when they passed through. And she hadn’t seen them in the tromp across the desert to the mines, but they had slept the night in an quickly patched up house.

Where had they come from she was uncertain, but they certainly knew Alef. They circled away as Buildrick got within some kind of radius of Alef, still staring. They stared as Buildrick glanced around them. “Nothing is nearby so sod house it is tonight.”

“Very well then. Lady Gwaelin?”

“Yes, stopping for the night would be for the best. Should we go back a bit to the small clearing we passed?”

“No, I can take care of it.” Alef said, with a bright smile. He let her down gently, and Buildrick became her main support now as Alef strode into the trees. There was a moment of silence as Alef breathed in- and spun around in a quick attack that brought trees, brush, and all else flat. They were in Builder’s blocks, Gwaelin noticed, the same kind Buildrick made when taking down big structures. Alef had been picking up a few things here and there.

Buildrick made an approving noise as Alef approached them. Alef didn’t seem interested in the materials, but Buildrick was. He finished digging up the stumps, and planted the seedlings elsewhere- giving back to the forest. Grass was quickly cleared away, and Buildrick aimed down even lower. Alef guided her to a stump, and left her to watch as he set up a small campfire with a pot for cooking.

Gwaelin watched, bereft of anything else to do. She was too far from the fire to really hobble over to help- and she didn’t know how to cook either. It wasn’t princess work. Her work was to do nothing but sit by her fathers side and look pretty. Meanwhile her brother was allowed to go across the sea, and learn how to be a ruler.

Her fingers tapped on her clothes as she stared at the loose woven cloth. She couldn’t spot any imperfections, no matter how she looked. Buildrick had fixed them all, with an ease she hadn’t even known existed. Alef hadn’t tried.

Buildrick came back, wiping dirt from his cheek. Gwaelin slapped her arm, and watched in despair as the bugs started landing right after. “I don’t suppose you have something to keep the bugs away, do you?” She questioned.

“Bugs?”

They hadn’t attacked Buildrick. Gwaelin wrinkled her nose at him, well aware the way she was acting was hardly becoming of a Princess. And yet- it just wasn’t fair. “I see, so you’re one of those folk who don’t get bitten.”

“Basically.”

“And you Sir Alef, are you the same?”

“I kept on my orange underclothes for a reason Lady Gwaelin. It may be a bit warmer, but it has kept off the worst.” Alef didn’t look up from where he was letting the water come to a boil.

“What’s this about bugs?” Buildrick questioned again, head tilting curiously. She couldn’t really read his face very well.

“Look at my arm Sir Buildrick, the mosquitoes are trying to eat me alive!”

There were already bumps rising. Buildrick took her proffered arm carefully. She could feel the remnants of dirt and water on the leather gloves, as he stared at the bumps. “Ohhh, I think I saw Ellie and Gerontis swatting them away. One moment- I don’t quite remember what they used to keep the bugs away but-”

Buildrick dug into his bag, muttering to himself. Alef’s head snapped to the east, as a monster peeked out of the plants. It was…. A slime, but its body was made of metal. The firelight flickered off of its body. Buildrick pulled out a medical leaf- The metal slime instantly charged for it- faster then Alef could react. It snatched the medical leaf, and zoomed off.

Buildrick stared after it. “That’s the second time this has happened to me.”

“Second?” Gwaelin repeated, a bit in disbelief.

“Yeah. It happened near the castle as well.” Buildrick stared after it for a long minute. “Odd. Usually the metal slimes want to fight me.”

Well, Gwaelin thought glancing to where Alef quietly fumed from his missed shot, they might fight Buildrick. Buildrick shrugged, diving back into his bag and this time- he pulled out a small thing of a perfectly white cream. “Oh, healing creams?” Alef questioned. “They probably will heal the bites themselves, but it won’t stop the bugs.”

“No, no, There was another component to it- When I was making warp wings and healing cream, I accidentally combined them when I was tired.” Buildrick yanked out a small bottle. “Ellie was the one who figured out the full recipe, but since I’m not bothered by bugs, I didn’t learn the exact recipe.”

“She sounds like an interesting woman!”

For the first time Gwaelin could think of, and it seemed both long and short, Buildrick smiled. It was only the very barest curves of his mouth. “She is. She strode in alone to a poison swamp to take care of a bunch of sick people. Well, I still got roped into the whole thing, but- the story is a bit too dark for a night like this. Maybe when the sun actually rises I’ll tell you more about it.”

He didn’t seem willing to elaborate for now. He just poured the slightest bit of oil into the cream. Just enough to thin it ever so slightly. Buildrick tossed the small capsule of cream to her. “Give that a try.”

“Oh?” She fumbled for a moment with it. Gwaelin cracked it open, staring at the cream. It didn’t look like much, but she would gladly take it just for the relief from the itching. “Thank you.”

Buildrick nodded quietly as he wandered closer to the fire. Unlike Alef and Gwaelin who were content to sit still, Buildrick was always fidgeting with something. Like right now, as he settled in closer to the fire, and started pulling out more stuff he had scrounged up to add to the soup. Gwaelin spread the cream, noting how smoothly it sank into her skin- like magic, the bugs started to stay away. She could see they looking for a place to land, but they couldn’t with the oil. Not that she felt oily. “Oh, this is quite nice.”

Buildrick nodded again, and pulled out a stool so she could sit closer. It took a bit of hobbling, but Alef supported her on the way as Buildrick tossed even more into the soup. It was less of a soup, and more like a casserole at this point. Alef settled down, eyes flickering out into the darkness as Buildrick pulled off the food.

The sound of rain approached.

Alef and Gwaelin shot for shelter at the sound, as Buildrick watched it come sweeping in. The rain fell, probably soaking him through. Nonetheless he gathered everything left abandoned by the fires edge as they sat on the edge of the straw mattresses and watched. “Um-” Gwaelin questioned Alef, “He- He isn’t bothered by much, is he?”

“No. I don’t think I’ve seen him flinch back at anything.”

Buildrick came in, dripping water as he held out their food. The only light now was the low torch burning in the corner. They sat on their straw mattresses instead, as Buildrick huddled over the torch to dry off.

In this silence, Gwaelin could feel fear clawing at her throat. The top was low, and the there was no light except for the torch that hissed and sizzled as water dripped onto it. Her hands shook as she held the bowl.

The sound of low rolling thunder boomed in the distance. Somehow, the sound eased her. She slid a bit closer to Alef, as the sound of the rain picked up. Buildrick glanced outside through the open door. He seemed puzzled by something. Alef’s hands was warm as he edged past her to look outside. His face lit up. “I didn’t know there were fireflies here.”

“Fire...flies?” Buildrick stared out across the rain sweeping over the darkness.

“Ohhh, they are quite nice to see from a distance, are they not?” Gwaelin said, scooting closer to the door. Buildrick moved over for her, so she slid into the space provided. He was still damp and cold. “I caught fireflies as a child a few times, but… I was not quite so thrilled when I realized what they looked like up close. And you? Sir Alef? Buildrick?”

“I don’t think I’ve seen them before.” Buildrick said with a shrug. He fidgeted with the torch, re-wrapping it a bit tighter.

“I- Uh- I caught a few as a child, just in the palm of my hand and accidentally squashed them. I stopped after squashing the first few.”

There was an old pain in his voice that Gwaelin couldn’t quite put her finger on. She reached out to him, wrapping his hand in hers. He blinked, glancing at her. “I’m certain you could catch them now without trouble. You are so very kind and gentle.”

Gwaelin turned back to watching the fireflies zipping around in the rainy forest. If she listened, it sounded different from the rainstorms at the castle. There, the stone and tile was a different cacophony of noises- not deafening or bad. Just… different. It was nice in its own way.

“Are you two gonna be alright?” Buildrick questioned. “It’ll be raining tomorrow too.”

Ah. Alef sighed softly. “Well, I can certainly ignore it. With these lighter clothes I won’t have to worry about heat rashes.”

“Alef, let me see your cloak. Gwaelin… I’ll think of something for you.”

Buildrick shuffled off, content now that he had something to work on. Gwaelin was content to stare out across the forest for a bit longer. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she was starting to see things. There were two slimes cuddled up together beneath a large broad leaf. One was the metal slime from earlier, and the other was a bright orange slime slowly chewing on the medical herb. It was peaceful.

“Oh, mind if I measure your head?”

“No?” Gwaelin said, almost reflexively. She didn’t cringe when Buildrick reached out with muddy gloves, but he stopped himself first. Buildrick yanked them off, revealing scarred hands. His skin was cool in the hot air as they touched the crown of her head, mentally making a measurement.

There were two large matching scars on the back of his hand. Gwaelin didn’t get a clear look at them, before Buildrick was turning away and sliding back on gloves. Lightning flashed outside, lighting up the sod house and the forest. The two slimes out in the rain didn’t stir, simply enjoying the show.

Gwaelin withdrew quickly when Alef twitched his hand. She hadn’t realized just how sweaty it had gotten from the damp, hot air. It was odd, how they were balanced like this. She’d feel a bit more comfortable snuggling up to him if they were alone. But by the same token, if they were alone, she would be getting rained on quite miserably.

And she didn’t dislike Buildrick. He wasn’t anything she disliked. No, she quite enjoyed his company. It just felt odd to have a third with her and Alef. Somehow it felt like… across the dreams she had, this was the first time. The first time it was all three of them.

Buildrick settled onto the middle bed. With his pile of blankets, he was like a impenetrable wall. Though she certainly couldn’t see how he was still cold in this heat. In a fit of curiosity, Gwaelin scooted closer to his side. Alef was still watching the rain outside. She reached out, pushing the blankets to the side. Like she thought, he was unnaturally cold.

Something about him wasn’t quite right, but surely he must have been someone sent by Rubiss. All the statues of the Goddess depicted a young woman with her facial features obscured. The woman hovering behind Buildrick was beautiful- ethereal. Fey. A… Farie? Whatever else, she felt she could trust him.

Buildrick shifted without acknowledging her presence. He gave her space to lean in. His clothes were already dry. All that was left was the cool of his skin. It felt wonderful in the heat. Without really realizing it, her eyes dropped close.

Voices swam in and out around her head. “Is she asleep?”

“Maybe?”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“No… Get… Sleep.”

“...I...Morning...”

A warm hand touched her shoulder. She curled further up into the coolness. It wasn’t as soft as her pillows back home, but it certainly would do. Old fragments she preferred to leave buried spoke of a small hut surrounded by ash with not even enough straw mattresses to go around.

If the future… was something that was predetermined by prophecies, then she would take this. Anything to put off the inevitable for a bit longer.

A cool hand touched her cheek, before withdrawing. She could feel Alef’s heat radiating into the air, as he shuffled around her to the unclaimed bed. Buildrick wasn’t laughing exactly, though he was teasing.

Silence fell. Gwaelin peeked one bleary eye open. Buildrick had given up on his work, simply leaning back against his bed. Alef on the other side had also buried his face into the cool skin. So now, Buildrick had two people stuck to him. Connected like this, Gwaelin could finally close her eyes and sleep.

Her dreams were unhaunted. Regular dream things without consequence. Fleeting, and fading as a warm presence passed her by. She stirred, slowly waking up.

The rain was still falling outside. There were puddles that had gathered now, shallow puddles that slimes raced through while laughing at each other. Gwaelin couldn’t think of ever seeing them do the same nearby the castle. A Chimera came fluttering down from the mountains, landing in the puddle to bathe. Wings splashed as it croaked its own tune.

Monsters sang?

As if in echo to her thought, Alef leaned over, “Do you recognize that tune Buildrick?”

“No.” He shook his head, before his mouth puckered in a frown. He titled this head, listening, before he opened the door. The Chimera stared, caught by the fact it was in the middle of bathing. “What song is that?”

It’s head tilted at him, “Sqwark, you’re a weird one human. I don’t know either. I heard it from my grandbird who heard it from the grandbird before them.”

“That so? Good enough?” He glanced back to Gwaelin. Her mouth opened- and closed as she meekly nodded. She hadn’t been planning on digging in her heels to insist she know. She knew when to be sweet, and when to be unbending.

She hadn’t been expecting to be supported without asking.

The chimera took off in a flurry of wings now that it realized a bunch of humans were around. Buildrick moved back inside. He picked up- “A farmers hat?” Gwaelin questioned.

“No, not quite.”

A farmers hat was pretty plain. It was nothing but woven straw. Buildrick had, perhaps understanding that she’d want some kind of decoration, had interwoven a yellow ribbon around the head. It wasn’t a lot, but it brought just a touch of color to the yellow straw. It was coated in some kind of wax, with one side longer then the other. “When Alef’s carrying you, lean against his head. That way the water drips onto his cloak.”

Alef grimaced as he was handed the cloak. The fur had been ripped out and the holes patched. Instead, the cloth had been coated with something. It was very faint- but water flowed off of it easily. Alef walked out into the rain, letting the water roll off of him as Buildrick pulled out a cold breakfast.

They set off mid morning. The paths were fairly empty of any monsters. There were only a few slimes that fled at the sight of them. Buildrick ignored the rain as he trotted through the undergrowth. Still gathering whatever he thought was good. Gwaelin tracked him, as Alef kept alert for monsters.

There was a moment of silence, before- “All travel was shut down, right? Did Rimuldar already start up travels?”

“No, Maurice and Amos sent them word, but hadn’t received word back yet.”

“Hmmm. There’s people over here.”

Alef turned immediately, approaching Buildrick. He was quickly diving deeper into the forest, towards a small stone platform. There were two young children there, huddled beneath the broken roofing, watching the water drip down. Surrounding them was a thick, thick layer of tingleweed. It was hidden- Buildrick flinched as he stepped on it, the numbness or pain slamming into him. He backed up a step- reaching into his bag.

Alef grabbed his shoulder before he could. “Here, stay right here. I’ll retrieve them.”

Gwaelin leaned against Buildrick as Alef put her down. He stepped into the field of flowers without batting an eye. He strode towards the two children, gloved fingers touching their cheeks. They flinched- “Ah, they’re paralyzed. Much worse then you Buildrick.”

“I got something that can help.” Buildrick called back, “Bring them here.”

Alef knelt, scooping up each child carefully to shield them from the rain in his cloak. They couldn’t really cling or resist him, the paralysis working it way deep into them. Alef came back slowly, eyes sweeping the forest for anything that might charge.

Gwaelin saw the tint of blue hurtling through the air, seconds before it hit. It was a slime, wailing as tried and failed to climb Alef’s cloak. It was impossible to tell what it was trying to spout out. Buildrick watched the chaos with more then a little amusement. Gwaelin had to stop herself from laughing, because it was a bit clear that the slime wasn’t aiming for harm. What it was aiming for was-

Alef pulled up, head hanging in absolute exhaustion as the slime continued to wail and holler in his ear. Buildrick reached out to grab it- and pulled. The slime stretched out, the burbling wails dropping into yelps of pain as it stretched. There was a long moment of silence as the slime calmed down. Alef shifted the two children, balancing them carefully to keep them off the wet ground. Buildrick dropped the slime, and it hit the ground with teary eyes.

It did bounce back to life as he pulled out a round black ball of medicine to crack in half. Buildrick tossed the medicine to Alef, who caught and fed the children easily. It took mere seconds- and like it never happened, the two children could move once again.

The children blinked- and went shooting for the slime. “Please don’t bully Mallie! He’s such a good slime!”

“Yeah, he always helps us find food!”

“And he tucks us into bed!”

“And he’s been in our family for gen-goo-rations!”

“He’s a nice slime! We promise!”

“He’s not a mean nasty slime!”

“See, see, say hello Mallie!”

Their voices were overlapping, mixing, and muddying each other. Gwaelin acted a bit without thinking. She clapped her hands together, and everyone’s attention was dragged to her. “Why don’t we start off with some introductions?”

“Ah.” The two glanced to each other, and nodded.

“This is Mallie the slime.” They were still starting with the slime huh? That was fine though.

Gwaelin curtsied to the slime, “Hello Mallie. I am Gwaelin.”

The slime looked star struck. She knew what that looked like, she’d seen it often enough. The two children were just as star struck. “And as for you two?”

“Ah, I’m Andrea. And my brother here is Andrew.”

“I see. And were you two headed for Rimuldar?”

The kids flinched. Andrea and Andrew huddled together, whispering with Mallie. Gwaelin wondered if she should interrupt. But she didn’t want them to think they were being backed into a corner. She glanced over, to where Buildrick stood, and mimed a quick motion of eating food.

Buildrick pulled out food immediately.

The two children stared at it, with eyes full of want. But- Andrea and Andrew both swallowed their want to back up further into the forest. They were smart children, who wouldn’t be bribed that easily. Andrew was the one who spoke up, “Thank you ever so much for rescuing us. We can’t really repay you. But we gotta keep going.”

“To Rimuldar?” Gwaelin repeated herself. The answer was obviously not, but she wasn’t budging.

“W-Well-”

“You must tell me where you’re going if not to Rimuldar.”

“We- We can’t.”

“But thou must.” Gwaelin said firmly. They attempted to bargain with her. Begging and pleading with her to leave well enough alone in not so much their words, as their actions. Taking two children to Rimuldar would undoubtedly be an ordeal, but-

Andrea broke first. “We’re going to the coast. There’s supposed to be a boat there.”

“A boat?”

“Yes… Mallie wasn’t the only monster that survived…Well... the others said there was a boat they received from long ago that’s still mostly seaworthy. It’s crewed by a skeleton. We’re going across the ocean.”

They were fleeing the Dragon Lord. Gwaelin certainly could not blame them. Mallie squashed itself as flat as it could. “We would be willing to take you, buttttttt, there’s not enough room.”

“I see. Do you think you’ll be safer across the ocean?”

“The King’s effects will be lessened.” Mallie explained, “We can’t fight the King, but if he wins, then the land will become a barren ash land.”

Just… like…. Her dreams. Her… Prophecies? “When you say that, what-”

“Gowee, nothing but ash and gray. There’ll be sunlight, but when dark comes there won’t be stars or the moon. No blue, no white, just brown and gray.” Mallie shivered, the ripple shaking his entire body. “Further away, the less the effect will be. We couldn’t… protect these two’s parents. So we got to protect their kids, just like they asked us too.”

A promise made between a human and monster. Or, generations of humans and monsters. Buildrick reached out, patting the slime on the head. It was a gentle little pat. “You sure you can take care of them?”

“Sure thing gooman! An old friend of ours, a Killing Machine is nearby. I was going to fetch him when you lot came around and nearly gave me a splat attack!” The slime wibbled, tearing up again. Andrea patted the slimes head.

Buildrick pulled out a small travel bag. “Then here, I got some healing herbs and some antidote herbs in case you run against any poison. It doesn’t hold much.”

Alef glanced to Gwaelin, mouthing the word boat. Ah, was this her decision to make? “How far away is your boat?”

“Gowee, that’s nice of you to offer but-”

The slime was terrified of Alef. It couldn’t even look at him directly even as it pushed its two children further into the forest. Versus the unknown monsters and the human before him, it knew which one it was willing to risk. Gwaelin doubted she would be able to sway them any further.

“Just one question, if you don’t mind.” Gwaelin said.

The slime wobbled, turning to look up at her.

“The boss of the area. The one in charge of the monster armies- do you know who it would be?”

“Gowee. There isn’t one right now. It’s a fight between two of them. A Condor and a Dhrone.” Mallie’s voice dropped to a soft whisper, “It’s goo-ing to get dangerous soon, so you should think about getting out too.”

The three vanished into the woods, leaving behind the three humans.

Chapter Text

Alef stopped on the road, trying not to chaff too much at the delay. The rain had finally stopped, and the puddles were already starting to dry. And Buildrick was elbow deep in the ground, pulling up yellow tingleweed. He wouldn’t of minded it if they were alone, but he was carrying Gwaelin. Gwaelin pushed her hat back.

The heat pounded on him.

“A condor...” Gwaelin whispered to herself. “And a Drohne. Sir Alef… have you battled either of these monsters?”

“One. The drohnes. They are basically snail like and spew a good deal of poison. The condor I haven’t met. Buildrick may know more.”

“I see.” Gwaelin’s voice dropped down to a whisper, muttering mostly to herself. “Then, Condor sounds like a bird… The roads and reopening them… But picking…”

Buildrick came trotting up, more begonia leaves thrown across one arm. Alef questioned, “Is there a reason why you went after them?”

“The Dhrones spit up a lot of poison. I was just thinking about whether or not there’ll be enough filters for the water.” Buildrick fanned the leaves in his arm, flicking water off of them onto the road. “I made one to clear out the water for us, but the water will only be getting more dangerous.”

“Ah- are you talking about the poisoning of the water supply?” Gwaelin questioned. Buildrick nodded. Gwaelin groaned. “This was already a problem, but if the water supply is poisoned, that’s even worse. If the food supply is poisoned, then we will be reliant on Cantlin for food completely for years until the poison clean up could take effect.”

Ahhh- he hadn’t considered that. Alef nodded, anger disappearing. “That does sound like it’ll be a problem. The city is surrounded on three sides by water.”

The thick river kept most from crossing. Buildrick’s eyes flickered to him. “Is the water deep?”

“Deep? Yes, It wouldn’t be safe to swim across. But there is a land bridge.”

“Good. I can’t swim.”

Well that… “Not even a bit?”

“I sink like a rock.” Buildrick confirmed. Rather casually, for the fact that they were about to go to a town built very close to water. “If the water is taller then me, then I am going to drown.”

Even more worries now. Between Gwaelin who couldn’t walk, and Buildrick who went harrying off against any monster that seemed to breathe wrong in his direction- “Buildrick, stay close to me.”

One eyebrow raised.

“If you fall into any of the rivers around here, I’d like to be close enough to fish you out.”

“I won’t-”

“Stay close.”

“But-”

“I mean it Buildrick.”

Buildrick was clearly deciding whether or not it was worth digging his heels in. Gwaelin clasped her hands together, saying in her sweetest tone, “Will thou not stay nearby and visit with us for awhile.”

Buildrick’s shoulders sagged. Gwaelin said it sweetly, but she was more then willing to throw her weight behind the words. If he didn’t agree to her wishes, she’d wear him down until he agreed. They were close to Rimuldar. Just a day’s travel.

But the closer they got, the more Buildrick dragged. Certainly, while using Buildrick as a pillow, his dreams of monsters and wasteland stopped. Gwaelin as well seemed quite interested in using Buildrick as a pillow. But- Buildrick stumbled over a branch. Alef turned, and Buildrick stood back up. The deep circles under his eyes were clear in the murky hot light. He was not doing well. Perhaps their combined weight kept him awake.

“Buildrick? Are you alright?”

“Just peachy keen. What about you Alef, you’re the one carrying Gwaelin in this heat.”

“I’m doing quite well.” Alef lied through his teeth. Gwaelin was heavy- in the way a human being was heavy. His arms were screaming at him. The afternoon stops were for his sake.

Gwaelin leaned away from his head, and pulled off her hat to fan them both. It was very welcome respite. They struggled along in silence. All of them were beat down by the heat, even in the early morning. Alef stopped as a field of tingleweed spread out before them. It was gigantic- and at the center of the tingleweed was a dug up circle of dirt.

“Ah, Killerpiller nest.” Buildrick touched his hammer, “If we leave it, this close to the town...”

Rimuldar was beyond it, another day’s walk at their current pace. But for a monster-

Killerpillers perked up at the sight of three people standing at the edge of their killing arena. Alef wanted to swear. Going into battle with Gwaelin on his arm was the furthest thing he wanted to do right this moment. The heat, with lighter armor then what he normally wore-

A Killerpiller began crawling its way closer. Alef skewered it in a single movement. Like a flag rising in the air, every Killerpiller in the ‘nest’ stopped. They turned as one, hissing and growling. The ground shook, and rumbled- A killerpiller that from tip to end must had been about twenty feet rose into the air. It howled its challenge at them. “Oh my.” Gwaelin’s voice was faint.

“That was faster then I expected.” Buildrick said, “Usually they wait until after I’ve collapsed their tunnels.”

“It probably came because I’m here. Around the center there isn’t any Tingleweed. Buildrick, can you collapse the tunnels and stop the monsters?”

“Leave it to me.”

“Gwaelin-”

“Leave me by the tree line. I’m certain I’ll be fine.” Gwaelin said bravely. She was trembling ever so slightly however.

Buildrick pointed to a tree- “Put her under that one. The bodkins will shoot at any Killerpillers coming near.”

“And Gwaelin?”

“If they don’t shoot you, then she should be fine.”

It was a gamble Alef was willing to make. He broke off from Buildrick, shooting back towards the tree pointed out. Closer, he could see a carefully hidden ladder extending up into the canopy. He set down Gwaelin. The tree tops were suspiciously silent- he couldn’t see any Drackies nearby either.

“Call for me if anything approaches.”

Gwaelin nodded, face pale in the heat.

Buildrick had gotten halfway across the field, cutting his way through step by step. His teeth gritted as he downed another Tingle Ball, chasing away the paralysis from the flowers. Alef pulled out the sword, thankful once again for its stunning lightness in comparison to it’s size.

The giant Killerpiller was making its way to him as fast as it could crawl. A voice called out from the tree top, “Beware, it will become a wheel of death, it will.”

Wheel of death-

Alef wasn’t fast enough. He could see Buildrick get slammed in the back as the King Killerpiller abandoned him, to go after the one approaching the nest. It curled up, making itself into a giant wheel to move faster then a human could run. Buildrick grunted as he struggled up out of the field.

Alef willed his legs to go faster. Without Gwaelin’s weight, or the weight of the heavy armor, he was moving much quicker then he thought. Buildrick brought his hammer down on the creatures head just once, before Alef was there. His sword drove into the tail end, making it howl in pain. It twisted, fast as lightning. It’s mandibles were made for eating plants- but at this size they easily sank into flesh. Buildrick started lifting his hammer, before turning to start fighting a smaller one. Alef swapped his sword into his other hand, and drove it deep into the monsters skull.

It went down in a surprising soft thud. The Killerpillers gurgled in surprise- Alef stared down at the Killerpiller. Was that… it? It had gone down far too easily. An arrow came out of the trees, slamming into a killerpiller crawling its way towards him. His head turned. Gwaelin was talking with one Bodkin that was hanging onto the ladder. Others had to be hidden in the trees. Alef turned back to the fight before him.

At the death of their leader, the killerpillers were disorganized, roaming about almost aimlessly. Buildrick stopped in front of a hole. His hammer swung and fell on the hole, compacting the earth as a few of the smaller killerpillers struggled to get out. More were starting to swarm towards Buildrick.

Alef hurried to his side, sword cutting down the monsters with a single stroke. It felt less like a giant battle he had been expecting, and more like bunicorn hunting for meat. The holes disappeared quickly under their tandem fighting.

The filed of yellow flowers stretched out, broken only by churned up earth. The only noise now was Alef’s harsh breathing as he doubled over. He wasn’t sweating, Alef realized, and that was probably a bad sign. A mouthful of fish forced its way in his mouth. He chewed, automatically. Water was also thrust at him- Alef drank greedily, as more fish was shoved in his face.

Gwaelin was still waiting for them, surrounded by bodkins. Buildrick’s hand was shocking cold against his face. Alef grabbed it, pressing it against his forehead as he closed his eyes. Buildrick was saying something above his head, but without a fight nearby, Alef ignored it.

He did not ignore when Buildrick knelt down, and lifted him in a Princess carry. “Wait- No- I can walk-”

Buildrick eyed him for a moment, before setting him back down. The world grayed for a moment when Alef stood, but he remained on his own two feet. They slowly left the battle arena, filled with the dead bodies of the killerpillers. The moment they got under the trees, Alef could tell the difference in the heat.

Gwaelin’s hands were warm, but healing magic flowed through them and into him. It felt like walking into a cool room, and a warm voice saying, “Welcome back. You both did such a good job out there.”

“Won, the humans did! Believe it, we did not!” The bodkin waved an arrow in the air from pure excitement. “Amazing! The Pale Faces did it!”

Alef took another swig of water, as his head cleared of cobwebs. That was perhaps the most let down of a monster he had ever met. He had thought for sure, just because of the size of the Killerpiller that it would be a rough fight. But- what he got instead was a fairly easy battle. His biggest failure was not drinking enough water in the heat.

Gwaelin looked troubled. Buildrick pulled out a handful of nuts, and dropped them into Gwaelin’s hand. Gwaelin stared at them, before shaking her head and started chewing on them as Buildrick waved his hand at Alef. Was… Was he being used as an example of what not to do?

“Pale-faced humans, we heard about you, yes.” The bodkin chuckled. “Fighting the Dragon Lord, you are.”

“The bodkins further north seemed afraid to fight the Killerpillers. What’s with you guys?”

“The north bodkins are too close to the Dragon Lord they are. Be more careful they must.” The bodkin hummed, “Hard times they have. Further away and less in the Dragon Lord’s mind we are. Besides which, the armies are almost complete they are.”

Complete? Wasn’t that- Too soon? It felt too soon. By- multiple months. He still hadn’t found the armor, and Loto’s emblem. Was it his own fault for taking so long? No- the monsters hadn’t been on the move quite so much at least in Kol. The trolls had been competing about something, but-

“Isn’t that a bit too fast?”

“Is it?” The Bodkin questioned. “Long time this has taken for monsters. The Dragon Lord is very kind to us, he is.”

That’s right, despite the grumbles and complaints about the Dragon Lord, none of them didn’t declare him their king. Alef flinched slightly as Gwaelin questioned, “Is he really that kind?”

“Hmmm, Humans don’t understand. The King is the King. Would you say the human King isn’t the King?”

“No, he is the King.” Gwaelin agreed. “I understand now what you mean by that. I’m sure there must be some humans as well, like those two children in the forest. A King is a King, and they don’t need anything else.”

The Bodkin cheered at what had to be the correct answer. Alef wasn’t exactly certain he followed. Certainly King Yorik was the King, but- not his King. Or perhaps that was the difference between-

Buildrick had gone to sleep. His head nodded as Gwaelin turned back to the monsters, questioning, “Then will you be alright helping?”

“The Dragon Lord is strong he is, but forceful he is not. He offers us to join the army, and we are not yet joined.” The bodkin shrugged, “We have been friendly with the farmers to a small degree, we have. We sometimes break bread or exchange medicine, we do. Not Rimuldar, but one small town. You… were the humans who assisted the children of the Monster Tamers, were you?”

“Yes.”

“Friends, we were.” The bodkin sighed. “The town was suspicious of humans that were friends of monsters, yes. We were out hunting when we saw the flames, we were. While we weren’t close, miss the trade, we will.”

Gwaelin definitely seemed to want to keep talking, as Alef shifted Buildrick’s head into his lap. It was cool, and a welcome relief.

“Many questions, you have. But answer them all, we cannot.” The bodkins were done with talking as well. It was a bit amazing how Buildrick and the monsters reflected each other. “To tell you more of monsters coming and goings, bad idea it is. No one wishes to find the Dragon Lords end of patience.”

Gwaelin sighed softly, disappointed. Her quest for information was cut short again.

Alef nodded. Like a spring, Buildrick was already rising up ready to get back on the road again. Alef couldn’t really understand why and how Buildrick seemed to know when the boring part was over. But, the sun was reaching it’s zenith when they set off again. Gwaelin fanned them both as he walked.

She waited, until they left the shelter of the trees, and were back into open fields where the monsters were much thinner. “Sir Alef… I’m afraid that I did learn something of great importance that may affect your travels.”

“Oh?”

“A monster has retrieved the Armor of Erdrick. The monsters have seen it approaching the castle some time ago.”

And if the user was human, if they had won against the Dragon Lord, then the sky would be lit up in a dazzling blue. Instead, they had continued on with cloudy gray skies. Buildrick grumbled, “Then the armor is at the castle, across the sea.”

“Well, that might be a problem.” Alef summarized after a moment, “I am fairly certain I can make my way through the castle, it’s the Dragon Lord I’m most worried about.”

“You are pretty light on your feet.” Buildrick mumbled, “But his claws are sharp enough to tear through castle walls. If we talk to Aeroba, and see if they can dig up any more orhilcalum or mythrail, I can forge another set of the armor.”

It was certainly a way. However- Buildrick had collapsed after forging just the sword. The armor would probably be just as draining. Buildrick forging the armor might actually kill him. “Well, let’s see if the monster wearing the armor comes out of the castle.” Gwaelin said after a moment. “Now that I have been freed, the army may start targeting me again to bring me back to the Dragon Lord.”

There was that aspect as well. As long as they kept Gwaelin close, the monsters would eventually come to them. Aeroba hadn’t sent word of the ice monster coming to attack, so it must be coming after them. The ice would be a welcome respite from the heat, certainly. And perhaps from there, they could figure out more about the armor.

Still, it didn’t feel quite right.

Alef puzzled over the feeling.

“Is something the matter?” Gwaelin questioned, “Are you feeling faint again?”

“No- I was just thinking of the King Killerpiller. It… went down surprisingly easily. It only took a single stab. I didn’t even have to cut off it’s head.”

“You’re getting stronger.” Gwealin was the one who pointed out. Buildrick nodded.

“Yes, but just a stab?”

“Are you able to stop holding back?” Buildrick questioned. “Because before you always did, to keep from breaking your blade. We saw it with the Dragon, you broke your blade on it, and I think you weren’t that far from breaking it on the Magmalice.”

Buildrick had a name for the monster? Alef supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. “True, but even then, I suppose it felt just a little too easy. You were struggling, and so were the bodkins.”

“…Alef, I hate to say this about my own fighting ability, but- if we compare strengths, a Slime and I aren’t that far apart.” Buildrick said after a moment. “I mostly fight using other stuff. Like the cannons, or with a group of people, like in Kol and down in the mines. You saw me struggling with a single troll by myself. You took down two trolls in the time it took me to fight one.”

Buildrick was correct, but- “You did fight fairly well against the Dragon.”

“And who finished it off?”

He was running out of big monsters to talk about. He had faced the Goodybags deep within the caverns, as Buildrick struggled to survive an almost army of monsters. And- He did usually end any and all fights if he really thought about it. But on the other hand-

“Well, I am a builder, and not a fighter. So I do appreciate not having to fight so much. I can do it when my back is to the wall but… You’ve seen my fighting style.”

Gwaelin winced. Alef didn’t, but he nodded nonetheless.

He did.

It was terrible, and shoddy, and Alef was honestly surprised Buildrick had gotten so far with it, other then the fact that he refused to give up. But- even so…

“You still look quite worried.” Gwaelin said softly. Rimuldar was in sight now. The fields stretched out around the still lake water. Alef could see farmers working on the fields, and soldiers restlessly patrolling for any monsters.

Gwaelin glanced around, fretting, “I should change. Although these clothes are nice, If I do not appear properly dressed-”

Buildrick erected a small sod house for Gwaelin to change. They stopped, using the overhang to cool down in the shade. Soon enough, they were back up and on the road, approaching the fields and town of Rimuldar.

Alef picked up the conversation again. “Indeed. I know my strength, but it still seems beyond that which I was able to tap into before.”

“Isn’t it because you’re carrying Gwaelin every day?” Buildrick questioned. Rather ruthlessly, Alef thought, as Gwaelin flushed. She stopped fanning him, hiding her face with the hat Buildrick had made. “That has to be a workout.”

“Yes- but- she is still quite light.” Alef tried to salvage what he could.

Buildrick just kept digging the hole deeper however. “Even if she is light, she has to be at least forty eight kilograms if she’s eating enough food.”

“I… I am a little over that.” Gwaelin admitted, still covering her face.

“Oh, isn’t that good?” Buildrick questioned.

“Why would it be?”

“Because that means you’ll survive the famine easier.” Buildrick supplied, easily as if he was sitting in front of the crafting table and making medicinal herbs. Famine? Was there a famine oncoming? Or was it just… Buildrick’s own preference?

“Famine huh?”

“Or Illness.” Buildrick said, as casually as if he were talking about a sunny day, “When I was helping to take care of patients in the middle of a poison swamp, the ones that were heavier recovered. The others fell to the disease.”

Alef didn’t like the sounds of that- and it didn’t seem like Gwaelin did either. She shivered at the thought. “W-Well, I’m certain that once we’re at Rimuldar, I will return back to walking. Then Alef won’t have to carry me so much, and I can begin the healing process.”

She would probably return back to the castle at that point. Alef couldn’t think of a reason why she wouldn’t. Other then she would want to continue traveling with them, in their little sod houses with straw mattresses as their beds.

The farmers and the soldiers were staring at them in suspicion- until they saw the Princess, at which point soldiers went running on ahead. Soldiers surrounded them, and Alef set down Gwaelin gently, as she curtsied to the soldiers.

“Princess Gwaelin! We heard word you were coming, but we weren’t certain if it was truthful or not!”

“Indeed, I have heard that communication has broken down. Please, be at ease. I recognize that my visit is at a hard time.” Gwaelin smiled as she rose. The soldiers blushed, shuffling their feet as they started to gather around her. They crowded in, closer and closer, chattering and talking over each other about nonsense.

Gwaelin’s fingers tightened on his arm, and that was all he needed. Alef swept her up, smile bright on his face, as his eyes found Buildrick watching the ongoing proceedings with amusement. “Please excuse us, but we need to visit a doctor. Would you happen to know where we should go?”

The soldiers withdrew, whispering. Alef could overhear a few glimmers- the sage. The sage would probably be the best, but, they were further south. “The sage would be the best, but unfortunately they are a good distance away. Come into town, and the Church mayhap be able to ease your pain for now.”

Chapter Text

Buildrick wandered among the fields. He kept fairly close to the little parade around Alef and Gwaelin. But it was almost impossible to stay completely close. He wasn’t a soldier who marched, and he didn’t wish to be carried. Alef could match pace with the guards easily for the moment- then again, they had to take two steps for every one Alef took.

Instead, Buildrick inspected the dirt. Since the only information he really had about farming was stuff from the Farmer’s Sutra, he knew there was stuff he was probably missing. Watching the farmers made it clear that there was plenty he was missing. The hoes for one- he’d used a rake to plant. The farmers were burying manure with it- also something new. Buildrick dodged the crops as he went in and out. Tomato plants had to have a trellis- so did aburgettes. Pumpkins and watermelon grew rambunctiously in large patches. Corn stretched above his head, as oats, wheat, and barley spread out in all directions.

It was nice.

The farmers seemed rather suspicious of his walking, and a bit reluctantly, Buildrick went back to the road. Small canals spread out sectioning off crops for watering. It was stuff Buildrick was certain he could eventually make, but-

This was the build up of thousands of years of farming. The hoeing, the canal system- some of the fields were fallow, and Buildrick was certain it was for a reason. He didn’t know the reason, but the farmers had passed it down through the ages. Knowledge lost to the void.

Buildrick trailed after the group. He was exhausted. Not from the heat, or the bugs.

Between feeling his strength slipping away at Galenholm, and forging yet another Sword Of Kings, his time seemed to be coming to an end. Not that he planned on lying down and dying, but- it was a struggle to wake up. To keep moving and to keep up.

Alef stopped, turning around to look at him. The soldiers stopped as well, falling into parade rest without really thinking about it. Alef’s eyes caught his. In the center of the knot of soldiers it felt like he was looking at- a King. The soldiers waited for a command. It was different from Galenholm, Kol and Tangateal. Alef seemed more imposing, even not in his regular armor but in the lighter training togs. Maybe because the sword made him look a lot more imposing. Gwaelin was still in his arms, looking pretty content, but she too had her eyes on him.

Buildrick sighed, and kept walking.

Alef waited until he was next to their side, and began to walk again.

Being surrounded by soldiers was annoying. Buildrick glanced for a way out, when Gwaelin questioned, “Did you see anything out in the fields Buildrick?”

“Hmmm? Nah.” The soldiers whispered at his impolite way of talking, before falling silent at the slightest of eye flickers from the commander. “Just looking at the crops. Some of them I’ve never seen before.”

One of the soldiers did muffle a laugh at that. Buildrick ignored it, but Gwaelin’s voice was sharp as she continued, “It shouldn’t affect your poison purification however, correct?”

“No, I mean, they’re still plants. They should want clean water like everything else.” Buildrick mumbled.

“Well, I’m certain you’ll have plenty of opportunity to show what you can do once you’re well rested. Since the armies of monsters are approaching, I’m certain that you’ll be able to show off your skills. As you did against the Dragon.”

Ugh, even more fighting? The monsters really didn’t want to let up on that. “It’d be better if they stopped.”

“It would be, but unfortunately they aren’t.” The commander broke in then, eyeing him.

Buildrick sighed loudly, ignoring the twittering giggles from the soldiers. He knew he didn’t look like any kind of hero, or even all that pleasant. Everyone he had met had some kind of remark about him. The only two that didn’t were Alef and Gwaelin. Buildrick was the master of witty, sarcastic remarks back.

“Yep, real unfortunate.”

The commander and soldiers were definitely staring at him. But they weren’t saying anything. He couldn’t dazzle them if they weren’t saying anything. But he also had nothing to prove. His best work was hanging at Alef’s side- and he’d done a better job on it then the first one he’d made.

The town rose in front of them. Wind blew across the lake, bringing with it a cooling atmosphere. The houses were more open then what Buildrick remembered- airy and light wooden structures that directed and funneled the wind through. Children ran through long hallways lined with potted plants. His heart ached at the sight, for no particular reason.

Except- Ellie could’ve grown up like this. Instead of them swapping tales of their struggles to survive in a wasteland over a meal to eat, Ellie could have enough to eat. Pippa as well. Larouche, Cecelia, Barbella and her motley crew- and he supposed even Rollo could have grown up in these idyllic conditions. But on the other hand… if the Dragon Lord hadn’t won, then they never would’ve met. Barbella had mentioned that- if it hadn’t happened, they wouldn’t of met.

A woman passed by the knot of soldiers. Buildrick’s head turned to follow her. She was old, dressed in a nun outfit. Her hair that peeked out around the cowl was gray, and deep lines scored her face. But- if he ever thought about what Ellie might look like old, that was her. She walked in a straight line, towards the church at the edge of town. “Oh, that woman-”

“She’s the Sage’s wife. Don’t you go bothering her now.” The commander said. Not harshly, just a warning.

Well, he knew who he was going to visit soon.

The soldiers gestured for them to follow them into a small ‘fort’ on the edge of town. The barracks were full, the roof was sagging, and the walls were ready to cave in. Was this really where they lived? It seemed like it would leak the moment it rained. Not that he could say much seeming how he’d built nothing but sod houses (and a sword he supposed) for a few months now. The wooden floors creaked loudly as the soldiers marched in, and dispersed. Some took up guard, some went back out to guard the farmers, and some went out probably on orders to find the best doctor.

Buildrick remained standing as Alef and Gwaelin eased into the seats provided. Gwaelin’s smile was getting sharper for some reason. “We are glad you have arrived safely, mi’lady.”

“Yes, I am glad to have arrived safely as well. Please, I would like to hear of the movement of the monsters. I heard about things on the road that has made me worried.”

The commander coughed into his fist. “Nothing to worry about here. The roads are clear except for the broken bridge to Kol. Monsters prowl on the edges of town, but nothing for you to worry about.”

“Do you have the numbers?” Gwaelin pressed.

Buildrick blinked back boredom. If they were going to talk numbers, then he was going out into the fields. Or the church- he’d never seen one before, but they were supposed to be hospitals as well? Or a combination of hospitals? He wasn’t certain completely.

But- Buildrick began to drift away from the table as the Commander shook his head. “Nothing to worry about at all Mi’lady. Please, be at ease. The doctors should be arriving soon.”

“Indeed, I’m certain that they will be able to help me. But, I do wish to know the conditions and movements of the monsters surrounding the town. That would ease my mind about the conditions here in town.” Gwaelin insisted. He recognized that tone of her digging in her heels.

Buildrick leaned over, catching Alef’s eye. Alef’s head turned to him, and he pointed to the door-

Just as the door slammed open heralding the arrival of the doctor. A middle aged man hustled in, holding a huge bag stuffed to the brim with things Buildrick hadn’t seen before. Except- he could recognize the look of a man coming off a long shift in a hospital. Even if Elle was the main caretaker, everyone in the village helped out.

There was a makeshift mask hanging out of his bag. The man wiped away sweat as he approached. “I heard the Princess needed medical assistance?”

“Yes. Pleased to meet you.” Gwaelin said, flicking off her danger switch at the drop of a pin. “My leg was broken while I was in captivity, and unfortunately healed wrongly.”

“Is that so? Very well then. Let’s get you to a private room so we can examine you. Commander, do you have any healing herbs?”

“We have a barrel full in the back. They shouldn’t be too wilted.”

Buildrick reached into his bag, and pulled out the medicinal herbs he had mixed himself. The Doctor immediately centered on them. He took them, with a look of appreciation. “Oh? Those are of good quality. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had to pay a pretty penny for these. Those will certainly do. I do have the pain relievers in my bag, so then it will be a simple matter Princess. It won’t hurt a bit.”

“That is a relief to hear.” Gwaelin said, her smile bright. “Then I do not want to keep you very long. You look like you just worked hard, and I appreciate your coming here so abruptly.”

The two disappeared into a smaller room. Alef took up guard at the entrance- and Buildrick found himself once again without much to do. He did want to leave, and look around town. But every time he got close to the door, Alef tensed. Not a chance, huh?

So he wandered the room instead, noticing the sagging awnings, and exposed brick to sun. Whoever had built this, had built it hastily, and a bit last minute. Or maybe expanded? He could see stronger foundations closer to the back- ah, the place was smaller, then expanded. The Commander picked up his paperwork in a corner, as soldiers trotted to and fro.

One of the soldier was staring at him. Buildrick could catch the low mutter between two of them, “Doesn’t he look a bit rough to be part of the Princesses entourage?”

“Shhh, don’t piss off your superiors. It doesn’t matter what we think.”

Hmmm. It was hard to wedge himself into the group like this. He was certain they’d come around to like him alright by the end- nearly everyone he met did. Monster and human alike. Then again, he might just be getting a swelled head. Still- Buildrick turned to one of the soldiers, questioning blandly, “Is there a Builder around?”

“No sir.” The soldier kept it professional and short. Not much to build off of. Then again, most people yakked his ear off, rather then him starting the conversation.

Buildrick nodded, and looked out the window again. A group of children ran past, pushing hoops along in their games. It wasn’t anything familiar to him- he didn’t think. The Sage’s Wife was passing by again. She too was pulling off a mask, as she fanned herself with her hand. Her gray hair looked more frazzled now- visiting the sick in their homes? There was a scratch on her cheek, sluggishly bleeding.

Buildrick leaned out the window, calling out, “Hey, miss.”

She turned, on guard and wary. Buildrick pulled out a small round wood container of healing cream, and tossed. He was no Bodkin with a true and straight aim, but he was fairly good at it. She caught it easily, popping it open. “Is this-”

“Healing cream for your cheek.”

“Oh my. I haven’t seen this in a long, long time. So perfectly prepared as well.” She approached. Finally, something to break up the boredom while Alef guarded and Gwaelin was healed. “This is of good quality. Where did you buy this? I can’t imagine anyone trying to flatter an old lady like me.”

“Their loss.”

She smelled like medicine. The sharp, acidic smell mixed with the deep, earthy smell of fresh picked herbs. It was a smell he knew very well. She frowned as she leaned closer. “Good Goddess, I thought your face was just your normal face, but perhaps not.”

“No, it’s my normal face.” Buildrick felt the need to reassure her.

She hummed, not completely convinced. But she took the opportunity to continue, questioning, “So where did you get this?”

“I made it.” Buildrick said, as the soldiers whispered to each other. The commander was starting to notice their conversation. He put down his paperwork, and approached.

“Ah, Emma. I thought you were heading to the church to care for those afflicted by the plague. Didn’t we pass you by recently?”

“Hah, you think that they’re contained to just one building Sir Ceaser?” Emma’s voice was harsh, as her hands wrapped around the cloth. “All of our best carpenters and stonemasons are sick, and can’t work. We’re lucky it hasn’t spread among the farmers yet, but they’re getting more panicked the longer their loved ones are sick with no sign or recovery.”

“A plague is it?” Buildrick questioned. That was Rimuldar in the future/past.

“No, not really.” Emma said strongly. “Not yet. Nobody has died from it yet. How long until they do… It seems to ease when the sun peeks more strongly through the gloom. So I have hope when the Dragon Lord is defeated, they will be healed. But other then that, we don’t have much to go off of.”

Nobody had died yet which was a good thing. Buildrick leaned against the windowsill, staring at Emma. Ceaser sighed, hand rubbing the back of his head. “It does seem rather then directly targeting us, the monsters have been targeting our workers in town.”

“Yes, and now all the beds are full. If there are many more, then we have nowhere to care for them.” Emma clasped her hands together- he could see it. Elle’s mannerisms. She must of inherited through the bloodline, or simply picked it up from her mother, who picked it up from her mother, who picked it up going back who knew how many generations. “We simply need more beds or some way of chasing away the darkness. I’m certain that it’s caused by the Dragon Lord.”

Ceaser shook his head, but didn’t say anything about it. Instead he changed the subject. “Do you have the supplies still?”

“Enough to keep us afloat for a bit longer. But my husband who mixed most of the medicines is still down at the Yggdrasil sapling to try to fend off monsters with your soldiers. There were several apprentices, but they are all still just apprentices. And our son… He is at Cantlin.” It was a well-worn subject.

Buildrick interrupted, “What kind of medicines are you looking for?”

“Oh, that’s true, if you made the healing cream… I’m looking for Antidote herbs, and things to chase away paralysis. There are many that have been falling pray to the Tingleweed, and didn’t ever recover even after sleeping and washing.”

“I have that.” Buildrick dug into his bag, pulling them both out. “I don’t have anything against the confusion caused by the Scarewolves- I never ran into any.”

“Oh, the confusion wears away. If- If you could spare some, I would be ever so grateful. Or- the church doesn’t have many funds, but we can definitely find some.” Emma was pretty much beside herself, her hands clasping and unclasping just like Elle. Despite himself, Buildrick could feel his mouth cracking in a smile.

“Sure, but in exchange, tell me your husbands weak point.”

“His weak point?” She questioned, humming to herself. “Well, if you wish to make him less cranky, something sweet will always go well. But many of our bakers and cooks are down. The only workers left are farmers right now.”

That was good knowledge to know. When he busted down the door to the Sage’s place, knowing where to begin the attack was always a plus. A gloved hand touched his shoulder, as Gwaelin leaned in close beside him, “Whatever are you talking about over here?”

“The not-deadly plague sweeping across town.” Buildrick explained, remaining steady as Gwaelin leaned on him. “Apparently everyone but the farmers are unable to leave their bed.”

Gwaelin could well understand the terror of that. Her face was a little pale beneath her smile. “That is indeed quite serious. Is there nothing to ease their pain?”

“The medicines my husband creates can get people onto their feet, but unfortunately he has stayed at the sapling of Yggdrasil due to his sacred duty.” Emma shook her head, mouth puckered into a frown. She didn’t notice the Commander Cesear shaking his head almost desperately. “Still, since no deaths have occurred it’s hard to ask for him to come back to mix medicines. Your young companion here though- oh, he could sweep an old lady like me off my feet any day! My goodness, such good medicine making.”

Elle had inherited her ancestors love of medicine and healing. Buildrick questioned, “Then if I swing by later-”

“We have fields of medical herbs for picking and could always use a hand.”

Emma set off, waving a cheerful goodbye to them. She hurried quickly, practically skipping as she held the medicine in her hands. Buildrick watched her go, basking in the warmth of Gwaelin. He hadn’t realized that he’d been cold until she leaned on him. “I see, so that was the Sage’s wife Emma? And there’s been a plague sweeping through the town.”

Commander Ceaser came sweeping in. “There’s no need to be worried. As Emma said, no one has died from it, though it has lingered for a long time.”

Gwaelin nodded, but didn’t seem exactly convinced. “Come now, we’ve sent word to the Inn to prepare you a room. Unfortunately our best chef is currently sick, but even so, I believe we can make a dish for your palate.”

“I’m certain nothing will taste better then freshly harvested food. However, I would still like to know about the monsters that surround the roads and fields.”

Gwaelin wasn’t letting up. Commander Ceaser frowned at her statement, before shaking his head. “I’ll prepare a report about it, and have it delivered to your inn room. For now, you should take a rest. The pain medication might start to wear off if you move around too much.”

Was that a thing? Buildrick turned slowly, since Gwaelin was still leaning on him. Alef was watching them both from behind Commander Ceaser. He held out his arm. Gwaelin took it, still standing as she stared at Commander Ceaser. “And when can I see that report?”

“I’ll have it to you by end of day.”

They left, still surrounded by soldiers. It was so stifling, Buildrick could hardly breathe. Alef’s free hand tapped his shoulder, lightly and perhaps hidden by his cloak. Buildrick glanced up at the two by his side. Gwaelin’s smile was much less stressed even surrounded as they were. The inn was a large, sweeping building. He could see the innskeep’s- kid probably- rushing around desperately with white linens tossed over one arm.

They were probably caught off by guard by having the Princess come. Without visitors, they probably hadn’t washed since the roads had been shut down. Either that, or used to expand the churches sick beds. Nobody had expected any visitors, Buildrick guessed, as someone came up from the back with arms full of new linens. Yep, it was almost undoubtedly that they were grabbing linens back from the church and hospital.

Several soldiers hurried on ahead, and split off as the innskeeper yelled orders at them. Gwaelin was pretending not to notice the on-goings for some reason. Buildrick watched a bit, curious. It reminded him a bit of expanding the hospital himself- juggling beds, making new ones, trying to cure those on the beds. It was that kind of hustle and bustle he wanted to be in the middle of.

A stressed woman approached, hastily wiping away sweat and controlling her breathing. Her voice didn’t have a hint of strain, as she called out, “Welcome, to Rimuldar’s best Inn. Please, come in. We have prepared several rooms for you and your companions, and a light refreshment. The farmers will be coming in for their fiestas soon, before returning out into the fields, so we should have some very fresh food in just a few candle-marks if you’d prefer to wait.”

“The refreshment now will suffice. If they’re coming in from the heat, I would hate to make them work any harder then they have.” Gwaelin’s smile put those around her at ease. “I would like to sit outside for a bit in some shade so that I can read, if there would be anywhere.”

“Is that so? I will prepare the gardens for you immediately. Um, unfortunately due to the sun being gone, the flowers are not blooming as vigorously as they might.”

“I understand.”

The innskeeper sighed quietly in relief, as she saw them to a small alcove. The wind was funneled past, but softened enough to be a pleasant breeze that cooled them off. There was a rocking chair, and a small table. “How many chairs shall I bring?” She questioned, glancing at them.

Buildrick looked at Alef and Gwaelin, “I want to go to the hospital where Emma is. So just one more chair.”

Alef nodded, as Gawelin collapsed into the rocking chair. “Is there something there that you wanted to see in particular?”

“Hmm, any new medicines they might be willing to teach me, and I want to see if they need new beds. The straw mattresses aren’t really conductive to recovering from a plague.” Buildrick explained with a shrug. He might know the cure to the plague as well, but he wouldn’t say that.

Gwaelin nodded, and gestured him closer. He leaned in, a bit bemusedly as she whispered in his ear, “Anything you can gather about the condition of the town would be most helpful as well. I do not know how truthful the Commander will be.”

Buildrick nodded as he pulled away.

Alef didn’t look happy, glancing between him and Gwaelin. Trying to decide which one to follow? Still- “I’ll be back by sunset at the latest.” Buildrick promised, as he started off towards the church. The spire rose in the air, above the steep roofs. It guided him, strong and familiar.

He could see it. The base of the village he had built over. Over there he’d put in his builder’s workbench, and he’d built the hospital further back from the entrance then it was in the original. Farmers were beginning to wearily straggle by, casting tired, exhausted looks to the church.

Buildrick pushed open the doors, to mass mayhem.

Every pew had been dragged outside to make room for the sick. Even the alter had been moved further back, propped up on the wall to make more space for the sick. The windowpanes had been taken out as carefully as possible to allow for airflow, and the back door to the garden was propped open.

If no one had died, it was because the nuns rushing to and fro were working day and night. The Priest was old, but still strong enough to haul sick people back and forth. None of them noticed him as he stepped in and closed the door. Then- he got to work. Those on the beds were begging- clean water, tingle tablets, some sleep, but mostly food. A meal, filling, thick and heavy. Burgers, creamy soup, steak, even so simple as grilled corn- whatever that was. There were a lot of foods he didn’t know.

Still- Buildrick began to work. Medicine, food, whatever he had on hand, he gave out. There were fish and medicine from lazy afternoons spent gathering as Alef and Gwaelin rested and chattered. The crying began to die down, slowly as Buildrick worked, the nuns taking the chance to get some rest themselves as their patients fell into an uneasy sleep.

Chapter Text

Buildrick was late.

Alef sat up straight in on the bed’s edge, as Gwaelin leaned back in her chair. The pain medication was beginning to wear off, but she hadn’t taken any more yet. It did leave one feeling foggy, and she was more focused on the stack of papers that the Commander had delivered to her as promised. Her untouched meal sat beside her candle as she read.

“Gwaelin. You should eat something.”

“Ah, right...” She pick up a forkful of the salad, absently chewing. The only thing in her eyes were the numbers, and figures. Small statements, the way the monsters moved- she had her own journal out, full of the tidbits of information the monsters let slip on their travels. She compared them to the movements in the documentation. Alef had been helping, before getting worried as darkness fell. “Alef. About the Trolls you mentioned-”

“Yes?”

“They were all killed, were they not?”

“That’s correct. They were all killed, at least the ones we saw. There may be more out there. It certainly sounded like there were plenty more. Though, it seemed they were jostling for a position among each other.” Alef supplied. He paced to the window, watching tired farmers straggle past from the fields.

Gwaelin put down the papers. “Still no sign?”

“No.”

“That is worrisome, but- It seems to me he does have a loose sense of time.”

“That’s true.” Alef acknowledged, and came circling back. Fretting at the window would do nothing. If Buildrick wasn’t back by the next candle-mark then he’d leave Gwaelin to be guarded by soldiers. Even if most of them were chubby, surely nothing would attack the town that he wouldn’t be immediately notified of. Monsters weren’t exactly sneaky.

The door burst open, as Buildrick ignored a guard hissing at him. He looked run ragged. The sunken black beneath his eyes had grown darker. In the candlelight, Buildrick’s eyes looked red. Alef approached, and the soldier withdrew. Buildrick stomped closer, practically collapsing into his chair.

“Is it that bad?”

“Hmmm.” Buildrick thought it over. “It’s better then the last time I saw a plague. The church is full, and they’ve taken over a few other houses to put the sick in. I’d estimate they only have a fourth of the beds they need and the food supply is good, but the nuns are too busy to take care of everyone. I think I want to go back tomorrow and see if anything changed. There were a lot of people that weren’t badly off, and I think once they had a good nights sleep they could fight off the worst.”

Gwaelin’s face was quite pale. “How- How many were there?”

“I didn’t see all of them. I was going to go to the last house when I realized what time it was.” Buildrick sighed “I’m just here to let you know and then heading out again.”

“No.” Alef paused, trying to reorganize his thoughts. Buildrick raised one eyebrow at him, mouth set in a deeper frown then normal. “I… You look half dead Buildrick. You can’t help anyone if you get sick yourself.”

“Nah, I won’t get sick.” Buildrick said, with the tone of someone who knew. “And it won’t be my first all-nighter.”

Gwaelin leaned over, placing her hand on top of Buildrick’s. “We can’t stop you if you’re absolutely determined. However, I do ask that you reconsider what you’re saying about going back in. It does not sound like anyone has died, and you can help better well rested.”

Buildrick wavered. Alef edged closer, “Indeed, it has been a long day, and tomorrow Gwaelin will need to see the doctor again. You’ll have plenty of time to go to the church.”

If Buildrick wasn’t going to get sick, then he wouldn’t worry about the plague, and focus in on Buildrick’s exhaustion instead. Alef glanced to Gwaelin, whom smiled back at him as Buildrick wavered even further. “Indeed, you should take a bath, and be refreshed for work in the morning.”

“You both are conspiring against me.” Buildrick grumbled. “But fine. I do want to bathe, and there shouldn’t be any issue sleeping tonight. But I am heading back in the morning unless something big comes up.”

Buildrick hauled himself off his chair, and tromped off towards the bathroom. Alef could hear the sound of running water, and he turned back to Gwaelin. “Do you know how long the doctor will visit tomorrow?”

“Oh, he said that he’d come by in the morning. It will take a few days of healing and resetting just because my bones are weak. So I hope you don’t mind lingering for a few days longer here.” Gwaelin’s smile made her cheeks dimple.

Alef shook his head. Buildrick liked to wander, and Gwaelin was injured, “It would be poor of me to even think of such things. As you can tell from the weeks travel with Buildrick and I, even when we hurry, we don’t go anywhere fast.”

He enjoyed the slower pace. The light night conversations they had on their beds while working on their separate things. Buildrick had picked up his tapestry sewing again, albeit slowly. Gwaelin had taken to reading a bit, and Alef continued his journal. Their silence was comfortable, or so Alef thought.

Gwaelin nodded, put at ease. She glanced back to her dinner and the reports she was wading through. “Ahhh, but if there is anything that can be done to ease the number of sick folk at the church, that would be for the best. Commander Ceaser certainly did his best to hide it among the numbers, but the only plentiful thing this town has is food. Nearly everyone else was stricken down, including a large number of doctors and caregivers.”

“Is that so- It didn’t quite seem like that to me, but you would be more knowledge and more experience in wading through this paperwork.” Alef settled down next to her, glancing over everything she had done. She had sorted out the paperwork quite admirably, and cut through the fancy language with her pen on her own paper. Gwaelin flushed, the slightest tint to her ears as she giggled.

“That’s right. Although my father attempted to keep me from the court, it is something I grew up in the middle of. I know full well what they mean. Still, Commander Ceaser is quite capable if he is not lying in this paperwork. Although he dressed it up well to make it look like all is well, the numbers paint a drastically different picture. But, unfortunately there really isn’t much we can do to help unless Buildrick has the secret formula for some kind of cure.”

If anyone were to have, it would be Buildrick.

“What’s that about me?” Buildrick questioned, from the doorway. He had changed to his simple black underclothes, with a rough towel thrown over his head. Water dripped to the floor as he walked closer. Gwaelin patted the seat beside her.

“I was just looking over the town, and the fact that everyone except the farmers are sick.”

“Hmmm, there was a farmer being carried in close to when I left, so even that might start tipping in the other direction.” Buildrick leaned against the table.

“Did you keep a record?”

“Not written, but I can tell you.” Buildrick could indeed list off the top of his head the number of beds he had seen. It was a little complicated- he split them into sectors, and ranked them from worst to best. The beds that was. So many straw mattresses or simply blankets on the ground. So many real beds that had been carefully crafted. So many beds that were dragged from homes and put into ‘warehouses’ and the emptied barn. The food in there had to be cleared out quickly- before it would spoil.

Gwaelin wrote, connecting a few things as she did, the food to the commanders supply increase, and the beds to the number of soldiers. “I see. So the new soldiers that were in training were because of their parents falling ill, and the food supply had to be redistributed, and the payment ended up being food- There probably aren’t any stock piles of food. I’m uncertain how many fields aren’t being used- It didn’t seem like many. They all seemed to be in use. Hmm.”

She frowned as she shuffled the papers around. Buildrick leaned against the table, staring at the plate of food that had been sadly ignored. He dragged the plate closer, and stared at the food. There was a long moment of silence as Gwaelin continued to shuffle through the paper. Then, he dug into his own bag. Heartfruit and tomatoes were pulled out, carefully sliced, and put on the salad. Plumping it up with extra tastes.

Gwaelin didn’t flinch as he pushed the food into her hand. She took a bite automatically. Then, abruptly she put down the papers. “My apologies. I don’t know where my manners went. I shouldn’t be ignoring you.”

“No, you seem quite hard at work.” Alef reassured.

“Ohhh, this is a bit embarrassing.” Gwaelin stacked the papers to the side, “Just when we finally got to town, and can relax a bit!” She picked up the plate, and started shoveling it into her mouth. “Buildrick, Alef, what do you think of the town?”

Buildrick’s eyes flickered up to her, as his thinking frown grew. Alef shrugged, uncertain what to say. He hadn’t meant many of the townsfolk other then the Commander. He hadn’t exactly forgiven the soldiers for their snide side comments. Other then that-

“It’s nice.” Buildrick said after a moment. “You can tell that the entire town was built together. The hallways blend into each other, channeling the wind for everyone to enjoy. The farmers are pretty close, you could see them working together to water the fields. The levee system is actually really smart. The Nuns, and Priest Paul were extremely busy, but did their best to fulfill every one of their patients needs. I’d like to work in the town for a week or two before moving on if I could.”

Moving on, huh? “So not to stay?”

“No. I haven’t really seen any place I’d like to stay yet. But, what about you Alef?”

“I- I guess I don’t have any strong feelings. It’s a town. There is actually a secret shop where you can buy keys that will open any door. Though, I don’t know if it’s still open with everything that’s going on.” Alef hummed thoughtfully, “Perhaps it would be a good idea to check, as his home was on the edge of town had been hidden very well. Even a number of the citizens didn’t seem to know where he was. Then again, it may be a situation like the Castle?”

“The castle? I hope they all treated you well.” Gwaelin seemed a bit worried, “I don’t think Myra would treat you poorly.”

“No, Myra was quite nice once we met her. Buildrick was actually the one who made friends with her first. It was just getting to that point that was the hardest part.”

“It wasn’t that hard.” Buildrick sounded lightly scolding. “We managed it in one day, and it was a bunch of repair work that I could do in my sleep.”

“When you say repair work, do you mean-”

“Five frying pans, twenty spears, thirteen swords, eighteen sewing kits, several stair repairs- It was pretty easy.”

Gwaelin turned to look at Alef with a look that asked if Buildrick was crazy. “And the… you did get paid for all your work, right? I can’t imagine my father didn’t-”

“He had no clue we were there the whole time I think. Trystain and Launce never mentioned him at least, and all the maids and butlers didn’t either.” Buildrick glanced to Alef, “Unless you went and saw him when I was up in the tower?”

“No. I went to the town, and then came straight back. From there I went to the underground Sage’s cavern and received the Sun Stone. We never met with the King, and I don’t think Trystain really wanted us to find the Sage despite pointing us in the right direction.”

“Trystain is like that.” Buildrick waved it off, and Gwaelin nodded in agreement. “But Myra paid us.”

“Oh good. I would hate to think of her not paying you. Still, she took Alef to see the Sage? Even though it sounds like Buildrick did all the work?”

“I didn’t want to go and listen to an old man ramble.” Buildrick avoided the matter about rebuilding her room.

“Well… The sage was… Well...” Alef hesitated. He didn’t want to come out and say that the Sage recognized him. That he really was the blood of Erdrick. “We did talk a bit, but he passed away that night.”

“What did he say to you?” Gwaelin questioned, a bit wistfully, “I thought it might be nice to try to find him as a child, but I could never find that secret entrance. And Myra… she would never show me.”

“Well...” Buildrick was watching him too, Alef realized. “We did meet and talk, and he did… recognize me.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, he grabbed me and said he could see the original hero in me, and that he had no doubt I was the descendant.”

Buildrick blinked at him, and Alef could see something fall into place behind his eyes. Gwaelin didn’t seem very surprised as she smiled at him. It was rather bright, but- something lurked behind her eyes. Something they were both keeping from him.

“That’s good! Then if all follows the prophecies, then you would be the one to defeat the Dragon Lord!”

It felt hollow to his ears. Alef clasped his hands together, nodding, but not quite able to meet either of their eyes. The nightmares of long, sunless days spent by the Dragon Lord’s side and just enjoying the destruction wrought bubbled up. It wasn’t what he wanted anymore. Gwaelin and Buildrick were all he needed- their warm company, their-

“I wouldn’t put any stock into prophecies.” Buildrick said, voice low, and tight. Alef glanced to him- Buildrick looked tired and frail in the flickering candlelight. Like he could disappear any moment. “After all, not even the Gods can predict all.” Buildrick looked him right in the eye, as if measuring him for something. Then, with a sigh, he grinned. It was one of his barely not there grins, that lit up his eyes mostly. “Still, if the Goddess is right about that, I wouldn’t mind it. But I don’t want to be left out of the fun, got it?”

Gwaelin’s laugh was a bit more relieved, “You make it sound like you don’t believe in prophecies.”

“That’s because I don’t. Spare me the Sage’s mumbo-jumbo and Goddess prophecies.” Buildrick snorted. “All the ones I’ve come across have been wrong so far, so I’m not going to worry about it.”

Prophecies that never came to pass- Alef could see it, but- “I won’t be taking you with me if you overwork yourself and collapse however. Since the monsters already have the armor, we will have to be extremely careful.” Alef was leaning towards not taking Buildrick into the castle at all. His fear of being alone with nothing warred with the thought of being unable to protect.

Buildrick glared at him, “I’ll take back my sword if you keep that up. Also, I won’t make any armor. If Aeroba finds any mythrail. Any word from her?”

Alef shook his head, but Gwaelin nodded. “Oh, yes, Commander Ceaser did send in a letter. Aeroba says the metal is building up, but nothing fantastic like what you found lining the walls to my cell yet.”

“Is that so? Hmmm, there’s not much you can substitute to make it as strong.”

“Well, you don’t have a forge that can handle it, do you?” Alef questioned.

“Rimuldar does have a small forge- and my movable one can handle it. But the big forge really made the process easier. Still, nothing we can do now. Between the plague and Gwaelin’s healing, I don’t think we’ll be getting any of it.” Buildrick sighed, a bit wistfully, “It’d be nice if we could get a hold of the original armor. And I guess the first sword is still floating out and about out there somewhere too.”

“I think it would be quite nice if you both had matching swords and armor.” Gwaelin smiled at them both, “I think you would both look quite dashing.”

“You’d be the first.” Buildrick grumbled, and sunk further into his seat. His ears were red, and Alef figured his were too. To be complimented so sincerely was very nice. “You’re too kind.”

“Nonsense!” Gwaelin was laughing a bit as her hand fell on Buildrick’s shoulder. Buildrick sat up a little more at the gentle touch. “I really do think of you two and Aeroba as my saviors. I shudder to think of what may of happened if I was stuck there much longer. Certainly nothing good.”

“No, I’ll agree there.” Alef scooted closer at Gwaelin’s shiver. She leaned against his chest, hand remaining on Buildrick’s shoulder. She snuggled into his chest, just for a moment before pulling away and leaning against Buildrick instead.

It was still too hot to really cling to anyone but Buildrick. Even with the cool wind off the lake, the omnipresent heat made it hard to cling to another hot body. Though, speaking of clinging- Buildrick looked to of accepted his fate, simply allowing Gwaelin to lean against him. The salad that Gwaelin had neglected was slowly nibbled on by Buildrick, as his fingers tapped against the table. He had gone into his own mind, counting and thinking over what he would need in the morning. Alef, even at the face Gwaelin pulled as he leaned in, pressed his hand against Buildrick’s shoulder.

Buildrick blinked out of it, head cocking towards them. “Shall we go to bed? I’m sure you’ll wake us up at dawn as always Buildrick?”

“Hmmm? Yeah, I can let you know when dawn comes, but I was told my bed was down the hallway.”

Gwaelin scowled, just for the briefest moment. It caught Alef off guard- she hadn’t scowled like that even when her leg was being rebroken for healing. Then, her sweet smile was put back on, as she said, “Well, if you wish to sleep alone we certainly can’t stop you. However the bed is more then big enough, and I must admit, I’ve grown quite used to sleeping together.”

Wait- he was joining in on this as well? Alef thought it over for a second, and recognized he had absolutely no objections. It had happened in Kol, though Buildrick had been an unmoving pile of blankets. And on their travels he and Gwaelin agreed without speaking to use Buildrick as a cold pillow to rest through the night. It was the only way to sleep. And since he would need to stay in the same room as Gwaelin to protect against any monsters that might attempt to attack. Buildrick as well was haunted by monsters.

It would be better to keep them both where he could see them.

Buildrick hummed, before shrugging. “Well, I don’t mind it. A bed is a bed. But it’s nearly midnight.”

Gwaelin stood up immediately. She balanced on her one good leg, less then gracefully making her way to the bed. She claimed the left side of the bed, closest to the door, like she had been doing the whole week of travel. Alef took his customary position to the right. Buildrick stared at the space in the middle, and then looked at the plush couch underneath the window.

Then, he crawled into the sheets between them. In seconds, Buildrick was out, and dead asleep. Alef rather envied him for that. “Do you think he’ll teach us the secret to falling asleep so quickly?”

“I don’t think it’s something he can teach us.”

“Mmmhmm.” Gwaelin snuggled down in the plush bed, her own breathing evening out in sleep quite soon later. Alef continued sitting up, unable to quite bring himself to lie down yet. He hadn’t written anything down. The day’s events, the feelings the- everything. He wanted to make sure he could read it for the future, when he… He didn’t want to be alone again. But- there was no telling what might happen. Buildrick had agreed to come with him to the untamed lands, but Gwaelin -had done well in their travels- but it didn’t necessarily mean she would come along with them.

Even though… Wait.

Alef frowned as he picked up his journal. The dreams, what few he had in-between times he used Buildrick as a pillow, had been notated. Not the exact details, because it felt like it would make it more real. But- Alef frowned as he stared at his list. They tended to be about whatever location he was in- and they tended to be about the people he had met in each location. He was slaughtering them each time, completely unfazed.

If he were to go to sleep alone tonight, what would he see? Rimuldar- he didn’t have any particular love for it, but Buildrick was more energetic within town then out of town. Was it simply because he had something to do? Something more then sod houses and whatever little odds and ends he made as they traveled?

Alef closed his journal, and snuggled down into the bed. Whatever nightmares there might be, he’d rather not have them. It didn’t take long for sleep to overtake him either. Light dreams of no particular consequence.

Chapter Text

Gwaelin awoke when a cool hand shook her shoulder gently. “Hmmm? Oh, is it dawn?”

“Yep.” Buildrick and Alef were already mostly awake, though not ready for whatever the day was to bring yet. Alef was picking up his armor, having made the decision to switch back now that they were in town. Gwaelin doubted there were many monsters that could or would challenge him. Buildrick was similar, pulling on his normal blue cloth and pulling his hat a little further down on his head.

Buildrick glanced at the door, sniffing the air. “Doesn’t smell like they’ve started breakfast yet in the kitchens. Anything in particular you’d two like?”

“Oh, anything light would do.”

Buildrick nodded, and plopped a sandwich on the table. It had to be a new recipe that he had picked up- Gwaelin couldn’t think of a time Buildrick had made it before. “Is this alright?”

“Yes, it will be more then enough.” Gwaelin picked up the sandwich, and nibbled at it. Alef picked up his own sandwich, as he settled into a seat.

It was a nice, pleasant way to start the day. Buildrick still ate like the food would disappear in seconds, or like he was under attack. Alef cleared his plate not long after Buildrick, leaving just Gwaelin who had long since determined she would enjoy her food. The cooks at the palace were good, but there was something about Buildrick’s food that really brought out all the tones and tastes of the food, whatever it might be. Perhaps because he was a builder?

Buildrick stood up, eyes already on the church. But, as if reminding himself, he turned to the two watching him. “I’ll be back. Will you guys be mostly here or...?”

“I suspect it depends on how long it will take to meet with the doctor. Still, I suspect it won’t be that hard to find us if you talk to the soldiers. At this point, everyone should know who you are.”

There certainly would be enough rumors. The soldiers weren’t professional at all, probably because they were never meant to be professional. They were just in it for the payment of food while their parents were in the hospital. Still, their rudeness towards Buildrick would spread word of him having stayed the night in the room quickly. And Buildrick was hard to miss. The soldiers here didn’t know the protocols for a visiting royal. But, with only one royal family actually existing…

It made sense.

Gwaelin watched Buildrick leave, as the rain began to pour. It was quieter without him. The doctor would not be ready for hours yet. It gave her plenty of time to sink into the documentation, figuring out the position of the soldiers, and where the kingdom was at.

There wasn’t much about the monsters outside of town. Most of the patrols were just to keep the farms up and running. Even then- there were a number of them slowly being abandoned due to no workers. During harvest time, the entire town would come together to harvest, feast, and then return back to their normal work.

Alef sat down next to her, staring out the window. His brown eyes were clouded over as he stared at the rain tapping against against the window. “Is… Something the matter?” Gwaelin questioned.

“I- I suppose I’m just a bit worried, is all.” Alef grimaced a bit as he glanced back at her. “Since I don’t want to think Buildrick would get sick from the plague. But it sounds like it has sunk into the town quite deeply.”

“Indeed, but- Buildrick always has a few surprises up his sleeve. We never know what might happen.” Gwaelin set a set of papers aside, and dragged another set closer. “But it is certainly a worry.”

“Indeed- but what have you found or are trying to find?”

“Well, I mostly just wish to know what’s happened while I’ve been kidnapped. It’s been months- if not over a year, I’m uncertain. But if the kingdom is teetering on the brink of extinction, then anything I can do to stop it is what I’m looking for. Aeroba had the town of Kol well in her hands, but the food situation is looking bad. Anything I can do here to reopen trade would strengthen both towns positions. Cantlin… well… I don’t know how it’s doing. Still no word from it. So I will simply do what I can with the information I have.”

She never really had a chance to do this before, Gwaelin felt. Or if she had done it, it had been late nights in the palace. After being delivered back quickly to the castle, and waiting for healing. Healing she got, but was still underway when they-

Left?

Gwaelin forced herself to push the thoughts out of her mind. Things that hadn’t happened shouldn’t be residing in her brain. Focusing in on here and now, on Alef currently sitting quietly as he watched the rain fall. Her hand reached out, pulling back long bangs. He blinked, and looked back at her. It was quiet, the only noise the pounding rain.

She wasn’t a shy, blushing maiden. She liked- loved – him. Her savior, her Hero. She had called out for him, turning her flesh into stone as she hoped and waited for him to return back to his senses and to… her. Gwaelin tried to push it out again. Alef had been nothing but kind, considerate and caring. So why- why was she caught on memories that didn’t exist?

“Is something the matter?” Alef questioned. He took her by the hand, softly, eyes fluttering up to meet hers.

There was a rousing cheer from outside. Alef and Gwaelin broke, looking outside. A child was exiting the building, a huge stuffed animal clutched in their arms as they tottered on unsteady feet. But they were walking. Buildrick was picked up and swung around happily by one of the nuns. Gwaelin could feel Alef soften at the sight.

The same way he did, when he walked into the palace and saw her.

Well- Gwaelin had no objections to that. Falling into traveling mode with them had been stunningly easy. So easy she wasn’t certain where exactly they had fallen into their comfortableness with each other. Not at the mines- they had slept in separate beds, and Alef had been wary of her. Perhaps at Kol? That was the first night they had spent together, though Alef had kept the slime a secret from her. Though, she couldn’t blame him- Monsters being friendly weren’t anything she’d ever heard before.

But… there was a lot she hadn’t heard of before. Like using Begonia leaves to make filters. And using a Killerpillers stinger to make medicine to guard against it. Or even forging a sword strong enough to take down a Dragon, or living lava. It felt a bit like cheating, to have the Sword of Erdrick in their possession, newly forged. The blade itself commanded looks, and Alef moved as regally as any King once arriving in town.

“You really love him, do you not?” Gwaelin questioned, a bit reflexively.

Alef turned to her- Ah. He was uncertain, Gwaelin was sure. He was still on the knife’s edge of deciding whether or not that was so. For between themselves, it was easy, but when it came to the unknown… “I am very fond of him. As fond of him as I am of you. Though… I suppose it might not seem like it.”

“I believe you.” Gwaelin reassured him- He did care for them. Gwaelin had no doubt about that. Even if he couldn’t carry Buildrick, he was very attentive. Any and all monsters that meant harm were dispatched faster then Buildrick could react about ninety percent of the time. “I know you are always watching and caring for Buildrick- you’ve protected him as fiercely as you have me. I’m certain I speak the truth when I say that we both feel indebted to you and depend on your protection.”

Buildrick repaid in meals, and shelter. She on the other hand…

“Thank you.” Alef’s eyes were warm, and unclouded. He took her by the hand, and covered it with his own. His hands were calloused, and rough. The hands of someone who had trained, and fought for a long, long time.

“Indeed. I know I am unable to offer you much other then some small degree of healing. But please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.”

“I shall.”

A knock came at the door.

“Come in!”

Gwaelin didn’t withdraw her hand, and neither did Alef as the soldier entered. He saluted sharply, eyes not flickering- ah, an actual soldier and not one of the new hires. “Princess Gwaelin, I wished to report to you that the doctor will be here within one candle-mark. He is just settling in the newest patients to the church since some space was cleared up.”

“I did hear the cheer. How many patients were released?”

“About thirty, though they were mostly children and teenagers. Commander Ceaser is arranging for care for them right now as their parents are still sick.” The soldier remained stiff and ready for any more questions.

“I see- Then is Buildrick returning back to the church?”

“I am uncertain. I will have someone send word once we have a chance to ask.”

“No, that’s alright. I was simply wondering. Very well then, I will prepare for the doctor.”

“Understood. While waiting, what would you like for breakfast?”

“I have no need for anything, I was already fed. Alef?”

“No, nothing from me.”

“Thank you for your care.” Gwaelin dipped her head in the soldier’s direction. He saluted and left. Gwaelin sagged against Alef’s shoulder. Unlike home, she couldn’t do anything that would break the soldiers perception of her. Not until she was more certain of her position.

Still- “Sir Alef, might I trouble you in assisting me in getting to the bathroom so I might change?”

The innskeep had washed her clothes for her, and they were hung up neatly. Gwaelin pulled on the simple yellow dress, letting it flutter around her. Everyone had clothes for a job, and this was hers.

Alef waited patiently at the doorway. He escorted her to the window, sitting her on the couch. From here however-

The church rose in the air. The doors weren't closed anymore, but cracked open as a bright blue blur rushed in and out of the building. Buildrick was certainly keeping busy. It eased her heart to see it- Until Buildrick went wading into the river despite the fact he couldn’t swim. Alef tensed beside her as Buildrick scooped up something, and then waded out of the river carrying it over his head.

He seemed more at ease, with his hands busy and working on curing the townsfolk. His perpetual scowl had softened just a bit, but was still there. It was a sharp contrast to the Nun’s bright smiles as they too began to appear in the yard. A few of the farmers came, bearing food, calling out to their soldier companions.

There was a steadily growing knot of people around Buildrick.

A knock came at the door. Gwaelin turned as Alef pulled away from the window. The doctor came in, out of breath again, and wheezing. He did that often, did he not? She didn’t think he was out at the church- at least she hadn’t see him. “My- My apologies, Princess Gwaelin. I received word that you were awake, and thought it might be best to take care of you early in the day before I began my shift at the church.”

“Oh, no. You’re right. Getting it done early in the morning is indeed better. Especially since I’m certain you’ll be exhausted after working your shift today at the church. Still, I heard that some children and teenagers were released.”

“Indeed!” The doctor chortled as he approached. Alef remained by her side, ready and waiting. “Your companion- Buildrick was it? He’d make a good doctor if he learned how to smile occasionally. As it is now, he’d make a good Sage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that one smile. Ah, may I touch your leg?”

“Go ahead.”

His fingers were warm against her skin, as he carefully inspected her leg. He had reset two of the breaks, but stopped at resetting the other five until magic could work its way into the current breaks and stabilize them.

“It looks like the healing magic is doing its work. I would say that in another year you should be able to walk without help.”

“A year?” Even when not helped by magic, It usually only took two months for a leg to heal. For an entire year!

“Well, even once the bone is set and healed, your muscles have been torn and have withered. There will be a good deal of aftercare to return you back to full strength. And even then… Well… Unfortunately due to the amount of time between your original healing and now, your leg will not be able to bear your weight.” He handed her a pill. She grimaced as she swallowed it.

The pain relieving properties left a bad taste lingering in her mouth. The doctor leaned in, carefully re-breaking her leg. He stopped at break three. His magic was sparking, sinking into her skin like miniature lightning bolts to stitch bones back into place. “Would you like me to finish setting the rest of the breaks?”

“Is that… a good thing?”

“Indeed. You have healed extremely well on just the few breaks we set yesterday. And I didn’t wish to put more strain on your body after the travails of travel. However, I would say that setting the bones today would not strain you.”

“Then let us set them properly all at once. If I can heal even a bit faster, then I desire for it.”

The doctor nodded, and went back to work. She couldn’t feel pain, but Alef leaned in to keep her leg from moving as the doctor worked quickly and precisely. “There. All of your bones are set. Until tomorrow, I’ll have you wear a splint to make sure nothing falls out of alignment, but please do not walk as much as possible until tomorrow.”

“Very well then. I will keep that in mind.”

Her leg was bound up carefully. Then, the doctor stood, eyes flickering out the window. Despite how long it had felt, it wasn’t even midday yet. “I shall leave you two be.”

“Thank you.”

And they were alone once more. Gwaelin sighed in relief as she leaned back. Outside, the murky gray of the sky reflected her heart. Alef leaned into view, looking a bit bemused. He wasn’t the one getting his bones broken and reset. Gwaelin sat up again, patting her hair into order. “Alef, would you please help me get the paperwork?”

“Certainly.”

They settled in, Alef leafing through the monsters, and Gwaelin settling on the trade. There wasn’t any reason for Rimuldar to trade food for anything. Rimuldar held most of the textile, food, and plant based commerce. Kol held the greatest amount of metals, and metalworking. Galenholm had some forestry, but mostly laid claim to their fame to their intellectuals and music. Cantlin laid claim to a large port, and craftsmanship. Stonework as well, though it was harder to ship out. But nearly every pot, carpenter, or silversmith came from Cantlin. Tangateal held a mix of it all- and the King.

For Rimuldar to open its gates, Gwaelin would have to find a reason. The farmers tools still looked sharp, and Commander Ceaser had let his men sharpen them for practice. To become a more self-sufficient. Too self-sufficient. Not that there were any weavers to make the textiles currently, but Gwaelin doubted it would be that way for much longer. Buildrick was doing his best to cure everyone. Soon, more and more folks would be exiting out of the church.

Alef paused in his reading, leaning towards Gwaelin. “Did the Commander leave a map?”

“Ah, yes- here you go.” She slid it over.

Alef took it. It was a fairly regional map of the area. Full of innacuracies, and not quite right distances- many of the landmarks on it were this farmhouse or the road. The distance was measured in candlemarks to travel. Alef looked out into the mountains. “There… were no rivers that fed into this lake, correct?”

“No, no rivers. In the wintertime, snow will accumulate on the mountains, but not much. It melts pretty quickly and will flow down to the lake. Otherwise, the lakes stays formed from the amount of rain.”

“I see. That’s odd.”

“Oh?”

“The Dhrones- they were headed in the direction of the mountains. I didn’t get a good look at them while traveling, but I had noticed a bit- All of the Dhrones seemed to be going in one direction. Towards the mountains.”

Ohhh, she hadn’t noticed that. “Is that so? Then- it’s mostly flying monsters in the moutains, right?”

“Yes, a lot of Chimera’s, though- depending on the region we may find bodkins. While the ones we met with Buildrick were friendly, many have attacked me when I was traveling alone.” Alef set the papers to the side, glancing up towards the mountains. He clearly wanted to go up in that direction, but didn’t dare leave town. Gwaelin snagged him by the hand. While the number of actual soldiers were thin, they weren’t nothing. And in town- she doubted any major attack would be launched.

“Do you wish to go up to the mountains?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know if I’ll find anything if I do. I’m not as good as Buildrick it seems at finding monsters. Honestly, there were a number of monsters I never knew existed until Buildrick pointed them out to me or we went off the beaten path and ran into them.”

“I’m sure if you were to go looking, you could probably find tracks or something perhaps. Finding the Condor would certainly be nice, but the Bodkins mentioned that the Dhrone was contesting it for leadership.”

“Yes, and as long as the fight is taking place, the town should be safe.” Alef nodded, glancing out towards the mountains again. “But I don’t think… Buildrick would come with me.”

“Ah. No, with the number of folks in the hospital… Well, all we can do is ask.”

“Indeed- and I think it would be best if we can figure out how to use a warp wing and bind it to Rimuldar as well. You still have a wing to go to Kol if anything were to happen, correct? Aeroba would make certain you get to the castle safely.”

“I- I do have the wing yes, but I would certainly prefer not to think of such terrible things happening.”

“It is important. There’s no telling what may happen, when the monsters are at war internally over command of the army.”

Gwaelin nodded, clutching the small bag closer to herself. Her magic was small, and thin. She couldn’t teleport, and even healing much beyond surface wounds was a bit beyond her. But even so. Alef was right. A good portion of the attacking forces would follow her.

“But, I do not think we have much to worry about here and now.” Alef smiled at her, brightly, as he settled back down. “None of the monsters seemed to think Rimuldar would be attacked any time soon. And while it may of just been to throw us off guard, I’d say just from the figures and my own memory of monster movements, that was correct. Besides which I would not be gone at night. I must admit, Buildrick has ruined me for sleeping out in the wilds.”

“Ah. Yes, I can certainly see that.” Gwaelin had to laugh a bit at that. The sod houses were more then most people could hope for when traveling in dangerous lands. The hot and ready food, the healing items- or really anything you could ask for that could be made on order- “Buildrick certainly does ruin one for that, does he not?”

“What do I ruin now?” Buildrick questioned at the doorway.

Gwaelin smiled at him brightly, desperately scrambling for an answer. “Traveling alone. Are you done already?”

“It’s dusk.”

She hadn’t even noticed, the day had flown by so fast. “That it is. Tell me about your day?”

“Hmmm, I’d say… fifty more are close to being healed. The real tell will be tonight. If they recover by morning, then I’d say the should be up and walking. Not well, since they’ve spent the last few months under the curse- no, plague.”

Buildrick approached, questioning, “Anything for dinner or are you getting it delivered?”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to cook after all that you’ve done tonight. I’ll have the innskeep bring us food.”

Buildrick shrugged. He settled down, bringing the scent of smoke with him. “Was there a fire?”

“Oh, yeah. The nuns and priest said I should burn my clothes so I don’t carry the disease anywhere else.”

“I see. So your clothes now-”

“All brand new!” Buildrick was restless despite his exhaustion, circling around the room once again. Alef was getting antsy, feeding off of Buildrick’s restlessness. Gwaelin stepped in before it could get any worse.

“Buildrick- Will you be returning to the church tomorrow?”

“Probably? Though- I do want… to get out of town. There’s a lot of stuff people are requesting, that I’ve run out of.”

“Oh, perfect!” Gwaelin grinned at Alef. “Alef mentioned wanting to go into the mountains to hunt down monsters.”

“Oh?” Buildrick turned to look at Alef.

He nodded. “Indeed. If it’s alright with you, I was thinking of taking a day jaunt out into the mountains and seeking out monsters.”

“Oooh, I’m in.” Buildrick immediately volunteered. That was good. Gwaelin clapped her hands together.

“Perfect! Then I will send for dinner, and you two can leave in the morning.”

“Not coming with us this time?”

“No, no. I must admit, I much prefer towns to untamed wilderness. Not that you both don’t make untamed wilderness bearable and easy, but-” Given the chance to recover, she would much rather do so.

“Alright.”

Buildrick accepted her decision easily, as he came back to the table. He had to pull over a high stool to be able to sit at it. Alef opened the door to speak with the guards for food. And the thought occurred to her. “Buildrick?”

“Mmmm?”

“Are you shorter then me?” Gwaelin questioned, a bit curiously. It was hard to tell since one or the other was always sitting but-

“Probably.” Buildrick shrugged. Alef came back, holding a tray. He set it on the table, before sweeping up Gwaelin to settle her in her own chair.

“Ah, Alef, one moment. Would you not stand me up on my own two feet? Buildrick, can we compare?”

Buildrick hopped down from his stool. As she thought- The top of his head only came up to her nose. He was short. But even so- Gwaelin leaned against him. There was no give from Buildrick. He supported her as solidly as Alef did. “Thank you. Both of you.”

“Oh?” Both of them stared at her, heads cocking to the side in a fairly similar fashion.

“For bringing me here, and putting up with my whims. I understand that I have led a fairly sheltered life up until the point I was kidnapped, so-”

Alef helped her sit down, carefully. “Do not worry yourself of such things. Buildrick and I agreed, did we not?”

“Indeed.” Her heart eased. He had agreed. He hadn’t been forced. (not this time). The thought came out of left field, but she pushed it aside as she settled in to her meal. “Then will you both be leaving at dawn?”

“If Alef is willing to wait, I’d like to check in on the patients before leaving. It shouldn’t take long.”

Alef frowned, thinking it over. “It would cut things close...”

“Mmm.” Buildrick leaned back from his cleaned plate. “Then I’ll just let the nuns know. I’ll bind the warp wing to Rimuldar so we can come back at a pin drop. Do you need to let Commander Ceaser know?”

“I’ll handle that tomorrow.”

They sat up, late into the night, discussing it. Buildrick wanted more plants from out of the wilderness, and some monster parts. Alef wanted to keep away from trouble. Still, he was willing to make concessions for Buildrick, who was willing to split off on his own. Deep, deep into the night, as murky gray skies rolled under the force of the wind.

Chapter Text

Alef woke up when Buildrick shifted. It was an automatic response, one he doubted he’d ever be able to squash. He sat up slowly, blinking into the dark room. His dreams were ever the kaleidoscope. Tonight- tonight he dreamed of a wilderness. Of him and Gwaelin standing on a cleared hill, uncertain on what to do next- how does one build a Kingdom afterall? And a bright, familiar voice speaking up behind him…

“Alef?” Buildrick’s voice was soft in the dark room. “Should we wake up Gwaelin?”

She looked quite peaceful, curled up around her pillow with her legs propped up. He hated to wake her. Gwaelin would undoubtedly fuss if he did. Or perhaps she wouldn’t. Alef wasn’t certain of much anymore. “Let’s wake her up, just in case.”

Buildrick nodded, hand reaching out. He had to shake Gwaelin pretty hard- the same as yesterday. She stirred slowly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Oh, you did wake me! Good.”

“Yeah, want breakfast before we go?”

“No, I’m not that hungry. Alef?”

“Just something light.”

The three huddled around the table, Alef quietly wolfing down his food. Gwaelin lit a candle, to pull paperwork closer to stare at. Buildrick played with something he’d pulled out of his bag- no, he was counting and rearranging. Alef finished the food, barely tasting it. “Shall we head out?”

“All ready.”

Gwaelin waved goodbye as Alef opened the door. The soldier standing at the doorway was still awake. He stopped for a brief second, “Buildrick and I are heading out and leaving Princess Gwaelin in your care. Please let Commander Ceaser know.”

The man saluted, eyes not flickering away from Alef’s face. Stuffy, silent, and professional. Probably the reason why he was chosen.

The wane sunlight hadn’t peeked over the mountains yet, but Alef didn’t doubt that Buildrick’s internal clock. It was more accurate then his, as he’d found out in Kol. Buildrick waved to a nun sitting on the steps of the church, looking like she had just finished crying. “I’m heading out of town with Alef. We should be back by evening.”

She nodded, hastily scrubbing away any traces of tear tracks. “Of course! We appreciate all help given up until this point.”

“I’ll be back to help out some more.”

Her breath caught, head bowing. Buildrick hesitated on the road, before stopping. “Did someone die last night?”

“No. But… the Priest came down with the illness.” Her hands trembled as she clasped them together. “Thankfully it’s still in it’s early stages yet, so perhaps with a bit of rest he will recover. I came out here to pray for his recovery.”

“Is he saying anything?”

“No, just that he wishes to sleep.”

“I see.” Buildrick reached into his bag, and offered her a handkerchief. “I’ll be back in the evening to look at him and see if there are any changes.”

The nun took both handkerchief and hand. “I don’t know if I will ever be able to thank you enough. Truly, you have given us a light at the end of the tunnel.”

“Well, don’t say that sorta stuff until you’re out of the swamp.” Buildrick pulled his hand back. Alef released a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Buildrick waved a jaunty goodbye to the nun as he followed Alef out of town.

It was still early enough that even the slimes were sleeping. Alef could spot a few snuggled down into the cold, hard ground as they leaned against each other and slept. There were orange and blue slimes piled on top of each other, snoozing soundly. A few of them zipped between the full fields, leaping up to pull off fully ripe crops to eat.

Buildrick trotted by his side, and it felt like a weight had been lifted. Even a day and a half in town felt a bit too long. Being on his best behavior, carrying himself so no one would find fault with him. It was what was expected, after all. Buildrick veered off the path, chasing down material. Alef drifted after him.

His eyes could spot it though. From the edges of the lake, proceeding up into the mountains, were tracks. The slimy substance was spotted with purple. It led further up into the mountains. Buildrick stopped, glancing around, and veered off again. Alef continued following, pushing back the heavy forest thicket. Buildrick just stamped right through them, leaving behind a trail much like a monster would. But- by following Buildrick’s trail….

There were the circles of flattened grass indicating that slimes had been through recently- hopping circles leading up towards the mountain judging by the way the grass broke. Buildrick picked up a plumberry, and tossed one to him, as he bit into his own as he kept searching. Feathers floated down from above- Chimeras flying overhead. Far to the west, he could see the suns rays peeking over the mountains, but they were still in the shadow.

There were small holes dug into soft ground- thousands of them, in a near perfect line. Killerpillers, with their hundreds of legs marching up towards the mountaintop. Tufts of yellow and brown fur caught on broken branches, pointed to the bewarewolves and scarewolves were heading up towards the mountains as well. A few purple scales hung off branches- drakies as well?

“Buildrick?”

“Yeah?” Buildrick turned, holding white petals in hand.

Alef stifled a chuckle. Somehow, he got the feeling that even if the world were to end, Buildrick would remain the same. “Who do you think will win?”

“Hopefully humanity. But- The giant Dhrone might win first and then the Condor takes over. I couldn’t say.” Buildrick shrugged, unconcerned. It was hard to read Buildrick. His thoughts were locked behind a stony constant frown.

Alef nodded, accepting the words. He knew, eventually, he would have to make a choice. But not yet. He didn’t have to make it yet. He could put it off for now. Instead, his eyes swept the rainy, thick undergrowth. He could hear the rain approaching, the loud noise of raindrops drowning out anything they might say. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead. Buildrick’s head tilted back, as he stared up at the pouring rain.

Alef approached, using his cloak as a shield against the pouring rain. Buildrick wrung out his hat, the white and gold mixing into a perfect blend covering the large, bald scar. His hair kept it mostly covered but it was still clear to anyone who went looking. Alef looked away after a moment. The rain was already beginning to lighten up. The storms came and went in minutes, leaving behind harder to follow tracks.

Still, they were all pointing up towards the mountain top. And probably down the other side. Where they would actually end up was another question entirely. Buildrick shoved back on his hat as the rain passed them by, and stepped out of Alef’s protection. There were still a few drops of rain, but Buildrick ignored them to continue through the forest. Alef followed, once again eyeing the surrounding forest.

While watching Buildrick gather and collect, Alef had learned just how many of the plants he had thought of as useless actually had a reason for existing. Not just the showy centerpieces of the many varieties of flowers, but the plain, unassuming prickly bushes held plenty of treats in the form of berries. Medicinal herb bushes spotted the land- he didn’t understand the way to pluck them just right that they kept their medicinal properties. But Buildrick did, and was always willing to share.

There was a loud snuffling noise further up. Buildrick blinked, and dove into the undergrowth. He followed the noise- and came upon a small clearing. There was a large group of… not scarewolves or bewarewolves gathered in a circle, looking rather down and out. They sat on the wet ground, tails drooping sadly. “Worf.”

Buildrick crouched down next to the monster. “What’s the matter?”

“Wooo. We tearwolves have been the bosses of this part of the continent for decades now. But that stinking condor and Dhrone moved in and started jostling for power. We were here first. We’ve been part of the Dragon Lord’s army since day one. Accosting passerby’s and demanding they hand over all their meat or we wouldn’t let them pass. And- And snapping at their horses so they stamped all nervously. That was fun.”

The wolves sounded more like an annoying pack of dogs then an actual credible threat against humanity. “It was so nice too.” One of the tearwolves laid down in the grass, whimpering dejectedly. “We got fed such nice steaks. The traders always made sure they kept some for us and started waiting for us before they passed through.”

There were a surprising number of monster and human interactions that didn’t end in a fight. Secrets kept from the King. Alef remained at the edge of the forest. If he got any closer then he might tip off the tearwolves. Still, he wish Gwaelin was here to see this. She’d probably have a lot to say about it.

“The small group of whoo-men got chased out too. They would always feed us if we asked nicely and did them a favor or two.”

Ah, probably the parents of the two children that had fled the continent. They hadn’t gotten to talk long at all, but that was all Alef could think of. Buildrick hummed in response. “If we had a few juicy steaks we could fight the others for dominance of of the continent, but we aroo-n’t willing right now.”

“Would dragon steaks work?” Buildrick questioned.

“Woof! Would it ever- A human?!”

Human? That was the first time Alef had ever heard Buildrick being referred to as such. Most of the monsters skirted around calling Buildrick anything.

The biggest of the wolves surged to its feet. It loomed over Buildrick, sniffing suspiciously. Then, it sat back down again. “Woof, I like you human. Not many of your kind comes wandering straight up to us and offers to feed us. How amusing.”

“Well, that’s not the worst I’ve been called.” Buildrick said as he reached into his bag. Fat, thick dragon steaks were pulled out. Every wolf was drooling as they jostled each other to get in a line. Tails thumped the ground.

Alef choked back a laugh. He leaned against the tree- his ears were still pricked for any sounds of monsters. But the only noises were monsters chattering as they went about their day. He was starting to be able to tell the difference, between the noises of someone ready to attack, and a monster just going about its day.

Most of the monsters around them were just relaxing and enjoying themselves.

A howl erupted in the middle of the forest. It was loud enough to flatten grass, and make the trees shake. The tearwolf flexed as it took a deep breath. It’s snout dropped. “Many thanks human! We’re off to join the battle to see who comes as top dog of Rimuldar!”

The wolves crouched, and bounded away at a speed no normal human could keep up with. They leapt five or six feet into the air, claws diffing into the soft rock face of the mountain to go up and over the edge in seconds. Alef could hear the sharp squawking of Chimeras disturbed from their resting places, before the sounds of nature fell back into place. The soft slurping noises of slimes bouncing through underbrush, the low rasp of cloth rubbing against bark as bodkins wandered through the forest gathering whatever they wanted. Twigs sizzled and broke beneath the dhrones feet as they proceeded up the mountain. Things had returned back to normal with the disappearance of the large pack of tearwolves over the mountain’s edge.

“It’s too bad Gwaelin wasn’t here.” Buildrick said after a second.

Alef nodded, emerging from the forest into the clearing. “Indeed. Who knows, perhaps after all of this is over, she’ll come and see them.”

“Well… There’s no telling how many of them will still be alive at that point.” Buildrick mumbled, after a moment. “They don’t hold back against each other. Then again- a lot of monsters are really, really, really hard to actually kill and not just be defeated to get up again and keep going later.”

Alef nodded- he’d seen a few monsters get up again from a strike he thought for certain was a death strike. It happened less now that Buildrick actually used monsters to make meals. Buildrick tapped the hammer hung at his side. “Well, shall we keep going?”

“Yes.”

The hike up the mountain continued, as the morning cool air started to burn off. Purple skinned bodkins aimed to fire at them, and skeletons rattled ominously before charging at them while waving their swords. Between the two of them, they could dispatch the monsters well enough, though Buildrick’s fighting ability was still the same as when they had first met. Alef on the other hand- he knew he had grown both faster and stronger. The mountains, while a pain, weren’t that much of a problem. He could climb them, at this point, fairly easily. Buildrick made it even easier by putting down footholds where none would normally exist. They climbed up steep cliffs, jumping their way to the top.

There was a thick, huge forest spreading out below them. From here, Alef could see the road they had missed off to the west. Without anyone traveling it, it was already looking overgrown. Alef couldn’t pick out the exact details, but he could see the green that had taken over the mud bricked road.

There was, off to the west, where he hadn’t noticed it before- a building rising up nearby the coast. Or it might be a fort, but it made sense with what the monsters had said. Buildrick shaded his eyes as he surveyed the land. “Oh, there it is, the Condor and the Dhrone- oh wow.”

At the center of the continent, well away from human roads, there was a huge lake. The Dhrone and Condor faced each other, easily spotted among the army. They were gigantic- no wonder Buildrick said they were easy to spot. The two faced off- and The Tearwolves had leapt into the fray with flying fists and claws. They sent other monsters scrambling to get out of the way. Alef couldn’t see hear them. But, one didn’t need to hear them, to see the way they stamped their feet if they had any, and yelled. Although they were little more then dots, the sharp glint of swords from the skeletons glimmered in the murky light. Then, it became an all out brawl, as monsters no longer paid attention to their bosses but started into an inter-faction war.

This far away, it was amusing.

But- “That’s a lot of them.” Buildrick muttered, eyes sweeping the group.

Alef nodded. “I have numbers, and I can say that the monsters probably won’t move for a few more days unless you could think of them doing so?”

Buildrick shrugged. “Well, there is the chance they’ll get excited and then just attack tonight.”

The condor squawked loudly as the giant Dhrone reached out with one of it’s tentacles. It wrapped around the Condor’s foot, yanking it down. Alef watched the large wings beat wildly, as the Condor was pulled in. Then, as if catching the wind, it pulled back, lifting itself into the air. The giant Dhrone’s tentacles let go, as it fell back to the ground. There was a rumble, as it fell against the edge of the lake.

Rocks crumbled, the low crackling roar taking what felt like hours to roll up the mountain towards them. Water gushed out from the lake, racing towards the coast. The muddy water was beginning to pick up steam, breaking down trees, and sweeping away both monsters and dirt alike. “Huh, so that’s how...” Buildrick murmured to himself. “Well, I don’t think anything will be attacking tonight.”

Like a bucket of cold water over the monsters, the fight had stopped. Monsters scrambled away from the water, eyeing it with fear. “Buildrick- do monsters not swim?”

“Hmmm- there’s plenty of water monsters, like crabbids, and plenty that don’t mind shallow water. And I seem to always fish up about as many slimes as I do fish. But a lot of monsters fear deep water. And since I can’t swim I guess I do too.”

Ahhh, that would be an issue. That was an issue. They were still surrounded by water on all sides. And from what he remembered, albeit a bit faintly, the Yggdrasil sapling was also surrounded by water. He really didn’t like that. Alef grimaced as he ducked a chimera’s fireball. While the battle down below may have paused, it hadn’t up on the mountaintop. He whirled, sword missing the chimera as it flapped upwards. He could see it’s chest extending, hear the hiss of gas it it breathed in.

Buildrick jumped, hammer connecting with its body to bring it spiraling down. A half made fireball exploded against his armor, burning Alef. But not badly. He ignored the burn to drive his sword down into the birds head.

The chimera jerked, before falling still.

Alef turned, looking back at the muddy river now carving its way to the ocean. It would take years for it to calm down enough to cross. Anyone wanting to get to Rimuldar would be forced to go on the western side of the continent. But now, on top of the mountain, he could see the small spotted houses/towns. They had long since been abandoned for bigger towns judging by how no smoke rose from their chimneys. No- there were a few people. Though little more then dots, they scattered into the surrounding forests.

Buildrick hummed, squinting. “Alef, did you see that?”

“See what?”

“I thought I saw bright blue glinting nearby the lake, but I’m not sure if it’s water or if it’s the armor.”

“Well- the bodkins did mention the armor had been seen nearby. But if it’s in the middle of that army not even I could fight and win. At least not without a good bit of help.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to go at it with what I have in my bag right now either.” Buildrick turned away from the miserable looking army. Instead he surveyed back the other way. “Oh, is that… the Tree?”

Alef turned as well.

The Yggdrasil sapling was about as far away as the fort from Rimuldar- not an easy or quick travel. Alef could see the poison lake he had passed by before. But, in the center of the mountains, just barely peeking over, was a tree. Even looking at it from here made his heart clench. Buildrick certainly seemed caught by the sight. He stared at the tree that stretched up, without moving for a long, long moment.

Then, Buildrick’s head turned, looking across the ocean. The land to the east- no one knew what lay there truly. It was just fables and rumors. Snippets from those who went and came back, or word from the ‘underground’. Not that he was dialed into that underground, growing up as isolated as he was. It was just things he’d secretly listened to late at night between adults when younger. But as he got older, the conversations about other lands died out.

“I’d like to see it up close.” Buildrick after a moment. He sounded faintly wistful. Then, with a sigh, he glanced back to Alef. “Well, what’s next?”

Alef looked back to the army dispersing back into the forest. “Let’s return. There’s still a few hours of daylight, and I do believe we have seen all that we can today. The fight between the Condor and Dhrone probably won’t be continuing today. Unless there’s anything else you can think of needing.”

“Hmmm. I got heartfruit, butterbeans, wheat, potatoes- I haven’t seen any Hollyhocks, but then again they’re pretty rare.” Buildrick mumbled to himself, mostly. “So I don’t need anything right this moment.”

“Hollyhocks- I think I’ve heard of them before...”

“They’re a fairly rare flower that can only be grown in pure water.” Buildrick’s eyes went back towards the tree. “And there are probably other conditions I’m unaware of.”

Something to do with the tree perhaps. Still, Alef had no answer, and no way of getting that answer. “Then let us return.” Alef pulled out his Chimera wing, hand extending to Buildrick. Buildrick hesitated, just for a moment, looking back to where the army had disappeared, then the tree that was beginning to peak over mountain tops. Then, Buildrick grabbed him by the arm.

They landed in Rimuldar, at the entrance of town. Alef could see the farmers beginning to return for an afternoon rest. There was a nun, worriedly wringing her hands at the town entrance however.

Alef had never been shoved to the side before. The Nun didn’t even really notice him as she marched straight for Buildrick mowing down anyone who got in her way. She grabbed Buildrick by the wrist, talking fast as she pulled him in the direction of the Church. It was mostly garbled, but- “Dead- their flesh just started melting-”

Buildrick seemed to recognize what she was saying, because he broke away, jogging for the church. The doors were thrown wide open, with soldiers milling about just outside. There was a pile of what looked to be rotting flesh at the entrance. Flies were already moving in. The soldiers were white knuckled and terrified. They drew back when Buildrick approached. He spared only the slightest glance for the rotting flesh. Instead he proceeded into the church.

Alef stopped at the entrance. He could see the Inn, though he couldn’t see Gwaelin at the window. But none of the houses looked injured, so he was going to trust nothing had happened.

“What happened?”

“Well- we don’t know. The- The nuns and the doctors were working when they started screaming. We made sure to send a few extra soldiers to Princess Gwaelin’s side, as we went up. And then… a human, half-rotted came lurching out of the church building. The nuns and doctors were trying to fend it off with tables.”

“Is that so...”

“The nuns have been in an uproar since, they said… It was Farmer Sam.”

Ah. The sick had been reduced to a pile of rotting flesh like this, this quickly? Or was it-

“Farmer Sam has been like this for months now? Is there anyone else who’s been like that that I may of missed yesterday?” Buildrick’s voice drifted out.

“Our oldest patients have been in the basement. Only the priest has been allowed to tend to them because they’re the worst cases. The milder cases don’t seem to spread. So… We thought it would be alright.”

Buildrick hummed softly. “Wait- Where’s the Priest and the other patients? Are they-”

“Oh Sweet goddess Rubiss.” The Sage’s wife- Em-something- went pale as she turned. Alef followed ten steps behind as she hurried to the back of the church and threw open the door. The priest was sleeping- or unconscious. Even far behind them, Alef could tell the mans breathing was troubled, and halting.

The door on the other side of the Priests room was shaking, and quivering. Buildrick reached out, catching the old woman by the arm to drag her back a few steps. The door burst open.

A shambling, rotting, putrid excuse for a human being shambled out. One arm had flat out fallen off, as glazed, unseeing eyes rolled back and forth creepily. Drool hung from its mouth as it ‘sniffed’ the air despite having only half a nose. Its head turned towards the nun- and it lunged at surprisingly high speeds. Alef surged froward, as Buildrick moved first. A hammer connected with its face, smashing the thing back. It wasn’t quite a monster- but it wasn’t a human either. Buildrick didn’t hesitate, hammer coming down again.

The thing jerked, and lay still. Fluids leaked onto the floor- purple and gray. Poison?

“Alright, yep. It’s the same.” Buildrick announced. “And I have no hollyhocks.”

“I- I have a few, they’re beginning to wilt, but-”

“Perfect. Then I know the cure, but it’s too late for the others. Stay up here Emma. Down below will be full of those who fell to the disease and became walking corpses. I’m going down below to see.” Buildrick had forgotten he was here, or wasn’t going to ask him to help. Either one wasn’t pleasant.

“Buildrick, please allow me to join you.” Alef said with a slight frown, as he finished entering the room. Emma glanced back to him, hands full of silvery throwing knives.

“Wait, I may be old, but I can fight as well. There’s a few monsters that have fallen to my knife throwing skills!”

“Oooh, I have my own party huh? Well, I won’t say no if you’re offering.” Buildrick turned back to the shattered door. “Especially since there’s no telling how many are in there.”

That was true. Alef stepped forward, “Then let me go first. I-”

“I cannot permit that.” Emma said immediately. Buildrick’s eyes flickered to her. “You’re a guest, and the Princesses guard. Truthfully even having Buildrick here is a gray area if he were to come ill or be harmed. However, our backs were coming to a wall when it came to medicine. You however are not connected to this at all. There is not a chance any of the patients inside survived. I shall call for the guards to take care of this, and proceed myself.”

Alef’s mouth opened, and then closed. To these folk, he was not the hero here to protect them- no, he was here to protect the Princess, and the Princess alone. Although his Guardian had drilled in him the importance of being a Hero to the folks, and he had visited before, he had been forgotten. No, he hadn’t done anything to make them remember him- he was in and out when he had been there previously. He had gotten the keys, and left. The townsfolk would have no reason to remember him. In Kol, he could count on the miners remembering him if only for defeating the magmalice, and Aeroba would definitely be willing to at least say hello.

It was something he didn’t know how to quite process. And yet-

He could agree. Go to Gwaelin. He and Buildrick had been away from Gwaelin for a long time. But- he didn’t want too.

Buildrick snorted dryly, “In for a penny, in for a pound. I said I would go in so you shouldn’t sweat it.”

Emma drew back her hand and let the silvery dagger rip out. It slammed into the head of the rotting creature shambling its way through the door. “Oh, it appears that we’re under attack. Mister Alef, if you wish to go-”

Alef grabbed Emma and Buildrick around the waist, and pulled back as two more of the things came lurching through the doorway at surprisingly high speed. Buildrick’s eyes were on the things alone, preparing for battle. He let Buildrick down, and drew his sword in one easy motion.

“Please stay behind me.”

“No.” Buildrick said shortly, cocking his hammer. Emma shook her head, the daggers in her hands glimmering in the torchlight.

“Indeed, it would be rude of me-” Emma began. Alef set her on her feet gently as well. Buildrick swung, bringing down the Thing that was lurching towards them. It took Buildrick five whacks, before it finally stopped twitching. More noises were beginning to arise from the doorway so Alef strode straight into the room. It was… perhaps a little stupid of him, he had to admit, as he cast light magic.

Twenty heads rolled towards him, of various bodies in the middle of decay. Buildrick’s head came around his waist, as he said, “Well, that’s quite a lot. Emma, call for backup!”

“V-Very well then! But I will be coming to assist as well!”

He could hear her running off, as Buildrick held up a handful of knives. The things weren’t moving towards them yet. “Do you think you can aim?”

“I- I am not well trained in long range weapons.”

“Darn. These silver knives, at least last time I saw something similar, could stun the corpses.” Buildrick shrugged, “I’m not that good at throwing them either though. Just in a straightish line. Well, here we go.”

Buildrick drew back, and threw. The silver knife pierced into one of the monsters, sending it stumbling. Like it had just touched a tingleweed. Like a flag waving, the others started lurching forward. They bumped into each other, falling over each other, mindlessly seeking out the living human at the doorway without understanding what was in their way.

Alef couldn’t believe just how easy it was to chop off the head of the first thing. It wasn’t just the sword, he was certain, but it was like using a hot knife to cut butter. Flesh and bone carved apart easily. Buildrick backed away from a clawed, poisoned hand reaching for him, using his hammer as a makeshift shield. Alef whirled, slicing off the head of the Thing.

It rolled, thudding to the ground. Its jaws still snapped open and close. Buildrick brought his hammer down, smashing it flat.

It was… fairly easy. Easier then he had expected. Even knowing that these were once actual humans that had families and a life, it was easy to cut off their heads, and leave them for Buildrick to flatten. Soldiers came pouring into the room, Emma at their head. They stopped at the entrance, as Alef finished off the last one. They were whispering to each other- unable to believe that the two of them had actually cleared out the room in such short order with nothing more then scratches in Alef’s case.

“Are- Are either of you hurt?”

“Nothing more then scratches.” Alef said, pasting on a bright smile. The soldiers weren’t put at ease by it, still eyeing him with wary fear. Buildrick grumbled as he put his hammer to the side. The soldiers surveyed the room- As Emma started to cry. Just big tears rolling down her cheeks, as she crouched down next to bodies on the ground.

“Oh Goddess Rubiss, please, I pray to you guide these souls to thy side, and grant them their final peace.”

Buildrick awkwardly patted Emma’s shoulder. “They’re happier now. When Alef and I were killing them, they all said the same thing. Thank you.”

Alef… had heard nothing. Because he hadn’t been paying attention? Or because Buildrick was the only one who could hear it? It was hard to tell. Alef allowed himself to be ushered out of the room. The soldiers couldn’t really look at him directly, instead looking at the carnage wrought.

Buildrick resisted being shoved out. “Emma- the hollyhocks. The priest is in a bad way, and if we can get started on the cure...”

The soldiers muttered- Not enough time for the dead, from what Alef could understand. But, Emma wiped away her tears. “Indeed. Any life we can keep from the brink of death is worth its weight in gold. We shall simply have to split the duties. Burying and healing.”

Alef watched as the town started to come alive. Farmers bringing food for the nuns, and pulling out their shovels without complaint to begin digging graves. Soldiers joined in the digging, tossing aside rocks. Buildrick and Emma had their heads bent over a large slab of rock carved with runic patterns. Buildrick and Emma were chattering, soft enough to be lost in the ongoing ruckus.

The table glowed softly with magic, and Buildrick’s face grew a little tighter. As if in pain, or exhaustion. The clear blue liquid was poured into a small glass bottle, and Buildrick handed it over to Emma, pointing to the priest.

Everyone had stopped to watch, Alef realized. The hair on the back of his neck began to prickle, rising as people gathered, waiting breathlessly for the moment of truth. Emma set the liquid in the priest’s mouth, encouraging him to drink. Alef took a step back.

He could see Gwaelin at the window, looking worried as she stared down at the large group gathered before the church. Alef went to Buildrick’s side, gathering him close as he swayed on his feet. He couldn’t help large swathes of people, but he could steady Buildrick.

Emma came hurrying out, but the relieved look on her face was all the folks needed to know. The roar of delight shook the air. Tears of relief began to stream down people’s faces as they hugged each other. Like a wave crashing against a beach, the howls of relief echoed in the air.

Chapter Text

Buildrick sat down on the edge of the box, exhausted beyond belief. When he originally made and used the medicine, it had only been for the one person left alive. Elle had been given the cure, just in case she or anyone else found someone suffering from the same illness. But with the Hades Condor vanquished, and the gloom cleared up to a degree, there hadn’t been a thought they would find anymore sick under the same disease.

And, Buildrick had thought the disease wouldn’t of turned people into zombies. Illus had done that part- in his attempt to find a cure to the plague. Or perhaps… he had misunderstood, or things had been lost in the decades between the fall and his arrival. Nobody, not even Myrtle, remembered the old times, and Myrtle was over a hundred years old. Other then those who had been turned to stone, and waited out the time…

Exhaustion pounded on him. Buildrick shivered in the cold. Even though he knew it should be hot… it wasn’t for him. If it weren’t for the fact that Gwaelin and Alef both used him as a pillow, Buildrick doubted he’d be able to sleep at night from the chill.

Speaking of those two-

Buildrick rested his head on his hand. Gwaelin was standing in knee deep water- a specially dug pool for patients relearning how to walk. Her legs were shaking as she stepped further into the pool. Alef supported her, having stripped off his armor. The sword was still strapped to his back, just in case. The doctor was encouraging her to come deeper.

A few of the farmers were casting her sympathetic looks- probably because some of them had gone through something similar.

A nun placed a bowl full of greens on his lap. “You should eat and take a nap if you’d like! We’re getting the hang of making the medicine.”

Buildrick nodded, and nibbled at the leaves. It made sense to rest for now. They still had plenty of long, sleepless nights in their future. He didn’t have enough silver, and Emma didn’t have enough hollyhocks to fully cure the village. Kol had been very receptive to the idea of trade. They cut out the middle-man of money, and traded directly. He didn’t know much- Emma and Aeroba had negotiated the trading terms and conditions with Gwaelin sitting in.

He had promptly taken a nap the second it became not interesting to him against Alef’s side. Alef was a nice, warm pillow he could depend on, if not particularly comfortable. But he was fully capable of sleeping on harder ground, so he didn’t worry about it.

Buildrick drew up his legs, and leaned against the tall box behind him as soldiers rushed around. A small group of the fastest horses and soldiers were being dispatched to the Yggdrasil sapling to gather as many hollyhocks as could be gathered. Buildrick had been kinda hoping to go with them, and just get the dew for the Rainbow Bridge. But, Alef was the one with those items, and Buildrick hadn’t had a chance to ask for them.

And… he was uncertain how to approach the whole situation. Buildrick closed his eyes, head drooping to his chest as he thought. Alef… had to be the hero referred to from before. It was hard to imagine him agreeing to the Dragon King’s offer right now. But- they had fought. He had gotten his head sliced open from Alef’s heavy strokes, and more scars from the lunatics that Alef summoned. The long scar on his head, was from ‘Alef’. But then again-

That was only if that monster had actually been Alef.

He couldn’t really remember it very well. There was the beautiful blue of the armor that shone in the torchlight. The exquisite craftsmanship of the blade the sliced through the air. But-

That was all Buildrick could remember. The man’s face, physique, his words- they were all lost to him. He had already been fighting through a bit of a fog when it came to do battle against the former ‘Hero’. And Buildrick wasn’t going to sit around with Elle and ruminate on why the Hero had betrayed them. Buildrick had never cared.

He still didn’t really care.

The future wasn’t set in stone, so he’d just have to do his best to make sure that his version of the future didn’t come about.

Barbella had said, she was glad to meet him. He was glad to of met her as well. But- now he knew what an actual city was. A chance to eat so many good foods he didn’t know existed. Fried, baked, simmered, with ingredients that had been lost in time. The sound of metal striking metal, and two old friends leaning across a low fence to greet each other. A lot of miners packed together on narrow beds, taking comfort in being close. The rush of cool air across his face that didn’t bring the smell of poison swamps immediately.

Alef was his first actual traveling companion. Usually Barbella and the miners only joined him when they were making a rush to fight monsters. And Buildrick did his best to return to town by nightfall. Seeing everyone hard at work, fighting the curse of the Dragonlord to try and make something always invigorated him. They made things he knew how, but never had time for, and even helped with the foraging and gathering of food. Porched windows, bathtubs, medicine, bottles, fried frogstools and fried eggs- They fought back in the only way they could. The items were small, but he used them where he could to brighten up their homes.

Buildrick knew of plenty of late nights he had spent with Elle at the table as she learned how to craft medicine herself. Pippa as well, learning how to cook. Everyone had told him it tasted terrible, but Buildrick hadn’t really noticed the taste. Barbella hadn’t needed much- the second the curse was weakened by the banner, she had started running. And Gwaelin… She hadn’t been interested in building really. She was a little more concerned about the logistics of keeping the castle running. Even now, it was the same- or similar. She had shown an interest in weaving plant fronds into fiber, but not much beyond that. Or maybe she was holding back? Even then, Buildrick supposed he did the best he could.

Anyway he looked at it, the future would be much better if the Dragon Lord was defeated. If this did change the future. There was chance of something called splitting timelines? Barbella hadn’t known much, and Galileo’s ghost wasn’t talkative to him.

Rubiss’s voice broke in from around him. “Oh my child.”

Her voice was overwhelming, as it had been since he arrived. Buildrick winced internally as Rubiss’s voice echoed in his head. “Oh my child, cannst thou hear me?”

“Yeah, too loud.”

“My child, you must leave, soon. The Hero will turn on you. Thou must flee, or risk falling.” She was still on this jag, huh? “Please, thou must kill him tonight.”

He wasn’t about to just kill Alef for nothing. Buildrick liked Alef a lot. A lot, lot. He was really looking forward to the idea of the two- three of them if Gwaelin went with them. Since he couldn’t return, Buildrick was just going to do what he could. And if there was anything he was good at, it was establishing new towns.

“Nah.”

“Wherefore, why won’t thou listen to me?”

“I don’t listen very well. You should know that already.” Buildrick felt the need to defend himself. “Either way, I should stop my nap.”

Ignoring Rubiss’s squawking, Buildrick forced himself to wake up.

To the clopping noise of a horse thundering along a half-broken road. Whoops. He had been packed up with the crates of food for the soldiers at the sapling. Buildrick shifted, glancing to the two soldiers driving the cart. They were relaxed, chattering about the condition of the road that had been neglected. Alef and Gwaelin were probably going to be less then pleased about his unexpected visit to the tree. And while he had Chimera wings, they were keyed to Kol. Not to Rimuldar. Alef and Gwaelin had those, and he had missed his chance now.

“These roads are getting worse. Hopefully once the Princess leaves and the brick baker recovers we’ll get word to help recover the roads.”

“Indeed. Once the brick layer recovers he and his son should be able to get started on making the bricks. Commander Ceaser has kept aside part of the funds given to being the repairs.”

“Is that so?” Buildrick questioned, leaning forward. “How long do you think it would take to get the road repaired?”

“Well- depending on if they do it during monsoon season or during the dryer season anywhere from three years to just a year. It won’t be quick.” The soldier to the left said, not looking at him.

It made sense since none of the workers would be working through the night, and all the growth would have to be re-cleared. Unexpectedly, a hand grabbed his face. “What. What are you doing here?”

“Well, I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until just now, so I guess I’m coming along.”

“We- Oh goddess, the Princess will kill us.”

“Gwaelin? No, she won’t. I’ll make sure of it since I was the one who fell asleep in your cart. But since I’m here, and it’ll take me longer to walk back then ride back-”

“Indeed. You might as well stay with us.”

The cart shook as they went over a particularly large bump. Buildrick swung himself closer to the entrance. The two guards were quiet now, looking anywhere but at him. The silence that fell was rather painful. Buildrick questioned, “Where was the brick layer put? I probably have treated them once.”

“They were placed in one of the warehouses.”

He had gone to one of them. But not all of them. “Ah, so he got hit later rather then sooner.”

“Indeed.” The guards were starting to loosen up, and chattering between each other. The conversation began to flow, with him as a third wheel. Buildrick didn’t mind that. He was more of someone who liked to do things then converse, but it was nice listening to their chatter. It meant all was well, as night approached.

Claudius went to sleep first, as Varro stayed up to drive the cart. Now that they were on a one-on-one basis, Buildrick could start asking questions. It was mostly questions about the Varro’s own background- he’d been a carpenter before becoming a soldier. They talked- about things Buildrick hadn’t considered before. He’d never been around children before. Wooden toys with spinning wheels, or brightly colored blocks for ‘building’. It was nice to hear how others built.

It really drove in how much of his building was survival focused. The townsfolk gave him blueprints that he built, but it was mostly communal areas. A diner, the hot springs, the inn, the hospital. Homes were different- the banner’s strength grew every time he established more of the town. He would sew on the ornaments, and fix up the banner a little more. Whoever was in town at the time would add in a few of their own stitches, sprucing up the banner until at the end of his work it was gorgeous.

But it all paled in comparison to an actual town.

Buildrick stared out into the darkness. The ghosts that haunted him were silent as they chased after the cart. But the horses trot was steady, and without pause. Buildrick hadn’t ever seen a horse before but- “It really makes a difference when you use a seasoned merchants horse.” Varro said into the night. His eyes swept the darkness- even with a torch it was almost impossible to see more then four meters before them. But the horse forged on without hesitating. If it felt the prick, it kept moving.

“Is it unusual for a horse to be able to do this?”

“Yeah, even horses need to rest, but since the merchant and his wife are sick, the kids let us borrow the merchants horses. Normally horses would be slower, and refuse to go into the dark. It’s said these were specially bred.”

“Mmm, I see.”

“You never seen a horse before? Usually even if a town is poor, they all save together to buy a horse and share it.”

“No, I’ve never seen a horse until just now.”

The man whistled, low and soft in amazement. The cart jolted, as a low howl broke the still night air. A bewarewolf? A scarewolf? Or-

The Tearwolves came bounding out of the darkness. They ripped right past them, flowing into the darkness at a speed no horse could match. Varro jabbed Claudius, waking him. “Look alive, we’ve got tearwolves.”

“Don’t wake me for them, Commander Ceaser included some nice fat steaks for them.” Claudius yawned, as he reached back into the wagon. Buildrick nudged the bag full of meat closer. “Not that we’ve seen them much since the whole lock-down started.”

So it wasn’t just the merchants that the Tearwolves got fed from. Varro’s exasperation was clear as he said, “And things have changed. The tearwolves were just a nuisance, and so are the slimes, but their favorite humans home got burned down and the two monster tamers that lived there were murdered. Their kids disappeared. Commander Ceaser tossed the guys who did it into jail, but who knows what happened?”

Buildrick kept his mouth shut. The kids had fled the continent, hopefully to the west or south. Though, he did feel bad now that he knew Commander Ceaser would’ve been the ones taking care of the children. Would they hate and fear humans for the rest of their lives?

A tearwolf was suddenly trotting next to them. “Woof, what’re humans doing out here this late at night? Don’t you know it’s time for monsters to be out roaming about?”

“We’re heading for the Yggdrasil sapling. We got you your toll-”

“Woof, humans, you should be prepared if you want to go. The Hades Condor wants to take over the region and said it was going to tear down the sapling. We arwoo-n’t give it up control without a fight!”

Oooh. Buildrick leaned forward in the cart, “Then I guess the Hades Condor is heading to attack the sapling right now?”

“Woof! The human with steaks previously! That’s right! We’re here to fight. We like the tree woof. It doesn’t hurt us like it does the Hades Condor and the Dhrone. So we’re off to fight it and keep our tree.”

The Tearwolves seemed a lot more active then previously. They were still members of the Dragon Lord’s army. But the interwars hadn’t happened before at all. Probably because the Dragon Lord had obviously won. Both monsters and humans were waiting for humanity to slowly die out. Or to stop struggling.

“Woof, we’ll see you later humans.”

The tearwolf took off into the darkness. Varro and Claudius were staring at each other. “Do you guys not want to go?”

“It’s going to be a fight between the Condor and the Tearwolves and the Sage. I know we have to go, but I’m not looking forward to it. Us common soldiers will basically be fodder, especially since the ballistas are unmovable so we’ll be dependent on the fight. You on the other hand-”

“Count me in. I’ve fought a bird of similar size before.”

Truthfully, Buildrick wanted nothing more then anything to do nothing to help with the fight. He hated fighting, though he could make a passable attempt at it. Enough to fight off common monsters. But when it came to boss monsters- the Ballista, the bombs, and the car had been his best weapons. But there was no Alef to depend on his time.

The cart rattled through a large archway lit with torches. Buildrick could hear the soldiers shouting to each other as they prepared for battle. Spears and swords clattered loudly as the soldiers began to marshal up. But-

The heavy wingbeats echoed off of the mountains. In the dead of night, with no moon nor stars, the darkness was impenetrable. It was impenetrable for a long minute when-

The sky lit up with a colossal boom as fire exploded in the air. The Condor was lit up, just for a moment. It was just as big as Buildrick remembered, wings outlined in fire. It hissed, wings flapping to summon in poison rain. Buildrick swore as he pulled out hats he had made for Gwaelin and Alef out of his bag. He slammed it on the two soldier’s heads, knocking off their helmets. “Don’t let the rain hit you. It’s poison.”

“Got it. Anything else you can tell us?”

“It’ll summon gusts of wind that can pick up a human and toss them very far away. Try to be behind cover when it happens.”

“Tch. Full of surprises is it?”

Another explosion of fire lit up the air. It was much more muted with the rain pouring down. Up this close to the sapling, Buildrick could feel the power rolling off of it. It was still small and tender however- it wouldn’t survive a direct attack. The Condor screamed, the call echoing off the mountains. Flocking to its call were hundreds of Chimeras. Varro’s swearing kicked up a notch. Ballista’s strings twanged and shot. The arrows didn’t hit the Condor who darted through them with ease. They did bring down the gathered Chimeras. Another ball of fire exploded against the Hades Condor.

“Humans!” It’s voice croaked loudly, carrying to the cart still racing along. “You shall see your sapling fall-”

A Tearwolf launched off of the mountainside, slamming into the Condor. It squawked ignobly, flailing in the air. It dipped from the weight, closer to the ground. A Balista bolt slammed into it, sending it plummeting the rest of the way down into the valley.

The cart rounded the corner, to the central valley that held the tree.

There was a shrine built at the entrance, blocking a casual visitor from approaching the tree carelessly. The tree itself rustled in a wind it created itself. Small glowing, floating lights drifted around the tree. Fireflies?

And there, to the side, was the Condor. The Tearwolves were snarling and snapping at the downed condor. Fighting to tear off its wings. Long claws dug into soft joints- But the Condor got up again, blowing the wolves away with a sweep of its wings. Buildrick ducked behind a large rock as whirlwinds began to form. The Yggdrasil creaked and groaned, branches snapping as the wind hit it. Buildrick took a deep breath, glancing around.

There weren’t many placed pre-built that could fire a bolt at the monster. He could hear the pained moans and whimpers of the dying who hadn’t been able to retreat fast enough. Varro was missing, but Claudius had hidden beneath the cart. The horse was untouched. Buildrick glanced back- the ballista that had fired was being targeted by the Hades Condor. Its claws wrapped around the metal and wood, tugging futility.

That was odd. It had never gotten that close before.

Sill, Buildrick scrambled up the cliff face putting down his own foothold. His hammer shone in the small flashes of torchlight as he jumped.

It hurt, a lot, a burning pain that drove the breath out of him to touch the monster. It hurt even more to land on its back, hammer coming down against its head. The tearwolves howls of delight bounced off the mountains as they ran towards the Condor. Their yellow fur blended in surprisingly well in the darkness. Buildrick dragged himself away, breathing short and ragged.

The soldiers were aiming their crossbows, doing their best to avoid the tearwolves in the darkness. Claws flashed in the darkness, glowing with magic. The Hades Condor screamed. The reverberating air sent plenty of humans kneeling, but an old man came hurtling out of the darkness. Fire exploded against feathers. The condor hissed, wings slamming out to send humans and monsters flying. Buildrick dug in his feet, refusing to be moved. He stepped forward, lifting his hammer to just slam it against the Condor’s body.

There was no time to worry about anyone else.

The only thought and drive, was to be rid of the bird.

The Tearwolves leaped over him, claws digging into wings to try and pin the Hades Condor down to the ground. It shook itself off, and took to the air in a few flaps. Buildrick watched it take off. “It’s going over the mountain! We can’t move the Ballistas!”

“Get your spears! Keep close! The injured! Grab them!”

The shouts buzzed around his head. Buildrick marched back into the valley. The Sage was following behind him, saying something. Buildrick ignored it, stuffing more healing herbs in his mouth. There were a few still bodies in the valley. He crouched down next to them. Varro was only just barely breathing, blood trickling out of the back of his head. Buildrick shoved some medical leaves in his mouth, and moved on to the next. They didn’t seem to have anything wrong, but more medical leaves wouldn’t hurt.

Then, his head rose to track the condor summoning more poison rain.

The rain sizzled, and burned ever so slightly. He’d have new scars once this was all said and done. But- if even for a moment he could stop seeing so many stressed and tired faces that would be great. Buildrick took a deep breath as he stepped into the water surrounding the sapling. The cold water was shocking, but the poison rain was beginning to stain the ground. Buildrick had seen the purifying fountains surrounding the tree before- before when they had more time.

Everything seemed to be speeding up. The fights were coming in quick succession in waves he hadn’t been expecting. Wasn’t it just a sign, that whatever future existed, was disappearing?

The trees branches rustled, leaves falling to the ground with the acid rain. The sapling wouldn’t survive the poison. Probably. Some things seemed to thrive in poison anyways. The Sage touched his elbow, and Buildrick finally focused in on him. “You should run. This is not your fight.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Buildrick shrugged it off. “Won’t of been my first fight I’m dragged into.”

The Sage shook his head. “Truly, I don’t-”

Buildrick yanked him closer with maybe a fourth of the grace Alef could summon as a ball of fire slammed into the ground. The Condor swooped around the tree, attempting to set it on fire. It was failing- the acid rain put it out before it could spread. Buildrick could see it- a path up the tree that he followed. Up and around, as Tearwolves howls bounced off the mountains. Further up until he could see the Condor.

The Condor’s wide eyes as he plopped own a ballista of his own was a sight to see. Buildrick grinned, fully aware of just how feral it was. The ballista went off, sending the bird back into the mountain face. Tearwolves descended like flies, fangs and claws ripping into flesh.

The Condor howled as it took to the air- and started flying away. Limping basically with broken wings and torn up feathers. The Tearwolves howled their victory, the noise bouncing off of the mountains. The Sage sighed in relief. Taking his cue from the Tearwolves, eh?

Buildrick sighed in relief as he sat down on the wide branch. That was easier then he expected. But then again, the soldiers and the sage were helping. Since when had Sages known how to shoot fire? It was questions for another day Buildrick decided. Instead he closed his eyes as he leaned against the ballista.

Like a warm, gentle breeze, a voice came to him. “Can...Hear…me?”

“Hear?” Buildrick questioned. His voice was soft in his own ears.

“Ah- you can!” The voice was warm, and so gentle Buildrick couldn’t help but relax. “Thank goodness. I’m afraid I will not last much longer. Although you all fought well, unless you can repair my wood then I am doomed to end. Though that is no sorrow. My sister shall grow in my stead.”

“I can probably repair it.” Buildrick said. He probably could, though it might take time.

“No, there is no need. I never would have grown any further here. It simply wasn’t meant to be.” Her voice was calm, and strong in the face of death. Buildrick… didn’t understand it. Was it not better to struggle for the next day? To fight against fate, and gods alike to dig in his existence and refuse to give up?

“Why not fight?” Buildrick questioned.

“There is no need.” The tree repeated. It was something he couldn’t understand, and it was clear he never was going to. Buildrick hated accepting it, but if she wasn’t willing to be helped, then there was nothing he could do. He supposed. He could see a way to repair her, if she wanted. But even as his thoughts drifted to her, he could feel her quiet refusal.

“Though I do not need anything more, perhaps… with the last bit of my strength…”

Buildrick felt a small warm burst of power in his chest. Faint, warm, and calming. Like a liquid drop of contentment.

“I cannot promise anything.” Her voice was softer, and more faint. Fading by the moment. “But may it give you strength.”

Buildrick opened his eyes- as fireballs exploded in the air. The Sage was doing it in a special pattern, letting Rimuldar know- something. Buildrick couldn’t read the patterns of fire. All he could do was watch as the fire fizzled in the air, and faded away.

A Tearwolf was perched next to him, sniffing the air cautiously. “Humph.” It snorted, disappointed by how the leaves wilted. It hadn’t been off-put by the fireballs in the air.

“Oh, do you need some medicinal herbs for your guys?”

“Awwooo, if you’re offering, then I will take. Tell me something- will you be staying?”

Buildrick handed over the medicinal herbs. One eyebrow rose, as he stared at the Tearwolf. “No? I’ll be moving on.”

“Good. I thought you’d be weak, but you really proved your worth.” The Tearwolf took the medicinal herbs. “I don’t want to fight you for control of the area. You’re a fun one. Woof, are you going to the castle to speak with the Dragon Lord about joining the army?”

“Nah. I like the blue sky too much.” Well, he probably did. It was still a burning desire that faded with every day that passed. And he couldn’t remember what clear skies looked like either. But every monster he had talked to spoke of it in such wistful tones, and so had the humans that remembered them he had spoken too. Gwaelin, the King Slime, the Hammerhoods and Bodkins. Pippa and Elle hadn’t seemed to mind the gloomy skies. Neither had younger monsters. The ideal of a blue sky just came from listening to others speak of it.

“Woof.” The Tearwolf was silent for a moment as it crouched on the withering treebranch. Most of the Tearwolves had long since disappeared, dispersing off to wherever they would sleep for the night. All that was left was him and the boss of the Tearwolves- not the same boss that would eventually create the Tearwolf dojo. “The skies don’t mean anything to us since we can’t see well. But whenever we go to trade for clothes the other monsters mention it.” Its tail swished in the air. “The sun doesn’t matter to us. So it’s a clash of ideals. The darkness that encroaches or bright sunlight. Awooo- It’s Awoo-”

He didn’t know the word, but Buildrick could understand the feeling behind it.

It wasn’t the Tearwolf’s problem, so they didn’t care. That was the monster way- the way they gathered followers, and the way one became the boss. The stronger one was, the more the monsters liked them. The Tearwolf rose, and leapt to the ground. It ran off into the darkness without looking back. The soldiers scattered around it.

Buildrick sighed as he closed his eyes and leaned against the tree.

Chapter Text

Alef wiped away sweat from his brow. The heat was starting to sink in again. Even the breezes off the lake could not chase away the encroaching heat. He had forgotten how uncomfortable it was. His armor baked in the wane sunlight for some reason. Perhaps because the Dragon Lord’s influence wasn’t as strong this far away. Alef was uncertain- and it didn’t really matter.

Soon, this would all be over. Once Buildrick returned from Yggdrasil.

Gwaelin’s breath hissed inwards as she stumbled. He caught her easily. She weighed as little as she always did. He could feel his heart flutter as she shot a grateful smile up at him. Water rippled before them. A pool of water, for Gwaelin to walk in and regain her strength.

The nuns bustled around them, moving the sick into the church. They were waiting for Hollyhocks from Yggdrasil. From what Alef had heard from the reports last night, the Yggdrasil itself was destroyed. But the soldiers had harvested enough of the hollyhocks to probably save the entire city. It was evident the nuns thought it was enough just by their excited chattering. There were more beds clearing. The Inn that had no sheets left was slowly taking back that which had been borrowed.

The city was beginning to move forward.

Alef matched his feet to Gwaelin’s trembling steps as they moved into the pool. It was easy, and familiar to match himself to her. “So then, Alef.” Gwaelin’s voice was soft, as she tried to distract herself from the pain of unused muscles being moved. It felt odd to hear his name, and not a twittering ‘hero’.

“Yes?” He questioned, as Gwaelin didn’t continue.

“Buildrick, do you think he’s heavily injured? It sounded like the Yggdrasil was destroyed…”

Indeed, the Yggdrasil peeking over the mountains was dying. The leaves had gone yellow and red, drooping from the fire and poison. However- Buildrick, “I’m sure he’s fine. There weren’t any reports of dead, and in fact many made a miraculous recovery from deaths door.”

He couldn’t wait to see Buildrick. There was so much he wanted to say and do when Buildrick arrived again. Alef could hardly wait. And the reports he had heard pointed to Buildrick still alive and returning sometime close to mid-afternoon, which while not perfect, was good. It would give him time to talk to Buildrick privately. Gwaelin was a wonderful woman, but some things should be kept quiet.

“For now, we should focus on you being able to walk.” Alef continued. His smile was heartfelt, as he stared down at her. Normally, he would have to look up a little when he was carrying her to speak with her.

“Indeed.” She smiled up at him, her fingers tight on his arm. Gwaelin’s legs were trembling, as she stepped fully into the pool. Alef hesitated, before putting his armor along the edge. Even if it didn’t actually matter, he disliked letting his gear rust, or come to ruin. Maintenance was important, no matter what.

He stepped into the pool with Gwaelin, supporting her as she walked. Their conversation, started, and died quickly. Alef didn’t really have much to talk about, and Gwaelin couldn’t keep up a conversation between steps. Nuns and villagers passing by shouted empty words of encouragement as they passed by.

Alef glanced to the edges of town. He could see the monsters lurking where humans didn’t notice. The slimes peeking out around the edges of buildings, avoiding humans feet as they walked. Giants crabs peeked out from the lake, before scuttling back into the water with the slimes. The city was surrounded, but that wasn’t a bad thing.

“How are you feeling?” The head nun- Esther? Ellie? Emma- it started with an E approached them. In her hands she held a basket overflowing with food. She set it down, and smiled at them. “I know it can be quite difficult to regain the ability to walk for the second time.”

“Oh?” Gwaelin’s breath shivered in the warm, wet air. “Have you been left lame before?”

“Oooh,” The nun blushed as she giggled. “It was actually how my husband and I met. I- I lost use of my leg. And he healed me and took care of me. It was very romantic, and I fell in love with him with each passing day.”

Gwaelin smiled, as she listened to the other woman talk. It was something she would like, wasn’t it? Alef was uncertain- She had been extremely interested in it when he first met her, but it had been quite some time since then. Her tastes may of changed.

She certainly was different right now then when they had first met.

The two women talked, as he helped Gwaelin make her circles in the pool. About things of little matter, like falling in love, and plans for the future when the sky became blue again. He… had forgotten what a blue sky looked like. Between his dreams, and the months spent wandering with gray, overcast skies, blue was a near forgotten memory. Even the blue cloth of the nuns was dark and dull, the blue fading under each wash.

Shouts rose up from the edge of town. Gwaelin’s face lit up, her smile searing bright under her strawberry-blonde hair. “Oh! It sounds like the soldiers have arrived! Then- perhaps- Oooh, Alef, please, won’t you assist me in getting to the edge?”

Oh- that wasn’t the words he had been expecting.

Still, “As you wish.” Alef lifted himself out of the water, hurriedly sticking on his armor. The bright orange underclothing would dry quickly, and he was used to being wet. He knelt, scooping Gwaelin out of the water. Even with wet clothes weighing her down, she was far lighter then what he ever trained to carry.

The nun waved them off as she took off with her basket of food towards the church. Alef didn’t mind it though. Towns were brimming with people, and he was beginning to feel burned out on just the number of people came up to them both this day. But Gwaelin seemed to lap it up.

The horse drawn cart came clattering into town, laden with crates of hollyhocks. The huge blooming flowers shimmered- still coated in pure water was it? The crates were quickly being hauled in, the townsfolk bustling as they helped moved the flowers. The head nun had gathered a group of women and men, as they cut the flower stems shorter and put the flowers not in vases, but the pool that Gwaelin had originally been exercising in. Ah- they were preserving the flowers for later, keeping them fresh for as long as possible.

A small figure jumped down from the cart. Up in the mountains, there was a burst of fire- a signal. Ahhh, this made things more complicated, did it not? Still, he was confident in his own ability. He kept walking, as the townsfolk muttered about the signal up on the mountain. “Buildrick!”

Gwaelin waved her arm at the man.

Buildrick looked up.

This close, Alef could see the summer blue eyes had faded to a more gray color, flecked with the red of a dying sun. Gray or white streaks were prominent in his hair. He looked far worse from the last time he’d seen him. Buildrick yawned, and rolled his shoulders. “Hey. Things kinda went sideways and the Yggdrasil was destroyed.”

“We heard the reports.” Alef set Gwaelin on her feet as she touched his shoulder in a silent command. “I am so glad to see that you’re alive and looking to be unhurt. What happened?”

“Oh, a giant condor- the Hades Condor- came and started spitting poison and crap, and then a bunch of tearwolves came to protect the tree. They really liked its scent, so they were unhappy that it’s dead now.”

Was that so? Alef hadn’t really met the tearwolves other then that one time. So- He supposed it did make sense. Despite their profession of being on the Dragon Lord’s side, they interacted with humans extremely often. Demanding ‘tolls’ which were little more then a chance to get food. Since the wolves shortsightedness made them poor hunters, they were surprisingly dependent on finding carrion for food. Still, he would keep that in mind. It was important to know.

“Oh my, so between the tearwolves and the sage and you the Condor was driven away?”

“Basically yeah. Though I didn’t help that much this time around.” Buildrick tched softly. “Finally got a chance to fight without Alef finishing off the monster in a second, and it ran away. So it’ll probably be back for round two.”

Alef nodded at that. It would be, without a doubt.

“Oh dear, then we will need to prepare for the attack from above then? I heard from Alef that there were a number of flying monsters, but the towns defenses seem to be spotting any monsters that come close in the fields.”

That was correct. Rimuldar had never set up large amounts of defenses. Their natural defense was the wide lake that surrounded them, and the short farmfields. Few monsters could get close before being spotted, and even fewer could cross the water without dying.

Rimuldar was protected by its natural resources. Impenetrable in a number of ways, while at the same time, surprisingly open to attack.

“Yeah.” Buildrick shrugged as his eyes flickered to towards the church. “I’m going to go help with the medicine.”

“Actually, Buildrick, there was something I wanted to ask you. Would you come with me?” Alef questioned. He probably wouldn’t be able to leave Gwaelin behind with the hustle and bustle, but that was hardly a problem. She probably should hear what he had to say as well.

Buildrick blinked at him- the blue in his eyes got a little brighter. “Oh, do you have a request for me?”

A request? That was, “Yes, basically. A question for you, but not one I wish to ask before such a big audience.”

“Oh, I think this will be the first time you actually request something from me instead of me just giving you stuff.” Buildrick seemed fairly… amused? Excited? By the prospect of having a request. Alef didn’t understand it. Surely it must be miserable existence to be asked to do things endlessly. Still, he supposed he had no right to say anything.

Alef pointed towards the lake that surrounded the town. Buildrick nodded, and they walked in companionable silence. Gwaelin had gone quiet once more, her eyes on the townsfolk as they worked together to distribute out the cure. Then, she glanced down at him. “What is it you were going to ask Alef?”

Alef rounded the building. The lake stretched out before them, glittering like fresh washed scales in torchlight. He glanced down to Buildrick, questioning, “Buildrick, are you determined to kill the Dragon Lord no matter what?”

“I already said I was going, didn’t I?” Buildrick questioned. His eyes were unyielding. But even so, Alef had to make sure.

“Even though you are not completely human yourself?”

Gwaelin’s breath hissed in, as if surprised. Was she truly? She had been traveling with Buildrick for several weeks now, it ought to of been fairly apparent. Buildrick’s head tilted to the side, questioning, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I would think, not being completely human yourself you would want to join with the Dragon Lord. After all, he is the strongest.”

For monsters, the Dragon Lord’s strength would mean any would just automatically join him and follow him. Strength was the greatest thing that mattered the most to monsters, was it not? The strongest were-

“Even if he’s strong, I think if I can get my machines in there, I’m stronger.” Buildrick replied, still unyielding. There was more blue then black in his eyes, as he steadfastly refused. “If you don’t want to go, then that’s fine. We said we’d stick together for a bit, but if now is when you want to part ways-”

“Oh, surely not!” Gwaelin questioned. Her voice was soft, and not strong at all. A far cry from her usual self. Alef felt a bit bad for her worry. She was truly a soft and warmhearted woman, and on the whole a kind person. But-

A hubbub was growing at the entrance. Gwaelin’s head turned towards it. Alef put his hand on his sword. The warning from earlier had come to the village. That meant-

“That’s not the sword I forged.” Buildrick said, as Alef drew his blade. Gwaelin didn’t have a moment to even scream as Alef crouched, and surged forward. The dulled blue of the hilt seemed brighter against the brown of the ground. The blade was sharp enough to cut a falling leaf in half as Alef charged forward. Buildrick was attempting to react, taking a step back and reaching into his bag to pull out a shield.

But it wasn’t fast enough.

Alef wasn’t the weakling he was last time they had met. He had forgotten he was still mostly human. That he got weaker the less he trained. And frankly, with no one to train against but the Dragon Lord, he had kept a good amount of strength. Enough to win against any of the lesser monsters. But not enough apparently for round one. Round two on the other hand-

Water splashed around them, as the sword easily bit through metal and into Buildrick’s shoulder. Oh, he had missed the heart, which was too bad. Alef had wanted to finish off Buildrick quickly, and alone, so Gwaelin wouldn’t have to see it. But, it seemed like his hand had been forced. Buildrick floundered in the shallow water, hand clutching the sluggishly bleeding wound.

Alef pulled back just a step, sword dripping blood. Buildrick wasn’t bleeding enough. He wouldn’t die with just this. Like he thought, “Just like the first time, if I want you to stop moving, I have to cut off your head, don’t I?”

Gwaelin was small, but even she could pack quite the punch this close to him. Her fist slammed into his nose, breaking it. It hurt. But-

He put her down gently on a tree stump. Taking her to the Dragon Lord right now would just cause her to turn herself into stone, rather then join with them. His younger counterpart would be here soon, judging by the shouts rising. He’d meet with Gwaelin again soon enough. He straightened his nose with a jerk, and jerked his helmet visor down with one quick flick. Gwaelin was saying something, but it faded out beneath his acknowledgment of his job and role. Buildrick pulled himself out of the water, sopping wet. His hammer thudded to the ground.

This second time they were fighting- “I won’t lose this time.”

“Please! Please!” Gwaelin’s begging caught his ear. That was new. The only thing she had said to him was that he must do this or that. He must take her away from the dingy dungeon. He must take her back to the castle he must love her. A lot of musts. This was the first time he could think of her saying please.

His eyes flicked back to her. She had attempted to stand, and had fallen. Her dress was crusted with dirt, dust, and her face was stained with tears. “Please, Alef. Please- Why are you-”

It was odd. She wasn’t like this before. She should be the same as the Gwaelin he knew. And yet-

A flash of blue, from out of the corner of his eye.

Alef turned sword rising as metal rang clear and sweet as a bell. His younger, more naive self’s face had dropped the smile that had been beaten into them both. The Other Alef’s face was set into grim determination, as he put his full body weight into the sword. Alef could feel his blade dip under the wight and fury.

He crouched, using the others speed against him to allow him to keep flying past. The Other Alef landed heavily on the ground. Buildrick behind him, snapped into action, hammer swinging through the air. It connected with nothing, as Alef stepped to the side. The Other Alef came charging in from the front. But- While this Alef was stronger, he knew their weakness a bit better. Monsters, when attacking, rarely did feints. They were much more interested in getting in as many attacks as they could, and most of them weren’t that good when it came to tactics.

And he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

He raised his hand to the sky, and summoned lightning.

The Dragon Lord had been the one to teach the spell to him, a bit bemusedly. The Dragon Lord had mentioned that he had been surprised at how much worse the magic was on this world- how far behind humans had fallen. He had been extremely bemused to be the one to teach him lightning magic- the magic of his ancestry. It sung to him, the crackle and snap of electricity as it sliced through the air.

The Other Alef threw himself backwards to avoid the lightning bolts. He couldn’t avoid all of it however. Alef could see his mirror image wincing as he stumbled at the sharp pain. But it was enough for Alef to come charging in. Swords clashed, the Other Alef’s teeth gritting as he leaned in. “You really shouldn’t forget your smile.”

He could feel it and see it, the raw edge of desperation in the others eyes. Probably because Alef presented a threat to Gwaelin.

Other Alef’s eyes widened at their Guardian’s familiar words. He faltered, just for a second. It was all Alef needed to shove him back into the ground, and turn. Buildrick was behind him, eyes ablaze with a inner fire that he hadn’t been able to put out the first time. This time however, he was determined to repay the trust the Dragon Lord had shown him.

This time, he would not let the Dragon Lord die.

Alef charged in, sword swinging for Buildrick’s neck. Buildrick ducked, the sword biting into his hat, and then into the flesh wrapping his skull. The solid steel hammer prevented the sword from going any further, but there was now a matching scar. He had made the first, now the second.

Alef grunted as the Other Alef climbed to his feet faster then he expected, sword driving for his back. He swung, sword still stuck in Buildrick’s hammer. Buildrick was sent flying, further out into the water. “Buildrick!” The other Alef’s voice almost cracked. All of their Guardian’s teachings were lost to him, weren’t they.

Smile, and allow no one to know what you were thinking. Not your weak-points as you stared after the meat puppet flying through the air into deep water.

The water abruptly shone.

Ah- He could recognize Rubiss’s feeble attempts to intercede. The pillar of pure white light, and thunderous electricity shook the air. Where would it go? He didn’t know, but-

Alef crouched, sword sheathing as he shot forward. He wasn’t as good as the Ledgermen at magic, but he had learned a few tricks from them, to make coming and going from the castle easier. He couldn’t do it for long, but he hardly needed to keep it up for that long. Just long enough, to use the magic as kick off points to cross the water, and jump into the circle of light as well.

Alef still couldn’t hear Rubiss’s voice. If he were to guess, she’d probably be telling him to get out with all her might.

Alef hit the wall of light.

With a yanking jerk, the world around him shifted, changing and twisting. Then, with a heavy thud, he fell against cold stone. Alef pushed up, only to be knocked down again as Buildrick landed on his back. The breath was pushed out of him, as Buildrick lay still and limp on his back. “Oh Goddess, you’re about as comfy as cuddling up with a rockbomb as it’s about to go off.”

Rock- ah. They had refused to join the Dragon Lord’s army. They just wanted to roll around, eat rocks, and sleep. The Dragon Lord hadn’t minded it but he thought it was poor behavior. “That’s fine, since we’re here to battle to the death.”

“Before that, where are we?”

“Cantlin.” The answer slipped out of him before he could stop it. Alef mentally kicked himself. It was harder to kill those he knew personally. Like Gwaelin. He had once found her, as she fled the castle with her guards. He had been able to slaughter the guards with ease, but-

He hadn’t been able to strike at her unprotected back.

Even if she had been forceful, she was the first person to take Alef by the hand and say sincerely that she loved him. He hadn’t loved her at first- charmed- but not loved. It had sunk in slowly, between long talks at the castle as he planned his next move.

Alef sat up, as Buildrick groaned in pain. The stab marks he had made were still there, but something was missing.

“Where are your clothes?” Alef questioned after a long second.

“Ask Rubiss.” Buildrick spat out. His hand fell on a stick, as he stood up slowly. Injured, but unable to run away. They both knew who was faster.

And Buildrick should understand the outcome of this particular battle. Except the fire in his eyes said he didn’t. Even naked in the woods, a fair distance away from any help, there was no yield in Buildrick’s eyes. Why?

Why couldn’t he of met this person during his travels- no. No, he wouldn’t fall pray to the what-ifs. This time, “This time for sure, I’ll part your head from your body. I doubt even Rubiss will be able to bring you back after that.”

“Probably not.” Buildrick agreed, shuffling further back into the woods. “Though I have to ask- when did we first battle?”

Did… Did Buildrick seriously ask that? Alef felt his smile crack. “North- North of Tangateal. In the castle?”

“Castle- North of Tangateal… oh. That small little outpost? I do remember fighting there, but I-”

Alef reached into his bag. The blue was faded and chipped, the gold tarnished and dull. It wasn’t well maintained, unlike the blade. His own little snub of his ancestor who so readily believed in prophecies. The only thing left behind to him was a useless trinket- the emblem. It was a gate to rebuilding the rainbow bridge, left to rot in the middle of a poison swamp. He knew he was the descendant of Erdrick, and to be forced to fetch a token to prove it was demeaning.

“Ooooh, right, the big muscle guy. In the castle. That’s right… I had to chase you off to stop the constant attacks on the castle and destroying my hard work.” Buildrick crossed his arms, naked and bleeding in the woods. Alef had to admire his focus. “Well, then- I guess that means you don’t actually want me to make you something.”

“I’m surprised you sound so disappointed.” Alef made himself take a step forward. He should shut his mouth. As his guardians said, it was better to keep quiet with a smile on his face then talk and be led astray. But- it had been so long. Only the Dragon Lord socialized with him to any real degree. And he’d done his best not to upset the way things had happened. Just… hurry things along. Faster, and quicker- he wanted to reunite with the Dragon Lord.

The Dragon Lord had requested this specifically from him- that Buildrick, somehow, was to be killed. Alef had thought of it as simply Buildrick being a thorn in the monster’s side. However, Buildrick met his eyes with a considering frown. “I wanted to see it. What your desires pointed to. It’s been hard- I make a kitchen, nothing. I build a mine, nothing. I make a sword that is said to be the strongest, and you were just interested in it for how much faster you could kill a monster with it. But it still wasn’t enough.”

Ah- why- why did Alef feel like there was a monster in the clearing?

“That’s all anyone really talks about too. The gray skies this, the gray skies that. The Dragon Lord this, the Dragon Lord that. That’s all anyone talks about.” Buildrick’s eyes bored into him. “Isn’t that terrible? When they could be admiring my works- no, in the first place, because I’m a builder, I want to make big things. But it’s all overshadowed by the gray sky. Everyone tells me how everything is great except for the gray sky.”

Alef… had plenty of dreams of Buildrick. Little dreams of time spent in silent companionship. This- This felt like this was the biggest insight to Buildrick’s personality he had seen yet.

“Are you really claiming that when you faced the Dragon Lord it was because you wanted to be praised?”

“No, no. It’s that his works overshadow mine. No matter how well I build, unless I make a new sun and chase away the darkness completely, it isn’t enough. If I get rid of the darkness, then there will be enough humans to admire my work.”

Alef almost took a step back. The monster across the clearing was a threat, naked and injured as it was. He shouldn’t hesitate. Alef shifted his stance, putting all of his power into his legs as he shot forward. It was hard to read Buildrick’s scowling face- every bit the armor his smile was supposed to be. Buildrick ducked the blade, letting it bite into the tree behind him. It fell, immediately. But, this close, Alef didn’t need to use his sword. Instead he twisted, shield slamming against Buildrick’s side. Buildrick crumpled, falling to the ground.

Alef raised his blade- and wavered. Dreams, emotions, ones that weren’t his crowded his mind. He couldn’t- He couldn’t- Alef gritted his teeth, angry at his own failing. Once again, he couldn’t kill someone he knew personally. Even if he tried to pretend Buildrick was his guardians, he couldn’t. He was still missing that aspect that made him a true monster.

But Buildrick wasn’t missing it.

The stick, as pitiful as it was, drove into the space between his armor into soft and tender skin.

That’s right, he shouldn’t hesitate. The thing across from him, even if he had fond memories of it, was a monster. One who wouldn’t hesitate, whatever form the enemy took, if it was in the way of its goals, desires, and dreams. Alef spun around, cloak rippling in the self-made wind, as he brought his shield down again. Solidly, against Buildrick’s back.

Buildrick went down again, face first in the dirt. Still, and unmoving. Alef breathed in, well aware of his breath shook.

Was the Dragon Lord watching? He wasn’t sure. Was the Dragon Lord bemused by his weakness, or angry? He… didn’t want to know. The Dragon Lord had said nothing when he admitted to being unable to kill Gwaelin. Just nodded, watching him as he prepared for any punishment the Dragon Lord might give. But there was no punishment, just silence. It was unbearable. He didn't want to face that again. But, even with knowing it was a monster before him, it was a monster he ‘knew’.

All of these dreams were messing with his head. Things he had never done, mixed with things he had done. It had been easy to cut off the head of his guardian. To set fire to the castle and it’s nameless inhabitants. To silence the screams with one simple swoop. Alef reached down and grabbed the limp body.

He could see them. The scars inflicted by himself, and the Dragon Lord. The large, gaping holes where the Dragon Lord had attempted to bite Buildrick in half, and the sharp, straight wounds where he had stabbed. Both of them had failed- The Dragon Lord to Rubiss’s meddling, and him to his own laziness in not training as hard as he should have.

The shame of fleeing, and returning too late to help in the final battle burned. It burned high enough that for a moment he thought he could pick up the sword to chop off Buildrick’s head- and yet he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. Alef was a failure- unable to complete a prophecy, and unable to kill one single monster. And unlike in his dreams, there was no one to tell him he could run away like Trystain, no one to clap his shoulder and laugh a deep belly laugh while fighting by his side like Aeroba. No one to sit by the fire with, just watching skilled hands at work. No one to eat with, as Gwaelin giggled or laughed in the twilight as they chattered about inconsequential things.

He was alone.

Not even monsters made a noise.

A flash caught his eye- light reflecting off of ocean. Here, nearby Cantlin- the giant walled city would be too well protected by its stone golem guardian to breech. But, Alef did have a good memory. He always did. “Over there- over the mountains, it’s a jail cell. Cantlin abandoned it’s prisoners there during the war.” And, after the walls fell, a number of the more unscrupulous merchants had locked up those that disagreed with them or crossed them while fleeing to the second city. The Dragon Lord had guessed Buildrick was part of the second group. Neither of them were certain, and neither of them had given it much thought.

It had seemed to just be Rubiss’s desperate grasping- she made her own monster to combat their army.

Even if he couldn’t murder this monster dangling in his grip, he could eliminate them. It was roundabout, and a bit cruel. But- if he just put Buildrick in the prison cell he had died in, then it would be fine.

Buildrick weighed about as much as a sack of potatoes. It was easy to toss him- it- over one shoulder and take off into the woods. For most folks, it would take about a day to reach the prison from the ruined portal. For him however, unburdened as he was, it took only a few hours.

The sun was setting as Alef approached the city from behind.

In a year or so from now, when the Dragon Lord pleased, he would sink a good portion of the continent into the sea. Making Cantlin easily accessible from the ocean, as well as forever cutting off the port. The tunnel in the mountains would collapse, and Cantlin would be left isolated. All towns would be left isolated.

The cell door was bolted shut. The lock had not yet rotted off. Well, he had, even in the middle of the pandemic, visited the keymaker. Buildrick stirred as he unlocked the door. It was too late though. Perhaps not immediately, but quickly enough, Buildrick would die from hunger. He was already injured, and without any of his tools, he was easy pickings.

The body was light as it hit the cold hard ground. Buildricks breath pushed out in a pained wheeze, as he shifted. Curled up on himself, seeking warmth. Alef slammed the door shut. He pushed the lock back in, staring down at Buildrick on the cold, hard ground. He could cut open the lock. It wouldn’t be that hard. He couldn’t hear anything living further in the jail cell.

No. Alef forced himself to turn away. Most monsters would have issues breaking open the cell. It would take a very strong one, and monsters didn’t usually help each other out either. They were much more insular then that.

There was a flash of blue- cloth blue. Out here, so far away from the city? That was the first time he’d seen travelers. Ever.

A hammerhood danced as it waved its hammer at the man in full plate armor. “Thanks-Thanks-Thanks again human! You really saved me from that poison swamp!”

“Hmph.” The man huffed. “You should get going. Now isn’t a good time to be spotted by the guards and soldiers.”

The hammerhood waved its hammer in the air. It stamped its food. “Us-us-us hammerhoods and the Builders have been friends for generations! It won’t be broken so-so-so easily! Though-though-though you’re right. I’m just a lone-lone-lone hammerhood. I’m not much help.”

“Well, even one person can make a difference. In some small way, they can make a difference. That I must believe.” The soldier patted the hammerhood’s head, like one would a dog. The hammerhood didn’t seem offended. It spun instead, and trundled off into the woods.

Its hammer disappeared into the bushes, and all was quiet. The soldier sighed, as he ran his hand across his face. “What am I doing in the middle of a war? Well, no matter. Hammerhoods have always been friendly to the Builder’s of the city, however few there are these days. No, I must focus on my mission this time. The ship must be found and made.”

Ship?

Alef couldn’t remember a ship- couldn’t even remember a mention of a ship in Cantlin that was still seaworthy. Had they hidden it? But, they wouldn’t ever finish it, Alef was certain. He would’ve seen or heard about it if they had.

And yet- curiosity warred within him.

Alef had never seen a ship before.

At least, none that weren’t sunken to the bottom of the sea.

“Who’s there! Show yourself!”

The soldier had sensed him, huh? He really had gotten sloppy. Alef plastered on his smile as he stepped out, hands up. But, he made sure to keep the shield of Erdrick on one arm, showcasing that he was- “Oh, are you one of the heroes that the King sent?” The soldier’s voice was wary.

“That’s correct. I was just passing by.”

“I see you managed to retrieve Erdrick’s armor from the swamp. I had been trying to retrieve it myself before the monsters and poison drove me away.” The soldier sheathed his sword, “That makes you stronger then most of the ones that come. But unfortunately the city is shut up tight. Not even I can pass by the Golem’s watch anymore. Ah, forgive me, I’m getting ahead of yourself. I’m Sir Graynes, captain of the Cantlin Brigade.”

Oh? Graynes, the man the others had been looking for, for so long? Then that meant, it was time to go back to work. Alef’s smile didn’t leave his face as he crossed the clearing in a heartbeat, sword smashing into the soldiers breastplate. There was a gasp from the forest, as a small hammerhood cowered.

It was far too easy to bring down the man, and stab him through the lungs. So incredibly easy, Alef wanted to laugh, as he withdrew his sword. Graynes was unconscious and bleeding into the underbrush- with no soldiers nearby, and nothing but a weak hammerhood that couldn’t even raise its hammer to attempt to fight him, there was nothing else to do.

Instead, Alef decided with a light heart, it was time to go home.

Chapter Text

Alef stared at the still water, eyes wide as saucerplates. His breath was ragged, as he stared at the space where those two had been. He had failed. Alef had left the city in the morning, to track down the bird that had attacked the Yggdrasil. He had followed fallen feathers, and drops of poison, before finding it- and ending it. He pulled the biggest feathers as jaunty plumage- a war trophy? It was hardly a fair fight, but Alef didn’t mind it. It had attacked and harmed Buildrick, and would undoubtedly do so to Gwaelin if given the chance.

Alef had seen the cart come back into town- and eagerly hurried to rejoin Gwaelin and Buildrick. He had almost been humming at the thought. Only to be accused of not being the real Alef at the gate, because there was another Alef in town. And he had run, past the villagers, past soldiers, to where he could feel their presence only to-

Fail.

It was perhaps the first thing he had ever failed, Alef thought. There was nothing he could do. Buildrick was gone. To who-knew-where-

The water bubbled. Alef frowned, shifting his stance. Purple bubbled beneath the surface, before erupting in a geyser. The Giant Dhrol Dhrone was erupting out of the water. When it had hidden, or if it had been teleported in by monsters, Alef didn’t know.

Alef’s grip tightened on the blade’s hilt.

No, first-

Alef turned around, and approached Gwaelin. He couldn’t get to the Dhrone from where he was at. Alef didn’t have the magic of his future self. Not the lightning, not the invisible platforms, nothing. Not even-

Gwaelin looked up from the dirt. Her leg was twisted, broken again probably. If she had run- then probably Buildrick would’ve run. Or maybe not. Alef didn’t know. “Why- Why didn’t you run? Teleport away?”

Gwaelin flinched. “I- I didn't remember it.”

It sounded hollow. He didn’t want to believe it. Forgotten? After his repeated gentle reminders. “Alef.” Her voice was faint, as she looked down at the ground. “Why?”

Why did he turn to the Dragon Lord’s side? She, and he both knew just from the few seconds of fighting, that was Alef. She was struggling with it, but Alef wasn’t. He had known, when Buildrick had just settled in with barely a word he would be willing to follow him. Anywhere? Then, yes. But now… “Now isn’t the time. I’ll tell you after I kill the Dhrone.” He could hardly let Buildrick’s work burn around their ears. “For now, may I pick you up?”

“… Please.”

Alef picked her up. She was still light, but stiff this time. Suspicious, and hurt. The villagers shouts of consternation rung in the air, overlapping and mixing. Alef turned away from the water edge, running for the church. He couldn’t take Gwaelin into battle. But she would be safe at the church. Emma would heal her broken leg again. And he could fight the Dhrone.

Emma looked absolutely horrified as Villagers rushed around. They snatched up whatever they could lay their hands on, pitchforks, shovels, scythes- anything that was available. “Alef? Gwaelin? What’s going on? There were two Alef’s and then-”

“I’m sorry, but Gwaelin is injured. Will you look after her? I will return after the Dhrone has been defeated.”

There was a farmer, openly weeping as the Dhrone spat poison to destroy the sprawling fields. Commander Ceaser was shouting directions, getting soldiers into position. Monsters that rose from the water were rare. Emma supported Gwaelin, brushing off her muddied and dirtied dress. Alef turned back to the Dhrone.

It had dragged itself to the edge of the lake. The poison it leeched was horrendous, a thick purple that bubbled and oozed. It was the one that had fought the Condor, and it ended in a tie. Its huge tentacles slapped the ground, making the ground shake.

Rage bubbled up.

Did his other self think he would fall that easily? Or did he simply think to slow him down?

Alef didn’t have the magic that his other self did. The time spent honing magic, and fighting, but- He wasn’t weak. Alef had fought more monsters following after Buildrick’s wandering then he would of otherwise. Not to mention the monsters that had attacked them in the cities.

Alef was stronger then what he should be at this point in time.

He knew that, in the back of his mind.

Finishing off the bird, as pitiful as it was, had still boosted his strength. To add in the extra strength he had gained from fighting and killing the magmalice, Alef felt strong. Strong enough to march directly towards the Dhrone. Commander Ceaser was yelling something at him- he ignored it. Instead he approached, cutting down the monsters in his way. There were Bodkins with purple skin instead of green, Brownies that swung hammers in three, Shaman and Ledgermen that hid further away from battle to summon in monsters as Scarewolves came ripping in.

They fell, easily.

Humans withdrew, but the monsters-

Their eyes lit up, like they found the most interesting thing. They didn’t flee at the thought of battle- no, they adored it. They pressed in, abandoning their attack of the town for a chance at fighting him. The Soldiers huddled together, terrified as he cut his way through towards the Dhrone.

It howled- with laughter. “Human! You Looooook the sameeeee, but you don’t smellllllllll it.” Its voice was low, and rumbling. “Buttttt you’re strongggggggg.” It’s tentacles hit the ground again, sending waves lapping along the lake. “Let’sssssssssss fighttttttt.”

Alef raised his blade silently. He had no desire to chatter with monsters. Except- “Where did they go? The one with the same face as me?”

“Hmmmmmmm.” The Dhrone wavered on that. “Ifffffffff you defeat me, I’llllllllllllll tell youuuuuuuuu.”

Maybe the monster didn’t know, but it was at least a start. Something to work forward towards. The Dragon King could wait, as needed. Just something- he wanted to pretend. Pretend Buildrick could still be saved. Alef took a deep breath, shifting his stance.

The swords blade shone brightly in the dim gloom. Like it had its own light resting within it. Lighting as well- He was missing pieces. The blade, the magic, the armor- all of it pointed to him missing… everything. Like he barely even had the slightest glimpse into the true nature of the weapons and magic.

Alef banished the thoughts. Even if the monster didn’t know, Alef was confident in his ability to win.

He crouched, eyes on the monster rising before him. Big didn’t make a difference to him. His feet were light as he danced through the poison and the other monsters. They were attempting to attack, but fell quickly with a stab or two. The blade Buildrick had forged felt a bit like cheating. He shouldn’t have it yet. But it felt so good as well. Three steps above his usual sword he had.

Alef used the head of a scarewolf as a platform to take to the air. His hand caught a long eyestalk, and his blade severed it. It screeched, pained and angry- but with no loss of sight as far as Alef could tell. He landed in the mud. It was cold, and painful to the touch with the poison.

A dagger sprouted from the monster. Men and women had lined up from further back where they wouldn’t get in the way, hands full of items to throw. A rock came whistling through the air, plunking harmlessly off of the hard shell. “Get out! Stop ruining our crops!”

“That’s right! Just die and screw off!”

Alef turned back to the monster. The villagers shouts were… a bit annoying. They weren’t in his way, per say. But it felt like it in an odd way. Annoying for some reason. Alef shoved it out of his mind, and focused on the monster before him. It wasn’t waiting for him. The tentacles swept the ground, sending poison and mud flying. Villagers scurried away, fleeing from the poison. Alef surged forward, using monsters as footholds for his charge. Alef slid beneath a flailing tentacle, and drove his sword into the soft, purple flesh.

It howled, thrashing growing ever more desperate. Alef threw his body into piercing deeper. The monster smashed its ‘foot’ against his chest. His armor crumbled in, unable to withstand the monsters strength. Alef backed out of the monsters immediate reach. His armor was dented in, the sharp jagged edges making him bleed. It was free flowing, the bright red mixing with purple and disappearing among the poison. Alef backed up further, hand pressing against his wounds. Magic flowed, knitting together skin and muscle.

The Dhrone dug itself in, and charged. Alef hadn’t known something with such huge bulk could move so fast. But it flattened a house as it thrust its way in. Monsters died beneath its onslaught. It clearly didn’t care- perhaps even reveled in it. Alef jumped to the side, shield rising to block the tentacles. Metal groaned under the heavy weight. He would have to buy new armor, he thought distantly, as he slipped through the horde of monsters.

On the broadside of the Dhrone, Alef could see the thick plating of the shell, as it melted into softer flesh. Purple and pink pulsed, as the tentacle slapped the ground again. Small rock shards sliced through the air, littering with him with small cuts.

No matter. Alef ducked a Tearwolfs claws aiming for his head, as he angled the sword up. Like a hot knife through butter, it sliced the flesh from the shell. It was a bit like preparing a crabbid for the pot. Alef didn’t hesitate at the shrieks of pain, as the Dhrone swung its massive body from side to side. Alef reached out with one hand. The poison poured around his arm. It burned on contact but that was it. It wasn’t debilitating. Alef planted both feet against the dhrone’s side, and pushed.

The shell began to rip off. Blood and poison was streaming down freely now. Mixing, mingling, without any care for human or monster. Alef didn’t care.

His goal was clear: Kill the Dhrol Dhrone, and find any scrap of information if he could about Buildrick’s location.

The shell fell to the ground. The Dhrone was left completely exposed, as Alef forged his way up the blood slicked flesh. Alef drew back his sword- and drove it into the back of the monster where the ‘brain’ would be.

The Dhrone jerked, and fell. “Ooooh, that was a good fight humannnnnnnn.” Its voice bubbled as it wheezed for breath. “Very goooooood. I haven’t had so much funnnnnnnnnnnn since Zoma.”

Again, Zoma. The name haunted the past that was only remembered by monsters. Did it really matter though? “And, will you tell me about Buildrick and the one with my face?”

“Ohhhhhhhh, across the seaaaaa where you can’t goooooo.” The Dhrone laughed, bubbles of poison and blood popping in the air. “To the city humanssssssss call Cantlinnnnnnnnnnn.”

Cantlin. If only it were Kol. Whether or not it was himself, Alef had no doubt Aeroba would instantly move to defend Buildrick. Or even Tangateal. Myra, Launce and Trystain would intercede on Buildrick’s behalf however they could. Instead-

“Rubiss be damned.” Alef muttered as he stared at the monster. It was collapsing in on itself, shrinking as blood and poison flowed into the lake. Buildrick truly was completely out of reach. The only feathers he had were for Kol, Rimuldar, and Tangateal. Was this his punishment by Rubiss for even thinking he’d go to the Dragon Lord’s side? Or- no. His other self had been trying to kill Buildrick, and was on the monsters side, right?

Ah- that’s right, inter-monster wars, right? Were the Dragon Lord and Buildrick incompatible?

Alef didn’t think he’d worried so much over the motivations of different parties before in his entire life. His guardians wanted fame, and power. The King wanted to be rid of the threat. The ladies with a flirtatious wink and smile, wanted a night of fun. Gwaelin wanted to be rescued, and by his side. Buildrick… he was dead now. Probably. But they hadn’t talked about it for a variety of reasons.

The monsters fled, as the Dhrone lay still. A good sign the monster was dead. Cheers rose up from the villagers and soldiers behind him. It was more muted then when the priest had been healed. But, it was still heartfelt. Their city was saved, and even if a few of the fields were poisoned, it wasn’t all of them.

Ceaser’s soldiers skirted past him gingerly. Too afraid too approach the puddle of poison he was standing in.

“Sir Alef. You should get your wounds treated.” Commander Ceasers voice was calm, and steady. Alef’s eyes slid towards him. He could see Ceaser’s mouth tighten into a thin line, back straightening. But he did not yield. “Sir Alef, please come away from the poison in the lake. The sage and your Builder friend sent plenty of purifying fountains to clear away the poison. We are quite lucky, if it were much more then just this, then we would be unable to purify the land.”

“...I see.” Alef lifted his sword, not missing how Ceaser tensed. He used the hem of his cloak to wipe off the poison and blood. If it were just a regular steel sword, he would see pitting from where the poison and blood ate into the metal. For this blade- it wiped as clean as the day it was forged.

Alef sheathed it at his side, and turned towards town. Ceaser sighed in relief as the sword was put away. Alef stepped forward- the poison hurt, but not enough to blink at. Instead, he hovered his hand above the wounds. There was no poison crawling in his veins. Once washed off, it would cause him no more harm.

Emma hurried to his side, and without asking she shoved an antidote herb in his mouth. “Sit down right here. I will wash off your wounds. Princess Gwaelin told me that Buildrick was attacked. Is that… Is Cantlin where he was sent?”

“That’s what the monsters said, but whether or not they were telling the truth is hard to tell.”

He gritted his teeth as pure water was poured over his arm. The skin would grow back, but in large stripes, leaving behind some faint scars. Like a striped zebra pattern it ran up his arm, through where it had destroyed his clothing and armor. The soldiers were setting up purifying filter fountains to remove poison. Farmers inspected the damage done to crops, muttering.

A couple wept as they pulled what they could out of the wreckage of their house.

Alef glanced away. Gwaelin was hanging onto the arm of a soldier as she hobbled out of the church. “Alef! Your wounds-”

“They’ll heal.” Alef bushed it off easily. Quickly. His stomach was twisting into knots the longer Gwaelin stared at him. She wasn’t flat out accusing him of anything yet. But there was no telling if she would.

“We need to talk.” Gwaelin said softly. There was no give in her voice- just a simple statement. Well, they certainly did. He just wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Alef nodded, and flexed his arm as Emma pulled her hands away.

“Buckets! Bring the buckets! We’re lucky to have such a stockpile of food.” Farmers chattered as they started cleaning up the poison. It was bad, and probably there would be a few fields left to fallow for a long time. But, it wasn't complete destruction.

His dreams- or perhaps he should call them memories- pointed to the land becoming so poisoned it would take decades to be fixed. Not that the bubbling lake of poison helped matters at all. Alef held his arm out to Gwaelin, who took it. She was that confident in his unwillingness to harm her- and she was right.

The door to their room in the inn was thick, but they kept their voices low. There was a soldier at the door, and it wouldn’t do to have him overhear afterall.

They faced each other quietly. Neither one quite certain where to start. Then, Gwaelin took a deep breath. “Alef.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you attack Buildrick?”

“I- I don’t know that either. I understand that I went to the Dragon Lord’s side… I suppose in the future? And now, we’re back in the past, but I don’t know anything about what happened in that time. But- I’m pretty certain I didn’t meet Buildrick the first time.”

“I- I agree with you. I’ve… been having dreams or visions myself. Of… a wasteland of gray, and being encased in stone, before Buildrick’s face appeared.” Gwaelin shook her head. “And… before that… I remember you coming to the castle to speak with me for a moment. I-I demanded that you love me, did I not?”

Like reading the words on an old, worn book, Alef remembered. Gwaelin clinging onto his arm, with bright, shining eyes, demanding, “But thou must love me!”

“You did.” Alef said after a moment. “But- I do. Did… No, I do love you. I loved you back then as well. Just… When the Dragon Lord offered, I was...” Curious, and a bit disbelieving that it was actually a choice. He- his other self- didn’t seem to have any regrets about accepting it. He had learned a lot, though it hadn’t transferred across time. And- The Dragon Lord accepted the choices he made. Which was… odd, wasn’t it? They were enemies.

“If you did love me, then why did you accept the Dragon Lord’s offer? Even when the castle was burning down around my ears, even when I knew my father would be murdered terribly, as the townsfolk screamed for help- I refused him.” Gwaelin was weeping, Alef realized. Large tears that hit her hands. “Even though it hasn’t happened yet, I can still… They all died. They all died Alef.”

If it had been him, of just two months ago, Alef wouldn’t have cared. The people there meant nothing. Just roadblocks on his way to the Dragon Lords defeat and then…. And then what? After he defeated the Dragon Lord, his guardians would take credit. And then he would rule over Alefguard with all those-

No. Alef could feel bile rising in his throat. He didn’t want that. He wanted out.

“I… get it now. But… Me of the future didn’t… didn’t care. There was no one there he wished to save other then you, and you were refusing.” She refused the Dragon Lord’s offer, so he left her be to die whatever death would happen. Backstabbing, treachery- there were many ways. But Gwaelin had survived, survived long enough for Alef to send out commands to have her captured and brought to the Dragon Lord. Not that that had happened because-

A flash of blue filled his mind. Of his sword rising, falling and- Why? Why would Buildrick work together with someone who attempted to murder him? It didn’t make any sense, and Alef knew he wouldn’t get any answers.

A knock came at the door.

Gwaelin lifted her voice, “Come in.”

An old, bearded face appeared. “Princess Gwaelin. Sir Alef. I am the Sage of Yggdrasil. I was told by your companion Buildrick you were looking for the Rainbow Drops to gain access to the Dragon Lord’s Castle.”

He was going to go mad, Alef thought. Why would Buildrick make such a request? Inter-monster wars? “Buildrick did? When-”

“After healing everyone and helping to pick the hollyhocks, Buildrick informed me of the desire to make the Rainbow Drops himself. However, I haven’t seen him. Emma told me you would know where he would be? Ah. I’m sorry, did he die during the attack?” The sage appeared truly contrite. “My apologies for interrupting your grieving. If you’d like I will take the items, and return this evening with the Rainbow Drops. I heard from Emma that Buildrick was well liked among the villagers and trustworthy, so I do not mind trusting you who traveled with him.”

The Sage didn’t recognize him from the first time he had arrived. Alef didn’t mind it at this point- it wasn’t a bad thing. But-

Gwaelin glanced to Alef. “Will you go? To fight? Or-”

“Whatever happened, it isn’t the same this time.” If the Dragon Lord had ordered Buildrick’s death, then Alef had a very good reason to see the Dragon Lord dead.

Gwaelin’s hand touched his clenched fist. Alef stood up, and approached the Sage. The Staff of Rain and the Sun Stone were handed over. “I will be back later tonight.” The Sage promised. “And if you’d like, we can do a last rite on his grave.”

“No, not yet.” Alef said after a moment. He didn’t want to do that- not yet. He wasn’t ready.

The Sage left, and it was just Gwaelin and Alef once again.

“Are you certain Alef?” Gwaelin questioned. Her hands trembled as she clasped them in her lap. “You don’t have the armor, and… The Other Alef will be there.”

“Yes, I’m certain.” Alef said. “I will probably have to buy new armor from the shop in Rimuldar, but if I face off against the other Alef I should be able to win.” The lightning bolt magic was new. And a problem. “The lightning magic- I’ll have to move faster to dodge it.”

Gwaelin nodded, trusting in him completely. Alef wondered what Buildrick would have to say at that- if he would have some way of nullifying the electricity. But it wouldn’t happen again, would it? His Other half wouldn’t hesitate… would he?

“Gwaelin… These past few months since I met Buildrick I’ve been having dreams.”

Gwaelin nodded, “I have been as well since I was kidnapped by the Dragon. Of… Myself.”

“Indeed, so have I. However, while they are things that happen in the future- I am wondering if I can see things through my other self’s eyes. Since we are technically the same person.” For some reason, sleeping with Buildrick seemed to of cut off the connection, or the visions. However, with Buildrick gone-

“I- I cannot say. But it is worth a try. I will pray for your success as well.”

Alef didn’t think for a second that praying would do anything. But, if it would make Gwaelin feel better, then he wouldn’t say anything. Alef pulled off his helmet. It was pitted from the poison, and flying rocks. Repairable, by the right hands. The red horns were smooth beneath his gloves touch.

He didn’t want anyone repairing it right this moment, Alef decided. He had scoffed mentally at his Guardians mention that some things should not be repaired. But he was beginning to understand a bit more now. Someone who would take as good care of repairs as… Well, they were hard to find.

Alef placed the helmet down on the table, and laid down on the wide sofa beneath the window. Gray skies boiled above him. He closed his eyes, and willed himself to sleep. Like a distant whisper, or someone grabbing him by the hand and leading him on, the dream came.

The jail cell door swung shut. Buildrick, injured, but still alive by a hairsbreadth lay behind the solid metal bars. He was curled up, mostly naked except his underwear. Alef could see monster tracks going in and out of the building- they looked like Hammerhood and slime tracks, mixed in with a few others. Was the den usually used by monsters? Surely not, if this other Alef had picked this particular jail cell as the holding place.

Then, Other Alef turned away. Abandoning Buildrick. Alef wanted to go back, but kept his eyes out for anything at all to help-

Cantlin. The giant stone walls rose into the air. Alef could see an absolutely gigantic stone golem guarding the town’s entrance. Huge craters dotted the ground around it, from where it had smashed in carts. Alef could see them, as distant as they were.

Alef watched as he was approached, and - “...Graynes...”

Ah, the man that he and Buildrick were trying to get a hold of. To let the man know what the actions of the monsters were. “- ship.”

A ship? Could it be-

Alef hadn’t heard about a ship at all. But if there was a ship- even if Buildrick couldn’t swim-

That’s right. If there was something to make, Buildrick would be there. And other Builders as well. But Buildrick wasn’t human, was he? The monsters certainly didn’t think so. There was something off from Buildrick, that made it hard for him to believe he was completely human either. But even if Buildrick wasn’t human, if there was something big to be built, he would be there almost undoubtedly. And he remarked that he had come from the Cantlin area. So if he were alive in this era, then Cantlin would be where he would be living.

The Other Alef cut down Graynes without hesitation unlike Buildrick. All of their hard work, gone, and lost now. Alef could feel their connection breaking, like a reed in the wind.

He woke up on the couch.

Gwaelin was staring at a book page, but it was clear from her unfocused eyes that she wasn’t actually reading. The candle hadn’t even burned past its first mark. He hadn’t been asleep for long. “Buildrick might still be alive.” Alef croaked out. For some reason, he was exhausted as if he had just fought a long, hard battle. Was it the Dhrone battle catching up with him? It was hard to tell.

“What? You think so?”

“In Cantlin… south. There was a jail cell.”

“A jail cell south of Cantlin. Ah! I know of what you speak. But there will be no way for us to get to Cantlin in time.”

“No, we can’t get there in time.” Alef agreed. He sat up woozily, hand against his forehead. “Is there really no way to get word to Cantlin to check the prison?”

“The Stone Golem that guards the town refuses to let anyone in or out.” Gwaelin replied. “The letters between Captain Ceaser and Captain Rollo attest to that. If- If the sky were to become blue, the Stone Golem might calm down.”

That- That would take too long. It would be about a weeks travel from here to the Dragon Lord’s castle. Was there really nothing that could be done? Anything faster that he could do? Alef ran his fingers through his hair as he turned.

There was a slime in the window. It had flattened itself between the edge of the window and the edge of the planter. Alef swung open the window, and grabbed it. The slime had interesting squeaks of terror, Alef thought, as he brought it inside.

But- “Hey, is there some kind of secret shortcut across the sea?”

“N-No?” The slime wobbled, before bursting into tears. “Goweee human, don’t kill me! I’ve been a goo slime, I promise! I’ve never attacked a humannnnnnn!”

“No, that’s not what I’m here for.” Alef said. “Rather then that- I want to know- Is there any way to get a message from here to the soldiers stationed outside of Cantlin.”

The slime wobbled. Its huge eyes stared up at him. “You want to goo to Cantlin? Fast?”

“My companion Buildrick- the one the slimes have been stealing the medical leaves from- he was tossed in a jail cell in Cantlin.”

“Ooooh! I know who you’re talking about! It spread through the slimes quickly- the one whose easy to nab a few leaves off of. Hmmmm.” The slime flattened slowly as it thought. “That one is in danger? But it doesn’t really concern me...”

Ahhhh, it wanted something huh?

“And what do you want?”

“Gowee- I don’t know...” The slime thought it over for a minute longer. “The goomans are in the cities and don’t come out anymore, but when they do they always like beating us poor slimes up. The Chimeras don’t share medical leaves unless they have to. Soooooo-”

Alef mentally counted the medical leaves in his bag. Buildrick was always snagging and making more. Alef was honestly concerned about just how many plants were left in the wild. He had somewhere between fifty to a hundred medicinal leaves. Buildrick probably had more in his bag, but that was gone now. Sunken down to the bottom of the river, or- had his other self stripped Buildrick naked? That was a bit…

He wasn’t going to think about it.

Alef placed the medicinal herbs on the table.

The Slime looked at it with sparkling eyes. “Gowee, those are Builder made, aren’t they? Ooooh, I can smell it. They’re stronger then normal medicinal herbs that even the chimeras make. You got a deal gooman!”

Chapter Text

Buildrick groaned as he sat up. Naked, alone, and back in a tomb. The same tomb? He could see Cantlin’s walls before him. At least Rubiss had left him alone while he slept instead of filling his ears with ‘I told you so’. Buildrick tugged at his hat, one of the two things he had been left with. In the brim of his hat, somehow surviving the teleportation, was a single medicinal herb. He should eat it.

Buildrick’s eyes went back out to the grated door.

He’d been locked in.

Short of a helpful monster wandering by, Buildrick doubted he’d be getting out anytime soon. The walls were a bit too sturdy for that. Stone instead of dirt, and being both injured and naked meant he had very little to work with. There was only a flat tree stump for a builders table below if he went in deep. Maybe a few flowers for healing cream. Or perhaps not. Maybe just the seeds existed below. Either way- Buildrick was stuck.

Buildrick sighed as he leaned against the bars. The lock clinked loudly.

The dark sky was oppressive. It was nighttime, which meant he’d been unconscious for hours. He still felt a little woozy too. Buildrick closed his eyes, just for a moment.

Buildrick sighed. His hunger was gnawing at his stomach. He probably had about half a day left, before his hunger would start eating him from inside out. He stood up, on shaky feet. His wound wasn’t bleeding anymore, which was good. The steps were fresh-carved, with nothing missing. Slowly, he made his way to the bottom of the jail cell.

It was different from what he remembered. The ground wasn’t covered in a mix of dirt and plants. Instead it was all carved stone. Before, there had been the bones of those who had been tossed in, and a cross that marked the jail cell as a tomb. The tree stump builders table was still sitting there, but the floor was clean, with nothing but chains hanging up in one corner. The torches were unlit, plunging the room into even further darkness. He had seen the writing in the corner when he had first woken up in this room, but hadn’t been able to make it out before. There was no writing now. There was no cross.

Had he been the one to make the cross when he had originally been tossed in the jail cell? Buildrick supposed so at this point.

Either way, there was nothing he could use. Just bare stone walls, and a flattened stump table. Well, he called it a table, but it was basically a stump with mostly flat surface and a rock on it that he could use for flattening materials. It was easier to say it was a makeshift place to use to build, then an actual table.

Buildrick sighed as he sank down beneath the chains.

Two Alefs.

A fight to kill him in particular.

He was actually a bit flattered.

The last time the Dragon Lord had met him, Buildrick had been instantly dismissed as too weak to bother with. The Dragon Lord had immediately started attacking with the intent to kill him and be rid of him. It wasn’t until he had ‘proven’ his worth by defeating the humanoid form that the Dragon Lord had gone all out, even offering him a place by his side.

Then- Then Rubiss had finally proven her worth by summoning those who could help.

So in this timeline, the Dragon Lord was taking him as a threat pretty seriously. Which was laughable when he felt worse and worse by the day. Buildrick started to get up again, only to hit the ground.

He was dying.

Buildrick gritted his teeth. He wasn’t going to die in this jail cell. To be trapped in a time loop with no end in sight, reviving, building, winning- and being sent back in time again. Had he already looped? No, probably not, there was no cross, no writing- and no other bodies. Unless whoever was tossed into the cell with him found his body and made a cross for him? That way might make sense.

His stomach roared, loudly, and hungrily.

“That’s pretty loud gooman.”

Buildrick looked up- a slime stared at him from the top of the stairs. Ah, it could squeeze through the bars, couldn’t it? It was tiny- tinier then even Splatrick Still- “Yeah, I’m starving. I don’t suppose you have a plumberry you’d be willing to share, would you?”

The slime slid back a step, still peeking at him. Then, it raced away. Hmmm, he was out of options, wasn’t he? Starving, alone, and unable to even climb to his feet. Buildrick had been relying on Alef too much, he figured. Alef could eliminate monsters quickly, and cleanly enough that Buildrick could make them into food or materials. If one could level up their building, he’d be top tier. Fighting however- was he level zero?

Something cool touched his hand.

Buildrick forced eyes open, unaware he’d even closed them.

A slightly cracked plumberry sat on his hand, as the small slime stared at him from across the room. Buildrick bit into it- just a bit underripe. But- “It’s delicious.” Buildrick said.

The slime beamed its happiness, before remembering it was supposed to be wary. “You don’t smell like the bad goomans that get tossed in here. You smell different from goomans completely.” The slime sniffed the air. Ah, that’s right, because he wasn’t completely human. He was becoming less human the more time passed. If he was ever actually human in the first place. It was beginning to blur. Were all of his memories Alef’s? All of the dreams he originally had were.

“Hmmm, well, what can I say.”

“...Do you like goomans?” The slime questioned. Yep- this slime really reminded him of Splatrick.

“Sure do.” He was fond of several at least. Pippa, Elle, Aeroba, Barbella- Alef. Even if his future self did try to kill him. He had started it with trying to kill Alef first he guessed.

“Really?! Gowee human! It’s not often I hear of monsters like us liking humans. All the other slimes make fun of me for it, saying I’ll grow out of it as I get older. But I don’t think I will.”

Oh, this really was Splatrick, wasn’t it?

“Well, you should be careful, not every human is kind.”

The slime nodded, wobbling. “Because it was a human that tossed you in here, wasn’t it? I could catch the faintest lingering sniff.”

Human, huh? To be alive for a hundred years, could one really be considered human? When he talked to Elle, and even Myrtle, they mentioned living until age sixty was a miracle in those days. Myrtle had been older then most with his ability to eat thin air. Gerontis was a miracle at just how long he had survived. Still-

“Hey. Wanna play a jailbreak with me?” Buildrick questioned. His legs were still wobbly when he stood up. But he didn’t mind it.

Splatrick bounced in excitement, “Oh! Oh! I know! I know! Up north, the Hammerhoods will probably break you out!”

“Hammerhoods huh? I wonder if Clobberina is in charge up there or not.”

“Clobberina? Oh, she’s one of the older hammerhoods, but she’s not in charge. That’d be Pummelle.”

Pummelle? Like… Pummel- no. He wasn’t going to think about it. Buildrick definitely wasn’t going to think about it. No, what he was going to do instead was sit down with Splatrick and figure out a way to get out. He didn’t have a Builder’s table, but if he could just get his hands on some wood...

“Do you think I could trade a healing herb for a hammer?”

“I don’t see why not?” Splatrick questioned.

Buildrick held out the healing herb. The slime took it happily, and zoomed off into the underbrush. It as a 50-50 chance on whether or not Splatrick would come back with help. Come back with anything, really.. Buildrick licked the Plumberry juice from his fingers. While not enough to fill him, it staved off the hunger for a bit longer. Just enough that he could limp his way over to the stump table to lean against it.

Splatrick came back, hammer in it’s mouth. It spat it out between the bars, practically bouncing with excitement. “The hammerhood threw his hammer at me in thanks for the healing herb! Something about a human being injured and it was trying to find someone to heal them!”

The wooden hammer felt good in his hands, as he gave it an experimental swing. Buildrick swung it back and forth, as Splatrick jumped beside him. “Let’s goo! Ah, that reminds me, I’m Splatrick! And you are?”

“Buildrick.”

Stone cracked beneath each heavy swing. Crumbling, breaking, and- The stone dropped. Splatrick bounded out, as Buildrick kicked away pebbles and stone. The grass was soft against his feet. There weren’t any patrols on the walls of Cantlin- and he doubted they’d be able to see him very well either. Or even care.

Splatrick bounced as it went before him. “Let’s goo human!”

He should tell Alef- the one he traveled with- that he was still alive. Or perhaps not? It might be better to leave Alef alone for now. Although they had parted on a bad note, he didn’t have a way of contacting Alef that didn’t revolve getting into Cantlin. And he could see the Stone Golem standing guard.

Well, if the Dragon Lord was defeated, then the Golem would stop guarding the city so closely. The city would be safe for now. Even the Dragon Lord had issues bringing down the cities walls. Apparently. Buildrick had slept through everyone attempting to explain it to him.

Splatrick zoomed across the grassy plains. Buildrick ripped up leafy fronds as they walked. Once again, he didn’t have the connection to his colossal coffer, which meant he was going to have to think about what he was carrying. There were abandoned fields, untouched since the Golem started going mad.

Buildrick didn’t feel guilty plucking ripened food off the vines, sharing it with Splatrick. The slime giggled as it bounded through the untended fields. Wheat waved gently in the dim light, and vegetables Buildrick didn’t recognize twined up vines- no, these were tomatoes. He did recognize them from Kol. Red, plump and ripe. Buildrick plucked a few and bit into them. Slowly, his stomach was calming. But he didn’t feel any better at all.

Fire smashed into his arm as he reached out to drag Splatrick behind him. The Chimeras floating around the mountains had come drifting down. It circled above their heads, as Buildrick rubbed at the burn a bit pensively. Naked in the woods, with this big of a burn- things really weren’t looking good for him, huh?

“Hey! What’s the big idea?!” Splatrick yelled.

“Kraw! Anything wandering too close to our nests will be eliminated!” The Chimera flapped its wings, snapping at the air dangerously. Picking up Splatrick burned, but it was less of a burn then if he got hit again by fire. His hammer was unwieldy, and wouldn’t hit the Chimera easily. So, thus, it was time for a tactic he had used often.

Run away.

Splatrick stuck out its tongue at the Chimera as it fell behind. Buildrick kept along the mountainside, before he saw a discoloration of rock- fake rock wall. Without even thinking about it, Buildrick went straight for it. Splatrick jumped down, as Buildrick slowed down. They were on the eastern side of Cantlin, where the Dragon Lord had sunk the landmass. The fake rock-face fell away under just a simple touch. Cloth, painted as a rock-face. “Gowee human, that’s amazing!”

A tunnel stretched out- wide enough for two carts passing each other by was all. A very rarely used road to the ‘port’ probably.

There were abandoned crates in the tunnel. Buildrick crouched down, pulling out metal and cloth. While he couldn’t make anything without a table, if there were at least some boots then he could be a little more protected.

Splatrick peeked around him. “Are you just taking it? I thought humans had rules not too.”

“That may be, but they’ve been abandoned for a long, long time. You can see that by the dust. So don’t worry about it.” Buildrick plucked a shirt from the pile. It was just plain cloth- it would barely give him any kind of defense at all. But some was better then none. It was no wonder they’d abandoned it in their flight to get out. The metals were common iron and coal. But he couldn’t carry all of that. It was too bad, but-

Buildrick pulled on the clothes. It was a relief he thought, he could feel himself warming up just a bit. Then, they kept going. Through the cave, out the other end. There was a post- abandoned. Whoever the guards were, they were gone now.

The sea stretched before him. Buildrick sighed as he leaned against his hammer. The cool sea breeze threatened to steal his breath away from the chill. The sun would set soon. And with it- “Do you need to get home?”

“Oh, probably, but what fun is that?” Splatrick giggled, “I’m a naughty slime! We all are!”

“Hmmm, that may be true, but I don’t really have a place to offer you this time.”

Splatrick tilted its spike to the side, indicating its confusion. “That so? Isn’t this the first time we met?”

“Would you believe me if I said I come from a future?” Buildrick questioned, as he started up the coast. Waves lapped against the shore- Buildrick hadn’t seen a sandy beach before. Though not exactly the same as the sheer cliffs that dropped into the seas that much of the country was surrounded by, the Dragon Lord had left much deeper marks then Buildrick realized. The water didn’t immediately terminate into deep, endless water. Instead, it jutted out, filled with coral, and sea plants he hadn’t ever seen before.

There had been a lot of firsts recently. First real town, first actual castle, first time eating foods he had no idea existed, first time actually traveling with someone- two someones.

Splatrick’s eyes were shining. “You’re from the future? Is a nice future with blue skies? All my slime friends tell me that the skies were as blue as a slime!”

Buildrick shook his head, “No, it was a future where the skies stayed gray.”

Splatrick flattened at that. Buildrick continued on, eyes flickering back and forth for any sign of a place to hole up for the night. He could move fast if he wanted, and had for Alef’s sake. And here, along this coastline, there was nothing but long, waving grass, sand, and shells.

“I don’t think I want that.” Splatrick mumbled after a moment, “Do you think the Goomans will win and make the skies blue? I want to see that.”

Blue sky this, blue sky that. Both monster and humans longed after the sight of blue. The dreams gave him no idea of what a blue sky really looked like. They all came after, during the times of gray sky. If he really thought abut it, he could understand the longing that filled them. He felt it too, if he really tried to summon the feelings. But it faded by the day as he attempted to untangle what was Alef’s memories and what was his.

The memory, the dream of blue skies might not of ever been his. But then that meant, if it had remained after all these years, it could be considered a request, couldn’t it? Was it Alef’s desire, forgotten and buried? Or was it Buildrick’s lone desire he had carried with him through reviving?

“You and me both.” Buildrick said after a minute. “The humans as well. A lot of them are dreaming of blue skies.”

“Is that so? Ooooh, I like that!” Splatrick giggled as it zoomed ahead. Buildrick could see mountains rising before him- mountains that he vaguely recognized, but not completely. They had been reshaped by the Dragon Lord’s claws, but these mountains were rugged, and tall, stretching directly into the ocean.

And there, carved away, tucked away and hidden, Buildrick could see a path. A human path, that wound around the mountain. Splatrick jumped right past it, without noticing. Buildrick jumped onto the first step. Splatrick followed him easily. They followed the path, dodging Chimera fireballs. Around and into a cavern.

A secret port.

A dock that had been missed in the Dragon Lord’s rampage stood in the water. Next to it, in a dry dock, was a ship. It rose into the air, half built. Underneath it, people milled. Soldiers, white knuckled as they kept guard for any monsters that would fly close. Dock workers weaving rope, and woodworkers carving the wood to prepare for ship building. Buildrick stared down at it.

A secret ship being built.

A fat, well dressed man came thundering in on top a horse from yet another hidden entrance. He was swearing as he brushed soot off of his clothing. Even from here, Buildrick could tell he was dressed more ostentatiously then probably the King himself. His voice carried in snatches, “Why… Complete… Graynes will… Lianport...”

Lianport? He had heard the name from somewhere, but he was uncertain as to where. Maybe- Gwaelin, wasn’t it? It had to be her. Buildrick jumped as Splatrick leaned against his arm. The pointed tip of its head pointed to another vantage point. Buildrick nodded, and slid down to it. Still out of the humans view, but close enough to hear more.

“The Builder is sick, and no one has been able to match his output.” The soldier said, clearly unhappy. “And no one has been able to cure him, not even the priest we smuggled out of town.”

“Hah. He’s determined to be a thorn in my side, isn’t he? Builders, more trouble then their worth a lot of the time.” The rich man shook his head. “The Dragon is growing more powerful by the day, and so is it’s army. Cantlin will fall quickly enough, but at least in Lianport there’s more soldiers, and less hangerons.”

Oh, so he thought Lianport would last longer? Perhaps so- All Buildrick had seen were those three towns, and the ocean was completely cut off from him. It was hard to tell. Buildrick stared down at the small secret cavern. Over there, in a hand-carved room was stacks of chests. It looked a lot like his own attempts at organizing. Buildrick suppressed a grin, as he looked around. There was a small path leading out of there- oh, had the Builder used this as a secret path to get around the soldiers?

“Splatrick, you live nearby here, right?”

“Yep, in the grove northwest!”

“Then- have you seen or sniffed out any humans?”

“No, not for months.” Splatrick curled up against his arm. It hurt, but less then he expected. “They got something burning to keep the smell of humans down.”

“I see.” Buidlrick’s eyes flickered to the secret path again. The sun was still fairly high up in the sky- they had made better time then Buildrick had expected. As long as he was careful then- “Let’s go.”

“Into camp?”

“Along the secret path.”

Splatrick looked excited enough to just about faint. It eyes sparkled as they followed Buildrick along the secret path. It reminded him of going up the top of the mountains with the miners to try and rescue Barbella. Except this time it was humans instead of monsters he would have a tough time fighting. They skittered along thin edges, following the secret path and keeping out of the way. The further down, the better Buildrick could hear the talking.

“Can’t wait to get out of this godforsaken area.” Someone muttered, “The second that ship is complete, I’m getting out of here no matter who I have to kill.”

“Even if it’s slower going, bit of a relief the Builder’s out of the way. They were grumbling they’d take the ship to fight the Dragon Lord themselves.”

Gwaffs of laughter filled the cavern, as Buildrick slipped around the edge of the rockface. So there was a chance of the Builder being murdered? As it was, it sounded like the Builder’s sickness was what was keeping them alive. Buildrick entered the room, and stopped.

It was filled to the brim with items- and not just random stuff. But actual materials. Stacks of logs against the wall, all perfectly aged. Chests stuffed to the brim with metals- iron, steel, coal, copper. Nails, thousands of them, sitting in neat stacked piles by the size. Rounded glass panes waited to be set into ports. Mechanisms, just a few, lined the shelves. Things that made things go. Cogs, springs, batteries- so many small mechanisms that he wanted to bury his hands into and connect into something- anything. But, it wasn’t right to steal it.

“Gowee, This human has the same face as you!” Splatrick said, as it leaned over the unconscious Builder in the bed. Buildrick turned around.

That was a coincidence, wasn’t it? Or perhaps not. Buildrick trotted to the beds side.

Sure enough, his face was asleep in the bed. He- the other him- looked exhausted. Deep bags under his eyes, breath wheezing in and out with shaky breaths that hurt just listening too. Buildrick reached out, gloved hands brushing a pale cheek. One eye opened blearily.

Bright blue stared at him.

But-

Unlike when Alef met Alef, there was no recognition in his eyes. Just a simple stare, before eyes sunk close. But through his gloves, Buildrick could feel a familiar sensation. It was hard to explain. Like the sensation of falling into bed after a long, hard day. Comfort, and peace. Of course, he was the kind of person who avoided going to bed for as long as possible. Buildrick pulled up a stool. “Splatrick, knock me awake if anyone comes in, got it?”

“Got it!”

Splatrick zoomed off to the entrance, using his body as a blockade. Buildrick had the feeling the door would just harmlessly go over the slimes head. However, he tugged off his gloves. His hands were rough, even with protection. The myriad of scars ran like patchwork over his body.

His cold hand touched the Builder’s hot forehead.

And like stepping into a warm bath, Rubiss’s presence enveloped him. Though, she certainly wasn’t paying any attention to him. No, her attention was fully on the Builder.

“I don’t care.” The Builder’s voice came, echoing, distant, yet close. “I’m just here to build a ship.”

“Please, just a bit longer! I know I’m asking a lot from you, when you’re already like this, but I’m sure the Dragon Lord will be defeated this time!”

“There again, the ‘this time’. How about I finish building my ship, and let Graynes kick its ass? I’m a builder, not a fighter or anything else.”

Oh? Although the name Graynes meant nothing to him, for the Builder… Graynes held a special position, didn’t he? Well, not Buildrick’s problem. Buildrick cleared his throat, “Rubiss-”

“Oh, my child! You are here!” Warmth wrapped around him, a hug from Rubiss. “I’m so happy, I can finally speak with you again. I have not been able to watch over you, as I wished to do. But even so, for you to have survived so long is truly a miracle.”

“I’m ain’t dieing no matter how much you beg.” Buildrick snapped back.

The Builder laughed. It was a little odd, hearing his own voice echoing in his head. It was odder hearing ‘himself’ laugh. It wasn’t held back a bit, which Buildrick approved of. However there really wasn’t much time, “Gotta make this quick. The merchant is probably planning on murdering you.”

“I can see that.” The Builder agreed pretty easily, “That’s what the secret path is for, so when I finally find Graynes I can get him to take over the whole fighting the Dragon Lord thing. I’m just a Builder- I just want to make things, not fight.”

He had said something fairly similar before himself, hadn’t he? Before he found himself standing at the edge of Cantlin as a Golem reared above him with stony fists ready to destroy everything. Buildrick hesitated, before continuing. “You may want to avoid Graynes for now. There’s someone after my head and since we share the same face, they’ll probably target you too.”

“What the hell have you been doing with my body?! No wait, my body is still here, but my face then? What are you doing with me face?! I got places I want to go to after this gray sky business is all cleared up!”

And again, the gray sky wormed its way into the conversation. “Ahhh, gray sky this, gray sky that, it’s not that big of a deal. Anyways I’m just-”

“Have you never seen the blue sky before?”

Just… for a bit. When he was teleported back to Gwaelin after defeating the Dragon Lord. The tall walls of Tangateal had blocked out a lot of the light, and night fell faster then any of them were expecting. Add into the whole mess just how weak and shaky he had felt, the sun and blue sky wasn’t a priority. And Buildrick- he’d felt a need, deep in his bones. Even if Tangateal wasn’t complete, he felt the need to move. To keep going. No- that wasn’t right.

He had left Tangateal to go die alone rather then listen to Elle, Rollo, and Gwaelin weep. Barbella would’ve kept calm. But Buildrick hadn’t wanted to hear it. Not as he felt his life slipping away. Despite his response to Rubiss not to sweat it, it hurt. He had been tired, and exhausted, and as everyone around him partied and crashed, he had waited until the moon was high above him. There had been pinpricks of light in the dark sky, but it didn’t light up the ground in front of him.

“No, huh?” The Builder’s voice softened, just a little bit. It made Buildrick’s teeth grit. “Have you ever seen a full moon?”

“Ahhh, I don’t get it. Everyone’s whose ever seen the blue sky keeps going on and on about it, and even a bunch of folks that never have all yak about the sky when there’s other stuff we could be talking about like the fucking fact there’s no or little food.”

“Isn’t that just a sign that they trust your skills as a Builder that much they don’t need to worry about it?”

Buildrick rejected the thought immediately. “They hunted their own food a lot of the time. Mushrooms- I guess I provided the meat. But anyways, that isn’t the point. I’ll help out with getting that stinking blue sky everyone can’t shut up about.”

The Builder was quiet for a moment, thinking things over. “You’ve never seen the blue sky? I guess I can see why it wouldn’t be important if you’ve never seen it. Well, I think you’ll grow to love it like everyone else.”

“Spare me.”

“Nah.” The Builder was grinning. Buildrick could tell. “It’s too much fun to watch you squirm like this. Since, after all, I’m the one suffering right now, I think I deserve it.”

The Builder did have a bite to him. Buildrick could appreciate it. But also a surprising gentleness as the Builder said, “Let’s talk. Unfortunately we gotta deal with that one there, but let’s talk just a bit more.”

“I am not a thing.” Rubiss objected. “And I have stayed out of your conversation, haven’t I? I am not that rude.”

“Unlike me, yeah yeah.” Buildrick took a deep breath, “But we gotta hurry- I don’t know if we’ll be interrupted.”

“Oh my child, have no fear. I will tell you when danger draws near here. It is the least I can do.”

The Builder was approaching, though Buildrick couldn’t see them. “First things first though, I can’t claim to know everything, but are you really prepared for what will happen? You come from a world that only happened because the Dragon Lord won. And when I look at you, I can clearly tell you aren’t me. Unlike what Rubiss said about reviving me, she couldn’t. Instead she created her own soul, and filled my body.”

The only reason why Buildrick existed, was because of Alef’s choice to go to the Dragon Lord’s side. He could see why he might agree to the monsters offer to join. One monster to another, and- if he accepted the Dragon Lord’s offer here. If he stopped fighting, he would continue to exist. Even so-

Even so!

“I keep being asked to give them some blue, so I’m going to give it to them. I’m a Builder after all.”

The Builder grinned, “Even if it means you disappear?”

Well, “I’ve already been threatened with that before, and I haven’t died yet. Maybe I’m being a little bit cocky, but I’ll trust in it a bit longer. I need to get to Tangateal, and then to the Dragon Lord’s castle, beat him, restore the blue skies, and then I’ll build whatever I want!”

Chapter Text

Gwaelin wondered if this is what going mad meant. She sat calmly in her seat, as townsfolk rushed around her. Alef was going to face the Dragon Lord. With armor he’d picked up in Rimuldar since his old armor was rather broken. The only thing Gwaelin was certain would withstand the fight was the sword. But there was a desperate, clawing terror in Alef’s eyes. Ever since the Slime announced it had been in contact with the slimes across the ocean only to find the jail cell broken open, Alef had been working fast.

Too fast she was a bit afraid, though it wasn’t her place to state as much.

Alef had traveled with Buildrick far longer then he’d known her. Even with their ‘memories’ it wasn’t perfect. It gave her a sense of peace to be by Alef’s side, but the memories themselves weren’t fully there. The work it took to build a relationship hadn’t actually been done (yet). Traveling- well, it had been fun, but mostly quiet. Alef was wiped out from the heat, and often dozing before the sun had fully set. Buildrick was just quiet in general as he fiddled with this or that, and Gwaelin had been happy to write on the books Buildrick made for her. Their silence had been companionable.

And it hadn’t been just silence- There had been some small conversations. Teaching Buildrick about things he never knew. Fireflies, describing food he’d never tasted as he figured out the ingredients in them, Buildrick showing them what was poisonous, and what wasn’t- and how to eat poison anyways. Gwaelin talked a bit about the work her father did, and that she had dug her heels in to help out with. Nothing happened unless she forced it after-all.

But, despite her acknowledgment she needed to be the one to take the step forward, she found herself hesitating. She was hesitating a lot.

The gray wasteland visions haunted her. Was… the other version of herself here as well?

“Gwaelin?” At Alef’s voice, Gwaelin looked up.

There was brewing madness in his eyes.

Gwaelin reached out, to catch him by the hand. He stood still for a moment, refusing. She tugged again, insistently. He could refuse her, but Alef finally sat down next to her. The Phial of Rainbow Dew was clutched in his hand, as he stared at the vial the sage had given him.

“Take a breath Alef. I know you’re worried, and I am as well. But if you exhaust yourself before you even face the Dragon Lord, then that will be even worse.” Gwaelin put her hand over his, and felt the tenseness thrumming in his hands. He hadn’t been this tense when facing the Green Dragon to rescue her.

“You’re right.” Alef took a deep breath. “I won’t be able to fight my best if I am not at least mostly well rested.”

“Yes.” Gwaelin remained still, watching the wind rustle the leaves of the nearby trees. The soft, acrid scent of poison still lingered. “Alef, do you think it’s wise to go fight the Dragon Lord as you are now?”

“Well, I must admit, with only a sword I am more nervous then I otherwise would be. There is a good chance they have hidden Erdrick’s armor. So even if I went looking again, I doubt I would find it.” Alef’s eyes were dark, as he considered his chances. “If I had five or six months, I believe I could make it to Cantlin to at least get stronger amour. We don’t have that time however. There’s the Stone Golem. I forgot to get the Flute to put it to sleep from Kol. And there’s only one of those feathers to teleport me to Rimuldar, or to Kol. And not much of a chance of getting more fast. Buildrick seemed to be teaching folks, but I don’t know how much they know. Will… Will you be alright returning to Tangateal alone?”

Gwaelin nodded. As much as she wanted him by her side, she knew. The monsters would disappear for a few months after the Dragon Lords defeat. They’d eventually reappear, but for a short time at least, they’d vanish. It would be the best time to secure trade routes, fix the overgrown roads, and find missing folk- no, she was getting distracted.

“Indeed... I will make sure the guards know to not let anyone with your face in. Unless you know the secret word. You won’t forget, right?”

“Of course not.” Alef softened. His hand was slowly beginning to uncurl as they sat and talked. “But I suspect they’ll leave you alone. If Buildrick broke out, and the other has realized it, I’m sure he’s busy trying to hunt down Buildrick. And the Dragon Lord doesn’t seem to leave the castle much. When I arrive, he’ll come back even if he’s out. I’m sure of it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes… I- It’s faint, but I’m very certain the Dragon Lord will be there when I arrive.”

Gwaelin bit her tongue. They were operating on a lot of what-if’s and maybes. If they could remember the future, wouldn’t the Dragon Lord as well? What if he made a different decision? However, they could only go forward on the information they had. They needed to make a decision, and push forward.

“Princess Gwaelin.” Commander Ceaser approached. “I heard your request to return with a soldier.”

“Indeed. I cannot take you away Commander Ceaser. There’s no telling how many more monsters may yet attack. So just a single soldier will be helpful.”

Commander Ceaser nodded. He held a thick stack of papers for the return trip. “I have assigned Sir Spearcer to be your guard. He’s one of my strongest men and will be able to guard you well.”

“I trust he will be able to join the war room meetings?”

“Indeed.”

“Very well then. I will be returning to the castle at noon.” Gwaelin said. Commander Ceaser nodded, eyes coming to rest on Alef.

Alef remained straight and stiff, quiet. “Sir Alef.”

“Yes?”

“I- I understand it that you plan to press on to the Dragon Lord’s castle.”

“That is correct.” Alef was beginning to tense up beneath Gwaelin’s hand as he replied and Ceaser’s frown deepened. He wouldn’t be amendable to any suggestions contrary. Gwaelin wondered if it was a side effect of seeing his own face stab someone important to him. Or if it was the Dragon Lord’s influence creeping onto his mind.

“I’m afraid my men and I will be nothing but a hindrance. We cannot fight as well as you can, the fight against the Dhrone certainly drove that point in well.” Ceaser was winding up for something. “That is why I spoke with the merchants. They agreed to get you to the fort south of where the bridge to Kol would be. While not all the way, it will get you there much quicker and with less hassle. Many monsters will have a harder time attacking you on the back of a cart. Though, I suppose the Tearwolves and scarewolves will demand a toll.”

“Ah, they will, won’t they?” Alef’s hand uncurled beneath Gwaelin’s. “Thank you. That will speed things along.”

“Aye, it’s the least we can do. I don’t know if we’d of been able to defeat the Dhrone before it poisoned the entire lake. You pretty much went against it alone, so we owe you one. And the Sage seemed pretty impressed.” Ceaser rubbed the back of his head, a bit embarrassed by what he was saying. “When will you be leaving?”

“I will see Gwaelin off, and then set off myself.”

“Understood. Then shall I send for the cooks to prepare you food for your trips?”

Gwaelin nodded. “Yes please. The vegetables here could certainly put the castles gardens to shame.”

It was little more the idle chitchat at this moment, but it was a welcome respite from the thoughts and worries swirling in her head. Gwaelin smiled at Commander Ceaser, steering the conversation according to just how much Alef tensed up at any way the conversation was drifting. It was mostly whenever monsters came up. Was he still caught in the middle?

Was letting him go really the best idea?

Did she have a choice?

Gwaelin couldn’t walk well. She had been afraid she had broken her leg yesterday, but the Doctor confirmed it was still healed. Gwaelin still limped along slowly. To go to the Dragon Lord by Alef’s side would require him to carry her through the castle. And even then, she would be put to the side. Ignored.

There was something screaming within her, of a time she had been carried straight to the Dragon Lord. And offered up as a sacrifice. Where her words fell on deaf ears, as she begged him not to fall prey to the Dragon Lord. There were so many memories, jumbled, mixed, and weighing her thoughts down. Now that she had to acknowledge them as something that was probably real, they jostled for attention.

Commander Ceaser marched off, leaving behind the guard. Gwaelin turned her attention to the guard. They would be traveling together, even if it wasn’t that long. Alef was quiet as she chattered with the guard about even more inconsequential things. The guard had family at Tangateal, and that was why he had been picked. He had come to Rimuldar to have his son treated, only for all treatment to fail, and his son died two years ago. He had been living alone in Rimuldar with no family and unable to go back until his assignment was over. As she talked, she wondered what Buildrick would say- something that would make the man smile. He had a tenancy to come out with some crass statements that people just grew to love nevertheless.

Lunch was served, as the Merchants cart was righted. The carpenter, still half out of breath and weak from sickness gave a soldier a thumbs up. Horses snorted and stamped as they were led out and hooked up to the cart. Alef turned to her.

It was time, wasn’t it? Gwaelin stood up, leaning on Alef’s arm. Should she give him a kiss goodbye? They had told each other they loved each other. But, there was still a wall. It didn’t feel quite right. If it had been just the two of them, Gwaelin was certain that she’d of been a bit more forceful. Was forceful the right word? But- When Alef rescued her previously, they hadn’t gone south into the heat. The heat had sapped her will to do much other then use Buildrick as a pillow. They had gone north- to the castle, Kol, and Cantlin. Everything was different.

Gwaelin took the arm of the soldier. She stared at Alef, taking in the way he stood tall, and strong enough that it seemed like he could shoulder on the whole task.

“Alef.” Her voice wavered. “Please, be safe. I will have my guards look for Buildrick wherever they can, and I’m certain he can survive. He’s very strong, just as you are. So please, make sure to return to us both safely.”

Alef stared down at her for a long moment before he reached out. He pulled her in, like a man drowning. “I shall.” He promised. Her heart eased, and clenched. “I shall return to you both.”

Gwealin wrapped her arms back, as a few townsfolk around them chuckled. They were whispering things like young love to each other. The Sage and Emma linked arms, leaning into each other. Gwaelins heart ached at the site. The old, stable love that came from decades of care. Was it wrong to want that now? But even so, it felt like there was something missing.

Another person.

The Guard waited patiently as she let go, and put her weight on him. Gwaelin didn’t look at the Warp Wing as it was held aloft into the air, nor did she look away as wind picked her up without touching her. Then, like a shot from one of Buildrick’s cannons, they were away. Flying through the air, as land fell easily beneath her. It was hard to imagine just a week ago she was being carried across it by Alef.

Below them, just for a moment, there was a boiling black pit, as Charlock Castle rose into the air. The black clouds that gathered around it sparked with their own lightning as they pulsed with malevolence. Then, just across the small sea, but still within ‘sight’, Tangateal castle rose into the air. As she came zooming in, she could see soldiers rushing back and forth. Preparing for her and her single Guards landing into Tangateal.

Hard-packed dirt crunched underneath her shoes.

In minutes, she was swarmed.

Gwaelin smiled brightly as she waved at the relieved, ecstatic faces of the soldiers. Myra was at a window, her tired face breaking into joy as she saw her. More soldiers were surrounding her by the moment, carefully supporting her as the guard from Rimuldar was led off for more questioning. The hubbub rose and fell around her, like waves that crashed against the shore. It buzzed around her in excited nervousness, as she made sure they were heading for the doors.

Then, out of the shadows came-

“Father!” Gwaelin said softly, mostly to herself. She let go of the soldiers arm, stumbling on her bad legs. They didn’t hurt- or maybe they did, but rather then that, she couldn't help but feel that it had been years- decades- centuries- days- months- he was dead, and yet alive-

Her Father blinked- and dropped what he was holding to extend out his arms and catch her as she stumbled. “Gwaelin! My goodness, what were you thinking?” His scolding fell on deaf ears as she wrapped her arms around him in the tightest hug she could muster. His arms were shaking, she noticed, as he folded her in close.

Gwaelin didn’t think of time, or anything else.

It was just something a child would think, to feel the safest in her fathers arms. But, could she not be a child just for a little bit longer? Her fingers clenched on the royal red of the robe, as she closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, the guards were waiting respectfully. Gwaelin reluctantly pulled away. It wouldn’t do to stay like this forever, even if she half wished it were possible. A soldier waited at attention. “Gwaelin, I’m sure you need some time to rest, and readjust to the castle life. I heard from Commander Amos you had traveled to Rimuldar for healing.”

“Yes. Since Sir Alef and Sir Buildrick were traveling in that direction, I thought it would be best if I joined them. As you can see, I’m not fully healed yet, but I will be soon.”

“Indeed. I was most thankful that you sent me word. Though I wish you had come home first. Still, I am relieved to see you well.” His hand squeezed hers. “I heard that your room was rebuilt, but I haven’t had a chance to see it myself.”

“No worries father, I spoke with the one who remade it. I’m certain it will be quite comfortable.” Gwaelin smiled a bit tiredly, “I will join you in the throne room after some time.”

“Indeed. I would like to hear about this Hero Alef you mentioned in your letters, and the reason why he did not bring you back personally.”

Gwaelin nodded. She had expected that, but so far only two of them knew the truth. Slowly, she made her way to her room, supported by the guards. The whole air of the castle felt different- buzzing with terrified, but hopeful energy. News of Alef fighting off monsters had made their way back- a few of the noblemen were whispering about it in corners. In other corners, the cooks, maids and butlers whispered about the one traveling with Alef.

It was interesting to hear the divide, Gwaelin thought as she leaned against the wall. Halfway up the staircase, and she had to take a break. The Guard glanced back, before turning to her, “Would you like to be carried the rest of the way?”

“No. The Doctors said I needed to walk.” Gwaelin refused. If it were Alef, she would’ve accepted immediately. But the Guards might drop her, and she was terrified of the idea. Slowly, painfully slowly, they proceeded up the stairs, as maids rushed by them. Gwaelin could see them hauling buckets of water.

“Myra, I love you.” Gwaelin announced at the top of the stairs. Through the open door, she could see a full bath, gently steaming. Myra smiled at her, as the maids took over from the guards. Gwaelin stripped, practically falling into the bath. She glanced around.

The room was beautiful. Plush, filled with little touches that told her it had been Buildrick to make it. The yeti rug that looked so soft and cozy she’d happily sit down on it. The bookcases carefully leveled and sanded down. A huge tapestry hung against the wall that separated the two ‘rooms’ she now had. It was filled with the ancient tales of Erdrick.

It felt like an entirely new room.

Even her bed was different, just from a glance. Pure cotton sheets beneath a thick fur blanket, pillows stuffed full to the bursting. Even without meeting her, Buildrick somehow understood what she liked. Or maybe they had?

There were so many things she wanted to ask Buildrick now. Questions about the Dragon Lord, and the world doused in gray. Gwaelin dressed, and glanced out the window. The sun would soon set, but not yet. Was it really worth it to climb back down? Myra cleared her throat. “I arranged with the Butler to setup a room on the ground floor nearby the throne room. Please just let us know what it is you request, and we shall bring it to you.”

“Thank you.”

Gwaelin felt a little bad that she already wasn’t going to be using it. But, neither could she face the idea of all of those stairs. It took until sunset to limp her way back down the stairs, and into the dining hall. Father was waiting for her, calmly, in dining hall. Upon her arrival, hot, steaming food began to be born out.

Now that she had spent a week in Rimuldar, watching the farmers, she could see the difference between fresh picked crops from just minutes ago and day old to week old food that had gotten shipped out. The corns sweetness had dropped dramatically, though still brilliantly delicious. Gwaelin caught herself before she started licking her fingers. Buildrick had rubbed off on her. “Gwaelin, how are you feeling back in the castle?”

“Oh, it is ever so good to be back Father. Thank you for the feast.”

He was quiet for a moment, “Yes. Of course I would for you. Are you prepared?”

Daughter or not, as the one out in the field, and traveling with a hero targeted directly by monsters, she had a lot of things to report. Questions she wouldn’t of been able to ask or even think of would be coming from all corners. But it was expected to have at least a semi-formed opinion on them. Gwaelin nodded as she gestured for a Guard to come closer. She’d prefer to stand up on her own, but the run to her father, and then up the stairs and back down had left her exhausted.

Sure enough, there was a group of about twenty commanders, a mix of men and women waiting to question her.

The conditions of the road, how the people in the towns looked, the number of deaths, the guards, any plans that might’ve been overheard- although no monsters besides the Dragon Lord had spoken to those in the castle, they knew monsters spoke. Gwaelin ratted off as many details as she could- the roads being terrible. A good number of townsfolk were close to starving in Kol and Galenholm. The plague in Rimuldar had dropped the amount of shippable food- a huge number of fields had been left fallow. Cantlin was stuck- with their Colossal Coffers connecting across the country, they weren’t on the verge of starving yet, but they were sending more and more requests out for someone to slay the Golem so they could access their own fields as few as they were. Even soldiers who went patrolling too close to the entrance were attacked. Even if they were a part of the city, the Golem would allow none in or out. Even though it could speak a few words previously, it no longer did.

Sir Graynes had sent word that the road to Cantlin had practically vanished. There had been stop-houses that had once stretched south, but had since been turned into piles of dirt or broken down completely. She had seen the same for the road to and from Kol. The bridge was out completely, and the roads were in such bad condition they may as well not exist at all.

Father nodded when Gwaelin provided the address of Aeroba for her reward. She had a very big part in her rescue along with the miners. “Did the platoon I send not get in contact the miners? I heard they took care of Dragons that had attacked the town before.”

“I- I don’t think so. The soldiers that had come came by themselves when they attempted to rescue me.”

“I see. That certainly is an issue.” Father grimaced, “The miners have fought plenty of dragons before, so I thought they might be able to give the soldiers tips on killing the beast.”

“Indeed, the miners all fought well against the Dragon when I was being rescued.” It may of taken a huge pile of bodies, but they would have prevailed. Against the giant hand made of lava however… Gwaelin shuddered to think of just how many would die to it without killing it.

It wasn’t until close to midnight that she was released. Commander Maurice, Amos, and Ceaser’s notes had a big hand in that- All three of them were concise and clear enough to get quite a bit information across. Also, the nearly thousand page report was more then enough to get through. It was a relief.

Gwaelin leaned on the guards arm, before glancing towards the main doors. Surely, the courtyard would be safe. Every time Alef had dropped her off before, the castle had been safe. And the dark room lit by guttering torches and flickering candles had been hard on her mind. Somewhere, she had been expecting to see a flicker of fire as a Dragon stretched in the darkness. But, it should be safe in the courtyard.

The Guard didn’t protest as she stepped out, Myra at her side. Myra’s hand was calming as Gwaelin tilted her head back to stare at the grayed-over night sky. With no moon or stars, the darkness was almost imposing. In Rimuldar, the fireflies dancing had afforded some light, and Buildrick always had a torch ready. “Gwaelin?” Myra questioned, the lantern in her hand casting its feeble light.

“It does feel good to be back home.” Gwaelin said after a moment. “There have been so many worries piling up in my mind, that it’s a relief to get at least a few off of my mind.”

Myra smiled back at her as she stepped just a bit closer. “Indeed, it really is nice. I’m certain when the Dragon Lord is defeated, and the stars can be seen again, it will be wonderful.”

“Indeed.” Gwaelin giggled, as they approached a bench. A tree stood next to it, shadowy and quite thick. Gwaelin sat down, without thinking about it, as Myra stopped, face twisted in confusion. The Guard abruptly lifted his torch.

A blue skinned face stared down at her, as yellow eyes glittered in the darkness. Gwaelin hadn’t seen the Dragon Lord before like this- either she was at Alef’s side, or she was being snatched up in large claws. Terror clawed its way into her heart, as her breath froze. Was it getting warmer? Like a fire was sprouting up?

The Dragon Lord chuckled, a low, soft noise that didn’t travel far. The Guard finally moved, hand falling on his sword. The Dragon Lord’s arm stretched out, backhanding the man easily. Even in a humanoid form, the guard was sent flying. Gwaelin’s scream caught in her throat as she pressed back. Myra’s hand seized her shoulder, ready to lift her even if it would cost her her life. “My, is that any way to treat a guest?” The Dragon Lord’s voice practically purred. It was softer, and warmer then she expected. “After all, I wish to make you an offer.”

“Wh-What are you doing here?”

“My goodness. When everything is changing, did you actually think that I would stay still?” The Dragon Lord really was amused, Gwaelin held Myra’s hand, heart beating a thousand beats per second. The Dragon Lord’s humanoid form was far less threatening then the Dragon form- but it was still terrifying. The Monster was ten feet tall not including its horns. They rose above his head, a black crown of power. Malice and dark magic buzzed around him like a mantle.

“No, I suppose it was foolish of me to suppose such a thing.” Gwaelin admitted. Her voice shook, as she scooted away from him on the bench. Could she run? Not far, that’s for sure. “Alef-”

“Which one? The one who betrayed you and led my armies to your castle to tear it down brick by brick? Or the one that travels to my side?”

Myra’s fingers tightened on her arm. “Sir Alef did-” Her murmur was lost in the night air.

“Now then, shall we talk? Lady Gwaelin?” The Dragon Lord’s smile was bright, and charming. A bit like Alef’s smile in some ways, as he started to lean on the bench. It buckled underneath his strength. Gwaelin listened to the Dragon Lord tch softly was the weakness of the bench, before he withdrew his hand.

“I don’t believe there is anything to discuss, do you?” Gwaelin decided she would be defiant until the end. If the Dragon Lord had come for her, there was no one here that could fight it.

“Are you certain about that? Now that you have had a glimpse into more then just one possibility?”

Her heart froze.

Was the Dragon Lord really hinting about-

“Even after your hero delivered you to me personally, not even flinching as you begged him to stop?” The Dragon Lord continued, as airily as if they were talking about the weather and not the dreams that had been haunting her sleep. Alef had only spoken of one future, and Buildrick none of them. Only she had dreams of thousands.

“Why? Why do you continue to do this?”

“Why? Why do you continue to cling to a man who would hand you off without any questions? Who would leave you in the dungeon without ever being rescued?”

“He has… rescued me before.” Gwaelin protested. There were plenty of times, he had rescued her, and saved her. That he swept her up into his arms, and went south to find a boat. Somehow, even though there were more of those memories, they were fainter. Wane, like the setting sun.

“Why even bother taking the chance? Wouldn't it be better to take fate in your own hands?”

“By marrying you?” It was so laughable Gwealin would’ve if she didn’t feel the overwhelming need to throw up.

“Is it not a better choice to do it willingly then be handed off? Do you really think that your little Builder will not sell you off either? That anyone in your life will not sell you off?”

Her breath caught. That was right, wasn’t it. The memories she had been suppressing came worming back into her brain. Gwaelin tried to force herself to stop trembling, but couldn’t. She had faced the Dragon Lord plenty of times before, in her bedroom, half asleep and uncertain as to what the future held. “I was just trying to do you a favor in that room.” The Dragon Lord said, calmly, as if he hadn’t left her locked up there to go mad. “To give you a look into the thousands of different timelines that were open to you. The fact that every person, in all the timelines, would eventually sell you out. Your ‘hero’ Alef, your maid Myra, your own Father, the guards- Even after all of that, eventually in the gloom even a Builder would be willing to sell you for a chance to live longer.”

She flinched.

The memories never extended far beyond when the Dragon Lord was defeated, if at all. It was hard to parse through the multitudes of memories. “And just how many do you know of?”

“Plenty.” The Dragon Lord didn’t approach. Just watched her, golden eyes glittering in the faint light. “Worlds in which you don’t even exist, where monsters and humans are friends. Worlds in which different heroes exist, but I tend to find, if I make the offer, at least in one timeline, they will accept. Often even, more then just a single timeline.”

Other worlds, other heroes- none as strong as Alef, but able to beat the Dragon Lord with their companions. All of them lost to the Dragon Lord’s sweet whispers. Even Buildrick, who had restored so much, had broken before the Dragon Lord. It was overwhelming, as it swept into her heart.

There was no one she could rely on.

Not a single soul who would be unbreaking.

“Not so.” A soft voice whispered. A warm breeze sweeping across the field on a cool spring day. “You haven’t yet, have you?”

Who- The voice was vaguely familiar, like it was three dreams ago. And yet, “And neither have I. So please, do not loose heart my child.”

The Dragon Lord’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Rubiss. You’re always a thorn in my side. I’m surprised you have the audacity to break in. What happened to your policy of not getting involved?”

“Alef refused to open his heart all the times I attempted to give him my blessing!” Rubiss- Rubiss was wailing. A cry, a beg- no one would listen to her either, “Even though I did not know about humanity until Zoma kidnapped them through the hole between worlds, I have tried my upmost best to guide them along their way without meddling too much.”

What? This was too much information, and yet, not enough. Gwaelin wanted to ask, but Rubiss’s presence faded. Rubiss was unable to stay long, but- “My child, I cannot offer you much more then this against the Dragon Lord. Just- just for a moment...”

A warm hand clasped hers. Gwaelin blinked, as she stared directly into her own eyes. Her other self looked exhausted, worried and yet- strong. There was no give in her eyes, as she held her other self by the hand. “Thou must.” It was words she recognized, having said it many times herself. “Thou must not bend. I promise, a better time is waiting under blue skies.”

“Even if not bending drives Alef to the Dragon Lord’s arms? Or Buildrick?” Gwaelin questioned. Just three months ago, even in the darkness, she knew what her answer would have been without hesitation. Now, with thousands of timelines, with gray skies and a broken-hearted people, she wavered. How many would survive, and how many would die? If she agreed, would it all come to an end?

“Even so. Do not bend. Thou must stay strong.” Gwaelin’s hand squeezed hers. “I promise you, it shall get better. It won’t get better without blue.”

Blue- the color of Alef’s sword as it flashed through the air, and carved its way through monsters to protect her. Blue, the color of Buildrick’s eyes as he built, and created things Gwaelin had no idea could even be made. Blue- the color of the war banners filled with Erdrick’s symbol. Blue- the color of the sky that she had slept underneath cuddled up to her mothers- then Myra’s side. Blue- a color she longed for desperately. But even so- “I cannot ask them to suffer senselessly.”

“Is it senselessly if there is no way for them to survive?”

Was it? She couldn't say. After all, no matter what, she would survive. Even though almost no one else would, in one scenario or another, she alone would survive.

But even knowing that, Gwaelin could feel herself beginning to feel reassured. Not that people would die, but- all she could do was stand firm. Whether or not she broke, people would die, wouldn’t they. The Gwaelin across from her smiled, sadly. The smile of someone who had lost everything. “It can all be rebuilt, I promise.”

And it all faded away, to dark skies and a tall, almost- human figure with yellow eyes towering above her. Rubiss was gone- banished probably. Gwaelin took Myra by the arm, and stood. Myra was trembling ever so slightly, questioning her if this was a good thing. “Dragon Lord. I shall not.”

“Hmm, and here I thought this time might finally break you.” The Dragon Lord seemed more bemused then angry, which surprised her. But at the very least, it reaffirmed her position- She, Alef- everyone in this world was nothing more then play toys to the Dragon Lord.

“Very well then.” His voice rolled across her ears. “I wonder how things will turn out this time.”

With a gesture of his staff, trees, bushes, and all plants flattened in a wind. Gwaelin nearly went down, when abruptly a strong arm caught her, keeping her up. And out of the darkness came a flash of blue, as a large steel hammer came whistling out of the darkness to smash against a shield that abruptly came glittering to life.

“Bu-Buildrick?!”

The castle came alive, torches lighting up the darkness as giant basins of oil were set on fire. It lit up pale, gray skin as Buildrick leaned against his hammer. His breath wheezed in and out, on the cusp of just tipping over.

But he didn’t.

He straightened instead, hefting his hammer in his hands. “Here we go. Round two. Guess this time I’m fighting with the castle behind me?”

“When did you get here? Should you not be dead?” The Dragon Lord questioned.

“I’m… I’m a monster too.” Buildrick said after a second, “And you know how hard we are too kill.”

“I see, I should have finished you off the moment you arrived in this world.” The Dragon Lord’s full attention switched to Buildrick. Despite herself, Gwaelin took a step back at the power that rolled off the Dragon Lord. It was terrifying, to stand in the presence, and if it weren’t for her own pride, she’d be cowering. “I had hoped to have you disappear much sooner then this, but I suppose there’s nothing else to be done. I will have you killed off here and now.” It wasn’t the voice of someone who rejoiced in it, rather, someone who simply found it as wiping away an unpleasant stain.

“Just try it bastard.” Buildrick sniped back. “I’m not going to die yet. Not for the gods, and certainly not for you.”

Chapter Text

Alef waded through the poison lake as quickly as he could. If Buildrick were here, he would’ve built a safe path. If Gwaelin were here, her voice would’ve been a sweet distraction. As it was, he was alone, with nothing but memories and thoughts filling his mind. His memories were far too loud, climbing over each other in a bid to make themselves more real.

The castle loomed around him, as Dragons, Knight Aberrants, chimeras, Scarewolves, and even a lunatik drifted through halls. The dragons were in all different colors, blue, green, and even red. Alef ignored them, and continued walking. Any of them that came close, it was simple enough to dispatch them. Through the double doors, the to the left. There was no need to explore Alef thought. He knew the way, as if second nature. Through three sets of floor that shocked the breath out of him, but he could heal after each one. Then, around the giant throne.

It wasn’t usually used- there was another throne the Dragon Lord preferred.

Behind it, lay a secret staircase. Alef descended without looking back.

Through the towering castle walls he knew was big enough to fit the Dragon Lord at full size, over the bright red tiling.

The red tiling was comforting, deep in his heart. Like coming home. There were a few monsters, as he walked confidentially through the halls, he could ‘recognize’. The Wizard in the yellow cloak had been the one to show him to his room when he had accepted the Dragon Lord’s offer. It had just been a pile of hay on the floor, but that was all Monsters needed. It was softer then a tree trunk or the cold, hard packed dirt. But not softer then Buildrick’s straw beds. The man had a way with the straw that made it almost as soft as cotton.

And over there was…

Alef deviated from the path, quietly wondering.

In a unmarked chest, covered in dust, was a sword. The blue was unmarred nor chipped, and the blade sharp as the day it was forged. It looked identical in every way to the one he had on his side. Alef’s brows furrowed- Gwaelin said Buildrick had been able to tell the difference with just a glance. Was it Builder’s intuition? He put the second sword back.

He didn’t need it, it didn’t mean anything to him. The one Buildrick made was more then good enough.

Back through the dark caverns with an ease that spoke of long familiarity. Alef stepped out of the castle.

Waves lapped against small islands of green. Hardy flowers grew among the wild greenery, as a Stone Golem guarded the entrance. Alef kept walking- none of the monsters had stopped or challenged him so far. It wasn't only the other Alef that could pretend to belong.

Or, it might just be he was being invited in.

Chipped, dull, faded blue awaited him next to the gigantic throne. The gold glimmered in the blue torchlight, casting an eerie glow. The plush red velvet would be soft to the touch, Alef knew. He had felt it often enough. But, rather then that- his eyes were on himself. His other self?

It was confusing to try and separate themselves.

The Other smiled at him, a real smile. Alef knew the difference. “You’re here to kill the Dragon Lord, aren’t you?”

Oh? The feeling of danger permeated the air. Alef tensed, eyes on the other. “Ahhh, I had thought as much, since we’re both one and the same.” The Other approached, only holding Erdrick’s shield. The chipped, faded, half destroyed armor was left behind. It was a bit of a shame, Alef thought, holding still.

Boots made no noise as they crossed red tiling. Closer, closer, closer. Come here, was the whisper in his mind. “And where is the Dragon Lord?”

“Gone, to the Castle.”

Alef’s grip on the sword tightened. Gwaelin was… in danger. But by the same token, Alef didn’t believe that the Dragon Lord would kill Gwaelin. Level the castle, yes. Kill Gwaelin- for some reason the Dragon Lord never went that far. Ever. Even though it would be easy, even if it would break the country like a dry twig being snapped.

Still, Alef supposed it was possible things might change. It certainly hadn’t held true to the scattered memories. Which meant that he had to take care of business quickly.

Metal sang through the halls, as Alef charged. The Others sword rose, easily parrying the blade. The… sister swords should he call it?… sang with each clash of the blade. The Other lifted up his hand, as lightning sparked inside of the room. Alef jumped, using the throne as a landing point. The lightning pricked, and stung, angry and powerful. The other leveled his sword, fire flickering in the palm of his hand.

Alef dug his feet in, stride lengthening as he closed the gap. The blades clashed, Alef bringing his full weight down. The Other’s arms trembled. He was weak, and hadn’t kept up with his training with nothing but the weakest of monsters to fight. Alef grunted as a shield smashed into his side, pushing him back. Both sword and shield being used as weapons- The Other was cheating a bit wasn’t he? Then, if the Other was going to do that-

Alef reached into his bag, and pulled out a bomb.

It had been awhile since he had planned to use it to blow up his Guardians living quarters, but it would do. The Other was watching him oddly, not quite recognizing what he had pulled out of his bag. Could he get it close enough? Well, no point in thinking about it too hard. Either he would, or wouldn’t be caught in the blast. At least it would give him a new opening.

It took Buildrick both hands to lift the bomb, which only took Alef one. Alef tucked it behind his shield, as he dodged the swinging blade. The Other wasn’t letting up, pressing in with steady, quick feet Swords clashed, as they circled each other, looking for any weakness. Wait, seraching until-

The other stumbled, just a bit. A flicker so slight Alef doubted many would have been able to take advantage of the opening. For him, after all he’d been through, it was wide open. With a flick, Alef dropped the bomb. This particular bomb fuse had already been preshortened, enough that as Alef backed up quickly. It took just a second, of the Other looking at it a bit oddly before starting to approach him. The colossal boom shook the air, the expanding air hitting the Other in the back, and sending him stumbling. Alef struck in that moment, darting forward to drive his blade through armor and flesh into the stone on the other end. It was easy- the sword made it easier then he expected. The metal armor the Other had, wasn’t maintained at all. Cracked, brittle, little more then decoration.

The Other’s harsh breath scraped along Alef’s ears in the dark, warm air. Alef kicked away the chipped, dull blade. Served himself right, he thought mercilessly, to attack Buildrick like that was low, and he just couldn’t understand the others decisions and why he had made them. Alef picked up the chipped blade, and approached his other self writhing on the floor. Alef hefted the other Erdrick’s Sword.

To chip away at it, getting closer and closer to destroying it, over fifty years yet never succeeding... it really did live up to its name of being one of the strongest swords, didn’t it? Alef raised the sword- and wavered.

The other Alef was crying. Big, heavy tears as his hands scrambled to pull out the sword pinning him down. Stone gave away, as the first Alef forced himself to his feet. He staggered, hand rising and pressing against the sword that skewered through his chest. “I...” His breath was wheezing, raspy, thick with blood as he pushed the sword out, “I don’t want to die. I don’t want to disappear.”

It was like ice stabbed through his heart. He didn’t want to die. Why was it him, and him alone that got sent out to fight? Buildrick had joined him, but didn’t fight well enough to not be in some ways a burden. Alef took down two trolls, and finished off the third before Buildrick could really help. The dragon as well, Buildrick was too slow.

But, on the other hand…

It was a struggle getting from one town to the next. Monsters beset him on every side, and there was no one who seemed to dare to step out of town. Every night was a struggle, as he hunkered down trying to find some place to hide to sleep. Food was nothing but hard tack and whatever he could scrounge up. It was miserable, restless experience.

He’d been spoiled, Alef acknowledged, by Buildrick’s talents. Every night and morning, there was a good, hearty meal, and more food was never far away. There was a bed, as thin as it was, and- even if Buildrick was bad at fighting, he never shied away from it.

Alef wavered.

The other fell, collapsing in on himself. The other Alef was begging him, “I don’t want to die. Why am I doomed to fall in battle?”

Alef shook his head, and approached. The other Alef was dying, whether or not he did anything. But by the same token… Alef couldn’t bear to see himself struggling so hard. Was it pity? He wasn’t certain. And yet, as his other self lay on the floor, unmoving, the rage that had burned at learning about the attack on Buildrick warred with his own particular weakness.

He had never killed a human before.

Intellectually, it should be about the same. Monsters chattered with each other, giggling over one thing of the next. They formed bonds with each other, enough to hunt down healing items for each other. There were plenty who just lived their lives without thinking about humans. Those who had houses.

Intellectually, there was no difference. And yet, his sword wavered, as he hesitated. Just because it was intellectually the same, didn’t mean that he was ready to take the step forward. A blue skinned face with golden eyes peered up from behind the downed man on the floor. “So, aren’t you going to kill him human?”

The monsters voice was higher pitched then the Dragon Lord’s low, deep rumble. The figure was only a quarter the size of the Dragon Lord- though since the monster scraped ten feet tall, if not taller that wasn’t saying much. “Wh-Who-”

The little monster puffed out its chest. “I’m the Dragon Lord’s Great-Great Grandson. I followed him through the worlds because I wanted to see whether or not he would live, or die.”

Alef’s grip tightened on the sword handle, so hard he thought he could hear the metal creaking. As if catching his wariness, the small monster laughed. It was a bit more jovial then then the one he could ‘remember’ from times before. “I’m not here to fight human. Just to watch.”

“I find that hard to believe.” There were no memories, no thoughts, no feelings towards this great-great grandson. Or what claimed to be the great-great grandson. Monsters took many different shapes, and told… well- had any of them told lies yet? The commander in the mines, yes, but only while in human form. Once monsters were in their true form, they actually seemed rather… truthful.

“Hmmm. Well, I can’t say anything to convince you. But- you should make your choice soon Human. Grandfather and the Builder are fighting.”

Alef’s throat closed. “They… they’re what?”

“Fighting.” The monster laughed a bit to himself. “So, shall you kill thy other self and usurp his place by Grandfathers side, or will you side with humanity?”

Was that really a question? If he was the Alef on the floor, then perhaps. But for him… Aeroba’s smug smirk as she ground her knuckles into one of her miners hats, Myra holding the sun stone close as she cried for a grandfather that stayed for it, and it alone- Buildrick’s smug attitude as he showed off what he could do to peoples disbelieving eyes. Gwaelin’s warm, soft hands in his, as she smiled at him while talking about politics and policies and why they were enacted before trying to reign herself in... “I have too many people I don’t wish to see die.”

“Then you should get moving soon. I wonder if you’re strong enough this time to fight Grandfather and win, or not.” The child said… because he was starting to understand they had to be a kid. The child before him- were they rare in monsterkind? Or just hidden from human sight?

Alef’s mouth opened, then closed. It… didn’t pertain to his goal exactly, but there was curiosity bubbling up within him. Where before he might’ve walked away, intent on his own path, he wanted… “This time? Do you… remember a previous life as well?”

“Oh, ho. That’s an interesting way to put it. Slipping between worlds means that you see fragments of more. Worlds in which different paths are taken. Some where you fell to monsters before reaching the Dragon Lord. Some in which Grandfather didn’t attack humans. Mere fragments mind you.” The Dragonlords Grandson frowned at the memory, “Though...” He trailed off, musing about something. Nothing he would divulge, Alef decided.

The Grandson was rather talkative. But not that talkative.

“And what happens to you?” Part of the old Alef perhaps? There was the tiniest thread of worry for the monster that seemed to hold no ill-will towards humanity.

“I do realize I’m not at my full height of my power quite yet, but give me two hundred years.” The monster sounded fairly unconcerned despite its admittance it was alone and weak. But- Alef thought, it did seem like it could handle himself. And he had no more time to waste. Dawn was but a few hours away, and Buildrick was battling the Dragon Lord alone.

A slime peeked in, calling out softly, “Gooman? You here?”

“Who-”

“Oh, the kind gooman! You better hurry, the goomans castle is getting destroyed and the Builder is in a bad spot!”

Alef nodded. He knelt down, placing the battered, scratched sword onto the ground, and picking up the one forged for him, and him alone. Alef strode towards the entrance. He’d deal with the fallen other half later. For now, he should get moving. He sheathed his sword, as he stepped out of the dark castle. He glanced back- the only figure in the blue-flame darkness was himself. The Great-Great-Grandson had vanished. No one had come to help his other self- neither human, nor monster.

Alef turned away, to outside.

The clouds were deeper, and darker over the Dragon Lord’s castle. They boiled, rumbling with thunder that seemed never-ending. With such a fierce storm- Alef pressed his hand against his armor. The lightning would fry him on his way out of the castle.

The slime glanced up at him, “Something the matter gooman?”

“I can’t fly out of here with the storm. I need to get out of the range of the black clouds first.”

“That so gooman? Then leave it to us!”

Leave-

Slimes peeked out- several from the clear water, and others from around walls. “What’s gooing on? Are you helping him?”

“Let’s do a king toss!” The slime by Alef’s side proclaimed. The other slimes wobbled, glancing between him and the slime.

“Dunno about this. The King will get super mad. I don’t wanna get banished off the island. I really like the poison swamps and dark sky.” A voice objected from the ocean edge.

“I don’t.” Another slime butted in. There were eight blue slimes gathering around in a circle. “I want to see the sky as blue as us again sometime.”

“No way, gray sky is fine!”

“No it’s not!”

“Fine, let’s take a count! In three-two-one!”

The slimes rushed at each other. They stacked on top of each other, two-three-two- and Poof! They glowed brightly just for a second preventing him from attacking. Then, the ground shook as a creature bigger then the eight slimes put together wobbled. A large, golden crown perched precariously on its head, pulled from… somewhere. The… King Slime almost undoubtedly wobbled for a second. “Okay, I’ve decided! We’re getting out of the castle!”

“Is that-” Alef, began, when the King Slime squashed flatter then it had any right to be. In seconds it had oozed under his feet, before picking him up with ease- every bounce was heavy, but the monster was stunningly fast. It took off, sending other monsters flying as it zoomed through the space. Far taller then a human could, it jumped into the air, climbing the ramparts with ease. It looked around, humming, before making a decision. It scooted back, aligning itself with the ramparts- and took off.

Alef clung to the crown, wondering if anyone would believe him. Probably not- or maybe so. There were at least two who would believe him. The King Slime reached the edge of the castle- and kept going. Alef could feel his stomach drop, as he considered that he may have been tricked. Except, they were moving past the edge of the stormclouds. “Off you go gooman!” The King Slime rumbled beneath his feet. “Oh- and if you have a chance- tell the Builder thanks for the healing herbs! We really enjoyed talking to them at the tomb!”

Alef gathered his magic around him, letting it take him into the air. He glanced back to the King Slime- its crown fell off, and eight slimes scattered to the winds. Had the two of them met eight slimes on their travels? He couldn’t think so- but nevertheless, he was grateful to the monsters.

Alef looked ahead. Fire spiraled into the sky in a blazing pillar that cut through the darkness. Along the shore, a mostly completed boat bobbed in the waves as sailors loaded on the people of Tangateal. Alef placed his hand on his sword, as he considered his options. There were bright white flashes of cannons going off, and some smaller shots of fire. It all paled in comparison the to the Dragon Lord’s magic that flashed.

Then, there were multiple pillars of fire, outlining the small humans that ran for cover. Alef could already see plenty who didn’t make it, falling to the ground. Right over the castle- Alef bit the inside of his cheek, as he forced the magic to stop. Alef free fell down, eyes flickering to the ground.

Gwaelin and Myra were taking shelter against a wall as best as they could. Soldiers collapsed on the castles ramparts looking particularly fried. The King propped up a giant shield, several of the soldiers with him, clutching swords and spears grimly. Five Dragon Lords- four of them a black, shadow copy, stood on the grounds. The true Dragon Lord stood at the center, looking almost bored. A shield was spun around him, protecting and guarding him from any attacks.

Buildrick was at the center. His hammer gleamed in the bright fiery light. He didn’t look well. More like a shambling corpse. Alef brushed all thoughts out of his head, as he focused in on the Dragon Lord.

The shield bounced off all attacks, the cannons booms, the arrows that flicked off it like rain on a leaf, the hammer strike that occasionally bounced off when Buildrick aimed for one of the clones-

Alef didn’t hesitate however. He grasped the sword hilt with both hands, as he pointed it downward. The tip of the blade hit the shield. It began to skitter off, refusing to break. Alef let his body weight and speed to do the rest. The shield cracked and shattered, the white fading out like a dream.

And then it was him, and the Dragon Lord.

The grass beneath his feet was wilted. Almost ready to turn into gray wasteland with no end. The braziers that burned red reflected off blue skin. The battle arena was dim, and yet- “Yo, Alef.”

Alef didn’t turn away, but could feel his shoulders sagging as Buildrick’s voice broke into the silence. “Buildrick, it sounds like you’re still alive which is a relief.”

“If one more persons says I should be dead I’m gonna put hot peppers in their drink.” Buildrick grumbled. “Shaddup Rubiss, of course that includes you.”

Rubiss? Could he hear the voice of the goddess?

Alef suppressed his frown. The Dragon Lord sighed, shrugging. “Well, while those two are arguing, even if I suppose it is a bit of a longshot- Won’t you come by my side once more?”

Once more. Again. Yearning for a place to belong. A place of… Alef couldn’t even begin to describe it. “You’ll never feel lonely.” The Dragon Lord was smiling, as he held out his hand.

That’s right. Even though it was just him and the Dragon Lord, he hadn’t been lonely. Alef shook his head, trying to chase out the memories bubbling in like soup. Gwaelin’s hair shimmered in the distance, but it was far far away. Even though he had told the monster in the castle that he had something worth fighting for, it felt small, tiny and insignificant standing here. He knew what future lay ahead, if he accepted the Dragon Lord’s offer. If he fought the Dragon Lord however, the future was uncertain. Would he die alone on a road? In a ditch? Alone like-

No, either way, he was destined to die alone, wasn’t he?

The other Alef, dying on the cold tile floor, with nothing, not even monsters to watch him…

Alef shook his head, slowly.

“I’d rather… take a chance at changing fate.” Alef declared.

There was a light touch against his back, and a warm woman's voice whispered in his ears so faint he could barely hear it, “I know you can’t hear me. You have been injured too much and your heart has closed to protect thyself. But please, know somehow that I watch over you.”

Alef blinked, head tilting. The Dragon Lord tutted, “Rubiss, what a interferer you are. Even though you claim that you do not move directly, here you are.”

“My powers have been extremely limited since Zoma swept in and took over the land I created even before it was finished. You as well, came in! I made an offer to you, did I not? That you refused?” Her voice was growing stronger as she argued with the Dragon Lord.

Suddenly, there was a cold presence at his elbow. Alef glanced down, at Buildrick’s unhappy face. “These two will chatter your ear off if you let them.”

“Is… Is this what you hear all the time?” Alef questioned after a moment.

The Dragon Lord was sardonic, biting, to Rubiss’s more frantic, almost childish tone. The Dragon Lord was assured in his power, confident and strong. Rubiss wavered, uncertain of her position. Perhaps, since all the stories pointed to it- because she had already lost her position before? Buildrick grimaced, with a bit of a shrug.

Alef didn’t have a moment to think as a fireball whizzed straight at his head. He ducked, shield raising. It wasn’t quite in time, the heat burned his arm. And like that, it was a flag being raised. Arrows shot, only to be brushed away by the barrier. The Dragon Lord lifted his staff. His smile was charming, but dark. “I suppose I should offer one last time, won’t you come with me?”

Alef raised his sword in response, and charged into battle.

Fireballs swooshed past him, as he kept his eyes on the Dragon Lord. Cannonballs went flying, but were blocked with a simple wave of a carved wooden staff. Its bright red eyes glittered in the dark, flashing with every spell slung. Alef didn’t flinch. Every step in the dark courtyard propelled him closer to the Dragon Lord. The sphere that guarded him glittered to life- and Alef smashed it again easily. The sword cut through it like butter.

The sword sank into voluminous robes. Alef could hear the ting of scales against metal, the low scrape of a tail coming unfurled. It peeked out from beneath the robes, as Alef pulled out the sword. He backed up, shield raising in response to the monsters tail coming slamming down. It bounced, and crumbled the shield. “Alef.”

Buildrick was holding up a new shield.

Alef backed up, the Dragon Lord following slowly. The Dragon Lord was unhurried, unstoppable almost. Alef plucked up the new shield, eyes flickering around the courtyard. The soldiers had mostly taken to huddling beneath whatever shelter they could use as they fired off cannonballs and ballistas. The King and Princess Gwaelin had long since disappeared. It was just him and Buildrick on the ground.

“Buildrick, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you get to safety?”

Fire came sizzling down, breaking up the conversation. Buildrick didn’t really use his shield to guard per say- not properly. Alef didn’t have a chance to hear Buildrick’s reply as Buildrick reacted slowly, but with a surprising amount of accuracy. His hammer came down on the Dragon Lords tail. It didn’t take much for the Dragon Lord to flick its tail to get out from underneath. But that was all Alef needed. He slid into the space given to him, sword up.

It pierced into the Dragon Lord’s side, and the monster stumbled. It was slight, but still there.

The Dragon Lord grinned.

It was an unabashed, excited grin. One that Alef didn’t think he had seen before, as yellow eyes landed on him and him alone. The soldier, Buildrick, they all faded to nothing. The black cloak surrounding the Dragonload was shifting, changing, morphing. It faded, purpling, scaly thick-

It felt slow, but at the same time, Alef knew it was fast. He had only gotten the barest chance to lift up his shield, as giant purple wings smashed against the shield. It knocked him back, up against the castle walls. A tail smashed the wall surrounding the castle flat, as the Dragon Lord’s form rose into the air.

It was gigantic.

Alef had forgotten how large the monster was, as bright red, overjoyed eyes stared down at him. The Dragon Lord was excited. Excited at the prospect of battling to death, was it? Was it because it was a monster? Alef just couldn’t understand.

The Dragon Lord stomped the ground, tearing up dirt and leaving a crater. The Dragon Lords muzzle was as big as just about Alef’s entire body- Buildrick could fit in there comfortably, came the distant thought, as Alef forced himself to move as jaws started to close in around Buildrick. Buildrick grunted as he slammed down a full block of stone, hurriedly using his own special brand of magic to try and climb into the sky. It wasn’t fast enough, as Alef grabbed Buildrick around the middle. His feet hit the top of the Dragon Lord’s head. Alef slid down, sword lashing out in an attempt to stab the giant eye. The Dragon pulled away, tossing its head to send them both flying.

Alef grunted as they landed close to the entrance of the castle. Soldiers were shaking as they guarded the entrance. Alef could see Trystain pulling in a soldier. “Trystain, take this one, and don’t let him out.”

“Wait, I’m not a kid you can just-”

Alef abandoned Buildrick, as he went charging into battle.

It was easier to fight alone, as much as he hated it before. But Buildrick was slow, and… It felt a bit like sacrilege? If Alef were to describe it. The Dragon Lords grandson had mentioned about shards of seeing into other worlds. In all of those worlds, would the Dragon Lord look this excited as the battlefield was cleared? For it to be just the two of them?

Dead soldiers at the edge of their battlefield jerked, and rose to their feet. The flesh on their bodies were rapidly melting off, leaving nothing but a skeleton behind. Bones rattled as the monsters swung their swords. They weren’t attacking him, Alef acknowledged in the back of his mind. No, they were attacking the soldiers stationed along the walls. They were only there for the interrupters.

It really was just him, and the Dragon Lord on the grassy courtyard of Cantlin Castle.

The Dragon Lord tilted its head back. The roar of challenge echoed off the walls, and Alef could feel his heart beat picking up in response. The Dragon Lord sounded the most excited he’d ever heard in his (one hundred years) few hours he’d met the monster. Alef took a deep breath as he raised his sword, and pointed it at the Dragon. The Dragon Lord lunged. Each tooth was as long and sharp as a sword. Every scale reflected the dull light, glittering like precious gemstones. It was-

Alef grabbed a hold of a snout, swinging himself above sharp teeth. Despite his speed, the sharp teeth scraped along his leg. It tore past both armor and cloth, leaving him with a deep wound on his leg. He couldn’t take many hits from the Dragon Lord. Not without the armor. He would have to trust in his speed instead.

Alef swung his sword down and around, plunging in deep into the Dragon Lords neck.

Blood spurted, smelly, and poisonous. Any sword made of common metal probably would not of been able to stand up against it. The Sword of Kings however slid out. Not easily. It took a full yank, and the Dragon Lord sending him flying with the shake of its body.

Wings slammed against the ground, wind howling past him as the Dragon Lord took to the air. Alef followed, scaling the walls in leaps and bounds. He cut down any skeletons he passed, but the soldiers were mostly holding their own. Alef could see the pathway Buildrick had made to get into the castle rather then breaking straight through the walls. Alef hit the top of the wall, turning as the Dragon Lord dove.

The Dragon Lord was delighted, excited, and thrilled. Alef could tell, as he jumped off the castle edge to stab the sword into the monsters chest. He gritted his teeth, dragging the blade back in a long cutting motion. He’d seen it, hadn’t he? Buildrick standing on the Dragons body as he broke it down for eating. Along the back ridge of spines were large muscles-

The Dragon Lord rolled, nearly throwing him off. Alef yanked the sword out, crashing to the ground as the Dragon slammed both of them towards the ground. The wall crumbled as the Dragon Lords claws ripped through it like a hot knife to butter. Soldiers and skeletons plummeted to their deaths, the skeletons crumbling into dust and the soldiers crushed by both weight and the fall damage.

He should’ve battled the Dragon far away from the castle, but there was no use regretting it now.

Alef rolled to his feet, and pressed a hand against his chest. Healing magic flowed, binding up his wounds quickly. Not quickly enough, as Alef raised his shield the firey blasts exploded against the shield and the ground. It burned. Alef pulled his shield away, and nearly cursed as a expanse of yellow rose above him. The Dragon Lord swung its tail around, sweeping him off his feet.

Alef rolled with the tail, and used his sword to stab into the softer underbelly. Blood and ichor dripped from the wound, as Alef pulled out his sword. There was a claw coming from the right, Alef ducked, only to be grabbed anyways. Talons dug into his side, as Alef was lifted into the air. Alef brought his sword around, stabbing directly into the hand holding him. The Dragon Lord dropped him- Alef hung onto the sword grimly, swinging his body up to put his feet on the flailing arm. More fire was crashing down around them, as the Dragon Lord attempted to shake him off. Alef brought the sword around, piercing the blade directly into the Dragons throat.

The Dragon Lord stumbled, falling. Alef didn’t hesitate. His sword was pulled out, careful to slice lengthwise to cut off the monsters airflow. The Dragon Lord was choking on its own blood. But the bright red pupils were dancing in delight, as it swung its huge body around to try and crush him. Alef grunted as the heavy weight fell against him. Bones cracked, and crunched painfully. Alef inadvertently bit through his cheek. Blood filled his mouth, as teeth began to pierce his side.

Alef didn’t flinch away. The Dragon Lord was close to death. He didn’t have enough room to swing his sword, But, he could shoot fire instead. A fireball, larger then what he’d been expecting, burst from his palm. The Dragon Lord jerked back as best as it could. Its tail swept, leveling plants and wall. Rubble went flying, crushing bones even further. But there was nothing to be done at this moment. He needed a bit more space, and a chance to heal.

The Dragon Lord slammed its tail down again, but it was clear he was losing strength. The rubble didn’t go quite as far. Alef didn’t hesitate. He charged in, sword rising.

The Dragon Lord raised its head, breath sucking in to breath fire. Alef crouched and rocketed into the sky. The sword pierced the softer underside of the Dragon Lords mouth. Alef yanked back the sword as the Dragon Lord’s head came crashing down. He brought the sword around.

It was easy, Alef thought, to slide the sword through the scales and bone into the brain. Surprisingly easy.

The Draagon Lord sighed, almost as if in relief- or perhaps joy in a battle that it could go all out in. The light faded rapidly from red eyes, but there was still a pleased smirk on the Dragon Lords face. It hadn’t mattered what Alef had chosen- either by the Dragon’s side, or facing him in battle- or, perhaps, it did matter. Alef gritted his teeth as he pulled out the sword.

Black miasma filled the air, swirling around him. Then, it cleared. The Dragon Lords body was gone, vanishing into nothing. The skies didn’t lighten like he expected.

There was a golden ball floating in the air. It shimmered with the power of the sun. Alef reached out to it, and could feel the power locked away. But, something was off about it. Not quite right.

A hand touched his elbow.

Buildrick’s eyes were on the sphere of light, and the sphere of light alone. Just- excited. Excited as the Dragon Lord was when facing him in a battle to the death. “Hey Alef, mind if I take a look?”

Somehow, Alef got a bad feeling. He hesitated, but- he didn’t know how to fix it. So he nodded.

Buildrick approached the sphere, fingers sinking into the light. Alef didn’t understand it, but he could see the way the light pulsed with every motion Buildrick made. The glow got deeper, more pure, as Buildrick circled around it, before- “Alef, toss it straight up.”

“Into the sky?”

“Yep.”

Alef took the orb. It didn’t really rest in his hand so much as it floated above his palm. With this one motion, it would all be over. His journey, the fear, and suffering. Alef closed his hand around the orb, leaning back for the throw. The Orb rocketed up, unto the sky-

A pulse of yellow light filled the sky. The gray murky gloom dissipated like it was never there.

And to the east, the suns rays crept over the horizon. Red, orange, pink- and the slightest tinge of blue. The predawn light shone clearly over the mountains, past the Dragon Lord’s Castle, through the broken wall that had been shattered by the fight.

It was the most beautiful sight Alef could remember seeing for a long, long time.

Chapter Text

Gwaelin knew she should be celebrating. It was what everyone else was doing around her. Her father raised his sword in a sign of victory as he stared at the blinding sun rays. Healers rushed too and fro, busy with healing. She should be looking at the glorious sun and letting it sink into her skin. But-

Gwaelin stumbled, hand reaching out for the half there, and half not there figure that was leaving.

Again.

Buildrick was leaving her- no- everyone behind. Without a word about his condition, without a word of goodbye- there was so much she wanted to say to him. Somehow the words slipped from her tongue. The memories of the gray-ashen world were fading. Becoming something that didn’t exist, and merging into the hundreds of other memories. All of them, were fading. Falling away from her like snowflakes melting on her skin.

Gwaelin reached out, and let relief bubble up within her as she touched Buildrick’s shoulder. As if by her touch, he felt a bit more real. A little more rooted in the present as he caught the Orb of Light as it came back down. It was hollow and empty now. The power once in it had been used to bring back light.

Still, Buildrick caught it. Then his eyes flickered to her face as he held out the orb.

“O-One more time.” Gwaelin begged. Alef was turning, looking for- the two of them, standing in a corner of the yard. Surrounded by rocks and rubble, and dead bodies. He approached, almost dragging himself along after the fight.

“Wha-”

“You’re an amazing Builder, are you not? Please, I don’t want to forget.” Gwaelin insisted. To wish him to stay, to wish him to live- she couldn’t summon up those words. They tasted like ash on her tongue as she stared at Buildrick.

Buildrick stared at her blankly, “Forget?”

“You. I don’t want to forget you. I don’t wish to forget everything. You, the gray world, the grass, the- the- the world that won’t come to be- I don’t want it to happen again. Anything I can do to stop that gray world from happening, I wish to do so.” Would wishing for the gray to never come mean wishing Buildrick never existed? No, surely not.

“That-” Buildrick began, before stopping. “I don’t know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Surely, there must be. To lose everything after all of this- Please. Is there really nothing-”

“Gwaelin? Will you not come out into the sun? Who are you- Buildrick?” Alef’s voice caught. Gwaelin could see the forgotten memories come slamming in like a brick, as he took a step forward. His hands were trembling as he reached out.

Buildrick stared down at the empty orb flickering in and out of existence. “Buildrick- why-” Alefs voice caught, and trailed off.

They knew why.

They just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

Buildrick looked up. The empty orb in his hands was dull, and dark. Gwaelin flinched at the sight of it. Never again would the skies of this world be darkened. And yet. Buildrick held up the orb like it still weighed something in his vanishing hands.

“Alef, Gwaelin, I think this thing still has one last go in it. I dunno who created it in the first place- they must have been fairly powerful. But- One more time.” Buildrick stared at them, his eyes dancing with joy. “I think I can bring it back one more time.”

Gwaelin’s mouth opened, and closed again.

Wish for… what?

For Buildrick to not disappear? For the future and the past to be merged into one? “I- I don’t want to forget.” Gwaelin murmured again. The time in the darkness may of driven her close to madness. Just the edge of it, as she saw the many and varied futures. It was overwhelming, but the idea of loosing that knowledge terrified her. The Dragon Lord would find her again, and again, and again- If she forgot, and he didn’t try to break her with those memories then-

“And you Alef? This is your last chance.”

Alef reached out to put his hand over the sphere. “I-” He hesitated. Buildrick waited. He wasn’t normally this patient but-

The blue above was deepening, as the suns rays grew stronger. Buildrick was fading fast. “I want to keep you both. You, and Gwaelin. I want to cross the sea, far, far away from Alefgard. I don’t care if I rule, but over that land not this one. I just wish to be gone from here. To see things with new eyes, and-” Alef stopped, struggling. “I want to get out.”

Gwaelin hadn’t heard of her own dream to be put into words like that before. To leave the stares, the whispers, to start anew. To not be bound by anything. It was a dream, one that she’d never dared to even think of with her duties. Alef was-

“Oh, how greedy. Can’t say I dislike it though. The feeling of wanting to get out of the country, and keep the knowledge you’ve gained- Through all the worlds, through all the different fractures.” Buildrick rolled the orb in his hands. It was starting to glow again, a small, low golden glow. “Yeah, I think I can work with that.”

“You shouldn’t-” Rubiss began before stopping. “No, I shall help.”

Gwaelin could see Rubiss’s hand coming out to touch the orb. It was as faint as Buildrick’s hand. “The bloodline of Erdrick… They have saved me, and, will continue to save me. My child, I did not mean to create you. I wished to raise you as part of Erdrick’s line. In memory of the one who saved two worlds. My own power wanes, as the future from whence we came is destroyed. But, for those who fought for me, and this world-”

The orb brightened, slowly gaining power. Its glow was as deep as it was before- no, not quite. It was still fainter. Rubiss’s and Buildrick’s forms were fading, and as they faded, Gwaelin could feel her memories going with them.

It was terrifying to think that the person she traveled with for weeks could vanish so completely from her mind. Alef’s hand caught hers, as his eyes stayed on Buildrick. Buildrick who was actually smiling, not minding the fact he was disappearing. Horror faded, as if bricked behind a strong wall. Who were these two people gathered around the orb of light?

They felt important, but Gwaelin wasn’t sure how.

These people were-

No, she knew their names.

The woman- Rubiss- disappeared, like soap bubbles in a strong wind. Fading to nothing. All that was left was one figure. Gwaelin… could no longer tell what the figure was. Human, or monster. Either way, it held out the orb. It glittered with gold-purple light. “One more time. Alef, Gwaelin.”

Alef reached past the orb, trying to grasp the figure. His fingers went through, catching the orb despite what he was trying to do. “Bu-” His voice caught, as the orb hovered in his hands. “I-”

“Into the air Alef.” The figure insisted. “Before I move on to my next job.”

“You’re dying.” Alef pointed out, only to be snorted at.

“I dunno what it’s with you and everyone else thinking I’m going to die, but Rubiss has been wrong before. I ain’t going to put any trust about when I’ll die in her hands.” The figure was crossing their arms, scolding them.

Alef drew back his arm, and threw the orb back into the air. It burst, generating a rainbow. The colors flashed, glittering in a circle against the sky. As they faded, Gwaelin could feel a warm rush in her chest, like a small branch taking root. Every leaf, although scattered and disparate, was a sensation remembered. Fear the Dragon Lord. Alef… was protection, but don’t immediately give him her heart. Even if it was a lost cause, because she knew in every lifetime, in every world she would always long for him. Even if he plunged the world into darkness, there was someone else who would also help her, or- eventually, everyone would come together. The Dragon Lord would be defeated. The blue sky would return.

There was a sense of loss, as she stared at Alef.

Alef glanced around, looking for- someone.

Someone who wasn’t there.

There were folks beginning to come back to town, and the castle. The ship in the ocean bobbed, completely untouched. Alef glanced down to her. “Do- Do you wish to leave? I can’t promise anything other then you’ll be protected but-”

“I wish to go with you, wherever you go.” Gwaelin said, hand reaching out to him. He picked her up easily, in just a single arm. He turned towards the ship, approaching it with measured, but hurried steps. The soldiers were rushing to and fro, as Gwaelin looked around.

Her father was watching her go. He was unmoving at the stairs, watching her with the look that said he knew. He knew she was going to leave since the very beginning. Then, King Yorik turned away, shouting orders out to guards as they gathered and assisted the folks from town.

The monsters were hiding. Even the short distance it took to get to the boat at the coast was empty of monsters. Except for a few slimes huddled beneath broad leaves. They stared up at the sky with huge, wide eyes, their blue bodies matching the sky. Gwaelin felt like something was missing however.

There ought to be someone circling around them. Gathering plants, and seeming to make food out of thin air.

But, all there was was the steady stream of ashen-faced villagers returning back to town. The town itself was surprisingly untouched. Only the castle had been destroyed in the fight. There would be mourning. Limited mourning, due to Alef’s protection.

The ship bobbed in the water before them. It was a beautiful ship. Gwaelin could see two different styles built into the ship- like one person started it, and another finished it. There was a short figure standing at the gangplank as the last of the townsfolk left. The bright blue of his hat make her heart leap with joy. Alef’s footsteps began to hurry closer.

The figure at the gangplank seemed to be waiting for them. They leaned against the ships railing. Just watching. Then, a gloved hand lifted to wave at them. Up this close, Gwaelin could see a bright, huge grin appear on the mans face. Her heart fell.

It wasn’t right. Alef paused, as if echoing her thoughts. The man dressed in blue stretched out his hand in a wave. It just wasn’t right. The face was the same, but the gestures weren’t. A big, bright, grin, the happy, excited wave- She didn’t know this person.

It hurt.

It hurt so much. Like the wish she wanted wasn’t granted. Alef remained still beneath her. His hand clenched into a trembling fist. Then, it abruptly loosened. He stepped forward, approaching the ship.

A welcoming voice called out, “Oiiiii, you two the ones I’m picking up?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I got a request. I forget who, but they prepaid. They said there would be two folks needing a boat. So here we go.” The man gestured to the boat. There weren’t any sailors, but did that really matter?

Somehow Gwaelin got the feeling it didn’t matter that much.

Alef began walking again. Past the guards escorting the last of the townsfolk, and up the gangplank. The builder watched them with a slight grin on his face. Alef put Gwaelin down, questioning, “Can we set off now?”

“Well, I did pack enough food to get a fair distance. And I don’t have anything keeping me back here now that… Well- it doesn’t matter.”

“Then can we set off now?” Alef repeated.

“Sure thing, once we get enough sailors that can lower the sails.”

“I can handle that.” Alef said calmly, as he started to pull on the anchor. The Builder watched in amazement as Alef lifted the anchor like it weighed nothing.

“Alright, I’ll agree there. Seems like we have a one-man sailing crew. Very well then, let’s cast the sails.”

Gwaelin leaned against the railing, as she watched the Builder and Alef work efficiently. The Builder knew his way around a ship, and easily got the gears of sailing a ship underway. “So, which direction?”

“That’d be… towards dawn.” Alef said after a moment. “To the east, past Rimuldar and into the uncharted continents.”

“Ooooh, sounds like fun. Oh, uncharted lands, full of undiscovered treasures. What fun.” the Builder hummed to himself. “New chances, new cities, new plants, new building opportunities, I can’t wait.”

It still didn’t feel quite right. Gwaelin was expecting different actions, different statements. Someone who had a strange equanimity that accepted everything coming, but still had a biting comment for anything they didn’t like. Gwaelin closed her eyes. Just for a moment, she held close the thought of a third- and then let it go. Like the way the boat drifted out into the ocean, the feeling of missing someone, she tried to set it adrift.

Alef caught her hand, and squeezed it tightly. The feeling of loss remained, but eased.

“It’s not quite right, is it?” Alef murmured. “It shouldn’t be…”

“Yes, I understand what you’re saying. It’s not quite right.”

Alef and Gwaelin leaned against each other as they stared out. The blue sky and the blue sea merged into one.

---------------------------

Buildrick remained laying down. It was cold, but he was always cold. Rather then that- it felt like he was missing something. Though he wasn’t sure quite what it was. There had been someone he’d met, and then- He’d been the one to leave right? He usually was. He didn’t hurt that much, which was a bit of a surprise.

A clod of dirt hit his face.

Oh.

Buildrick reached up, snagging the clod of earth. He sat up, eyes opening. There was a familiar bearded face. Without thinking, Buildrick’s arm drew back, and he let it rip. The clod of earth slammed against Rollo’s face- and crumbled to reveal a stone. Rollo started hollering as he held the lump forming on his forehead.

Buildrick reached up, grabbing the edge of the grave.

There were a dozen folks gathered around the grave dug for him.

“How.” Buildrick began, practically growling his anger. “How is it no matter where I go everyone keeps thinking I’m going to die?!?! Be it god, demon, or humans, I ain’t dieing yet!”

Abruptly, two equally warm bodies tackled him. Buildrick stumbled, and fell back into grave. A dress and a habit fluttered in the self made wind, as Gwaelin and Elle tipped him back. Even if he felt better, it wasn’t enough to keep upright under twin tackles. There was someone who could, but they weren’t here now.

Buildrick groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. There was a lump growing. Buildrick began to raise his hand, clutching at the back of his head. It hurt. It hurt quite a bit, especially after going so long without being hurt by external forces. Except-

How long had it been since he had fought the Dragon Lord? It felt both long and short. Buildrick watched Barbella reach in, to pluck Gwaelin and Elle out. “Get in, I thought for sure you were dead. You didn’t move at all when we found you last night, and you weren’t breathing.”

“...Fine.” Buildrick grumbled. He waved off helping hands as for the (third? Fourth? Fifth?) time, he crawled out of his grave. He stretched in the strong sunlight.

It was too hot. After all of the whining, and pain he had to go through to bring back the sun, this is what it ended up being? Buildrick sighed, as he shaded his eyes to stare up at the blue, blue sky. The ashen gray land still stretched out between the cracks in the wall. The castle was still standing, even though it should have been destroyed.

There were more people approaching.

Looking for shelter, food- and returning now that the sun was shining. Monsters had taken to hiding away for right now, Buildrick thought. Voices chattered over his head, as his eyes found Gwaelin’s.

She smiled at him, hands pressed together.