The centipedes were in full retreat. Crawling back into the crevice across the cavern, near the archway the trio had entered through. But Theo’s attention quickly switched as the centipedes pulled back. Zsig needed help immediately, but Atn hadn’t forgotten their mysterious saviours.

Theo dug through her satchel. Pulling out item after item. A flask, burner and other equipment he didn’t quite recognize. A mat was unrolled, and ingredients were carefully placed in a line beside her.

Theo got up and walked over to a dead centipede, hacked off a pincer, and added it to the row. Theo tied her short, amber hair back—now sporting blood and pieces of centipede—and began work on an antivenom for Zsig—that’s what Atn assumed she was making, at least.

“Can I help in any way?”

He watched her but also kept an eye on the other…creature that was rapidly headed back toward them but obscured by distance and dim lighting. They were all visibly armed, though.

Theo grabbed a few leaf-ish things and began crushing them in a tiny grinder while some kind of base heated up over the little burner. She didn’t seem to have heard him at all.

She was eerily calm. Nothing like the boisterous, carefree girl from that morning. Or was it the day before—what time was it? Honestly, Atn had zero idea what she was doing, but she looked confident, and that made him feel a smidge better.

She hardly noticed her own wound as she went about mixing an antivenom for Zsig. And when she did take a moment to treat it, she merely threw some powder on top of the laceration. A coagulant of some sort—an alchemical styptic.

A powdered version would be very useful for protectors. Each protector was equipped with an antihemorrhagic potion. But it had to be painted over the wound. Costing valuable time in a fight. In fact, it was so inconvenient that protectors were trained not to use the remedy until after a conflict. There were too many incidents of an enemy taking advantage of someone trying to heal themselves mid-combat.

The powder worked quickly. Theo’s bleeding was stymied, though she didn't stop to check. She moved fast, with precision. Countless hours of practice and muscle memory taking over.

The crushed herbs were added to the now boiling base, a light boil though, tiny bubbles rushing to the surface, not a rolling boil. Theo reduced the heat to a simmer and added two drops of the centipede venom from the sample she had hacked off a carcass.

She scanned the vicinity with purpose and hurried over to a fallen body. The other thing that had come. Not a centipede. She started hacking into the abdomen. It took a few slices down the middle before the exoskeleton broke open and—

Atn had to look away when she reached inside, which led him to see the half-circle of spears that had approached them.

Theo didn’t notice. And this new threat wasn’t attacking yet. So, Atn watched them warily but didn’t disrupt Theo’s work.

She went back to her makeshift alchemy lab with something in hand. She immediately inserted one end of a spiral tube into the glass flask with the herbs and venom that were left to simmer. The tube had a small rubber-like ring that provided an airtight seal where the flask and tube connected. The other end of the coil was inserted into an elongated object Theo had reshaped into a sphere the size of a large grape.

———

Vapours from the simmering flask rose, slowly rolling through the tube like an incoming fog. If the object being infused wasn’t in place by the time the steam reached the end of the tube, all the good concentrated vapours would be lost. Leaving a useless potion and a hole in your pocket from replacing wasted ingredients.

It didn't take long to fill the sphere with the steam. Theo quickly removed the imbued bezoar from the thin tube end and capped the hole in the mass with a piece that she had set aside for that very purpose. Then, she carefully worked it until it was smooth.

Each stage of preparation was crucial. From the shape formed to the direction she rolled it between her palms. Every step mattered.

She tried not to think of what it was she was touching. As an alchemist, she had to handle some pretty gross stuff—a hazard of the occupation.

Once the ball was complete, Theo approached Zsig and knelt beside him. She wrestled his jaw open—there may have been a pop. She propped him up a bit so the ball wouldn't drop to the back of his mouth and choke him. Then, she inserted the monstrosity of an antivenom, held his jaw closed, and waited.

The bezoar would dissolve enough to split open and spread the infusion through his system quickly—in theory. But it would take time for him to regain consciousness and even more to return to full health.

Atn had quietly approached as Theo administered the cure.

“What did you give him?”

“An ancient remedy. From a time before the Corruption, before the Age of Advancement, even. It's not something I’ve made before. There are much safer, more effective alchemical alternatives nowadays.”

Theo wasn’t sure of the efficacy in the slightest. The Age of Advancement was when medical research and scientific breakthrough was on the rise. The alchemy from before that time was…different.

“How did you learn it then?”

“Sorry, Alchemists Vow. We must uphold the secrets of the arcanum.”

Alchemists had ways of learning all sorts of things. They believed in recording their knowledge, usually dressed in metaphorical language, but a language all alchemists knew. They passed their knowledge on. Only to other alchemists, though. The search for the elixir of life—the rubedo, was not something a person could complete in one lifetime. And though many alchemists kept individual formulae private while they were alive, posthumously released texts were not uncommon among the more confidential trades. Only the most selfish and despicable alchemists took their knowledge to the grave.

“Uh, okay. What was in it?

“It’s a simple concoction, a good in the field recipe, which is why I was able to make it here. If it works as intended, Zsig should wake up in a few hours, but he will be weak for a while. An Enduring Endurance refresher—maybe I have a Very Vigor with me—should help him along. We’ll see when he wakes up.”

“Very well. In the meantime, do you know what or who they are?”

Of course. How could she have forgotten? Theo and Atn were now surrounded, well semi-surrounded. In her hyper-focused state, Theo hadn’t even noticed them. But she did now. If she thought the giant centipedes were crazy, this was worse somehow.

“What is that, Atn?”

Her voice quivered as she tried not to be sick. Why did everything here have so many legs? She really didn’t like it. Two legs, even four, that was fine. But six, eight, and even worse were centipede levels of appendages. That was too much. She started to consider she may have a bit of an aversion.

“It looks like an insect person?”

“That’s no insect. That's a scorpion body, Atn. I recognize it. They—normal ones—live around the caves back home.”

“So it’s a scorpion person? I’ve never heard of that type of bot before.”

“Me either. But why are they just standing there?”

Atn observed the things Theo assumed were humanoid bot monsters.

“You see the two in the back line, just over there. Their tails keep moving in very precise ways and they click their legs in a pattern.”

“You think they’re talking?”

“They observed you making the potion, including when you, uh, dismembered their fallen. It was around that time that they pointed their spears at us.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

———

And that’s how they found themselves locked in a cell. The scorpion people, none too gently, placed Zsig on the stone floor.

Not a word was spoken. Or it could be best to say not a single conversation took place. From the time they were herded down the right passage, all the way up till they reached a small hallowed out room.

The silence wasn’t for lack of effort on Theo’s part, much to Atn’s dismay. He rubbed at his sore shoulder.

“Did you have to keep trying to communicate?”

He spoke only after the scorpion biomechs—he didn’t like the catchall term ‘bots’ much, considering his heritage—had left them.

The short walk had been painful, literally. It had taken a few solid smacks from the butt of a spear to silence Theo. Eventually, she got the message—once they started beating Atn instead. He only had to suffer one hit, thankfully.

Atn could almost feel the daggers shooting from her glare.

“You’re fine with being taken hostage? I personally thought we were in enough trouble already. Didn’t need to add captive to the list.”

“I didn’t want to antagonize the situation.”

Theo rolled her eyes at him but became distracted when her gaze caught on something.

“I really wish they had let me keep my satchel. I want to give him a refresher.”

Atn looked over at Zsig. He was still pale, his black hair sticky with sweat and matted to his forehead. But the fever was receding, and his muscles were beginning to relax. All good signs, according to Theo.

“Unfortunately, I think protectors are woefully unprepared when it comes to operating outside the city.”

“Ya don’t say?”

She cocked her head at him, but he didn’t have the energy to rise to the bait. It was clear by now that Theo’s anxiety came out in the form of sarcasm and deflection.

“We should get some rest. Is Zsig good for now?”

Some colour was returning to Zsig’s face, and his pulse felt stronger.

“Should be, but I’m no healer.”

“Well, it’s the best we’re getting here. Rest.”

Atn needed to get them back to Last Stand; they weren’t ready for this. His years of training felt like mere minutes now.

“Shouldn’t we be trying to escape? Make a plan?”

“There are three of us. One of us is downed from being attacked. And now we are locked away by the people who scared off the creatures that almost killed us. What do you propose we do?”

“We could pick the lock and sneak out.”

“That is a terrible plan.”

“It’s a good start to one!”

She cannot be serious right now. Please don’t let him be trapped in some other dimension, world, universe place with someone who’s going to get them all killed. Atn had always liked Theo as far as business relationships went. But maybe the potion fumes had left her a bit addled…

“Do you have a lockpick? Do you even know how to pick a lock?”

“Ummm. I feel like this is a trick question. If I say yes, are you going to arrest me?”

“And put you where? In a cell?”

He gestured to their current prison.

“Well, when you put it that way. No, Atncore, I do not know how to lockpick. Can a voltage barrier even be picked?”

“Go to sleep, Theo.”

He turned his back to her and silently pleaded with any higher power for her to fall asleep.

———

Zsig woke up a few hours later in a cell. Feeling weak and extremely stiff.

He looked around, trying to piece together what happened. Theo, check. Atn, check. Gear…damn, they had been stripped of all but their basic clothes. Their uniforms and belts were gone, and he didn’t see Theo’s bag anywhere either.

They were in a solid stone room, clearly man-made. The only tunnel in or out was blocked by something resembling a voltage barrier. Maybe they were in Triahkel, after all. How long had they been here?

Zsig noticed something on the floor near the doorway. A crude stone bowl filled with water and three pieces of food he didn’t recognize.

“Atn.”

Zsig croaked, and Theo woke instantly, sitting bolt upright. She must be a light sleeper.

“Zsig? You’re alive?”

“It worries me that that was a question.”

His words slurred together as he responded weakly. His throat was raspy, and he had a foul taste in his mouth.

“Pass me water?”

“Atn. Wake up, Zsig’s alive. I saved him!”

Theo jostled Atn awake. He instantly reached for his sidearm, which wasn’t there.

“Just me, Atn. Calm down.”

Even this short conversation made Zsig exhausted.

“Water.”

He croaked again, and this time, Atn listened. Theo was too excited about the success of the infused bezoar to hear.

“How long…have we been here?”

He could barely keep his eyes open.

“Just a few hours. We should rest more and conserve our energy.”

Zsig had already fallen back to sleep before Atn could finish his sentence.

———

Telling time was hard here. There was no sun to indicate its passage.

When Zsig next woke, Theo and Atn were up. The food had been passed out, but only Atn was trying to eat it, or so it sounded like.

“I wish they had removed the legs.”

“Why don’t you just pull them off.”

“Because I know they are there now.”

“You knew the centipede had legs before.”

“That’s different. When you serve food, you should make it look appetizing. Limbs are not appetizing.”

“Maybe it is to them? Either way, I don’t think they are worried about how well-received the food is.”

Zsig wanted to tell them they were both idiots and should be planning a way out of here, but he didn’t have the strength yet. So he just lay there, listening, until he drifted back to sleep.

———

It took approximately two days—according to Theo’s questionable timekeeping abilities—for Zsig to stop fading in and out of consciousness.

They hadn’t been given anything to relieve themselves in—terribly embarrassing since they had to designate a corner of the room for it and make loud noises or sing while someone was using the…washroom. They didn’t have to do that last part, but it really did make it easier for everyone.

They were also not provided any additional sustenance, just some water once daily.

“I could probably enjoy a wota leaf right now. I’m so hungry.”

Theo complained loudly.

“Should have eaten th—“

“Don’t say it, Atn.”

Zsig focused on the voltage barrier while Atn and Theo argued behind him. Hunger had them at each other's throats. But instead of wasting energy bickering, Zsig focused on ways to break free.

He carefully inspected the barrier, looking for faults, a glitch, any type of flaw really. Still, it didn’t look like anything he was familiar with. And the construction was exceptional, maybe the best voltage barrier he had ever seen.

———

It took three days to be approached by the scorpion bots—the freshwater was only ever brought while the trio was asleep. This was the first time seeing anyone since that first day. And the first time Zsig had seen them at all.

“What is this? Where are you taking me?”

Atn and Theo were helpless as the scorpion men silently swept in and divided the group. Shepherded Zsig out while they blocked Atn and Theo with their spears. Theo was far more careless than Atn about being smacked with a spear shaft.

“You can’t take him!”

She threw herself at the spear barrier. Trying to push the shafts aside and reach Zsig. How she planned to take on the 15 or so scorpion men filling the room and the hall, Zsig wasn’t sure. But he was almost touched by the effort, right up until they whacked her across the back of the head, and she blacked out.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

It was clear why they picked him. He could barely walk upright. He was the least threatening. Not that any of them posed a genuine threat to these massive beings.

Zsig was sweating when they stopped in a large, open room. There was a dais in the middle, with rows and rows of large depressions in the stone surrounding it. One of the impressions was filled with a body. A scorpion man sat (or was it lying?) with his abdomen resting on the floor and its tail curled up behind him.

The leader of Zsig’s escort made an odd clicking with its insectile legs and moved its tail about. The person—he wasn’t really sure if they could be called people—in the centre of the room scraped a needle-like leg across the stone and shook its tail. The escort promptly vacated the room.

As he neared, the tail uncurled and rose above the man’s head. The thing's torso, human from the waist up, towered over Zsig, 2.5 metres tall. At least. But rather than hips, legs and a pair of feet, it was black chitin from the waist down. Three sets of legs pushed it up from where it was lying, and the fourth set of legs held it stable from the front so that it didn’t tip forward.

“It is long since man walked in mountain.”

The broken words were accompanied by clicking as his tail slapped the floor. Zsig wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Why now? Sit.”

The creature demanded. And Zsig, exhausted from the walk, was glad to. The weakness made him feel vulnerable, but sitting was better than being unconscious from overexertion with one of these things. He did have common sense.

“Answer!”

Faster clicking now, a sharp, agitated sound.

“We came by accident, fleeing a storm.”

He was trying to be vague. These people held them prisoner. Were they friend or foe?

“Not accident. All know to stay away.”

That didn’t sound good, but did that mean there were people nearby?

“This was the first shelter we found. The storm in the meadows was violent.”

“You come from meadow side?”

The scorpion man's eyes widened in surprise. Zsig knew he had unintentionally given something away. But what?

“Change things. Must talk to him.”

There was a quivering sound—a gentle but high-speed scratching. A vibration travelled through the floor, and a scorpion man appeared in the doorway with a large, flat stone. Symbols were drawn on it, and Zsig watched as the scorpion touched seemingly random ones. They each gleamed under his hand briefly before fading away. When he finished, the scorpion man that carried the stone in quickly scuttled back out with the rock.

“Who are you?”

He considered that a safe question.

“Nikiiarqusu-Shu-Sharri of Tahir.”

Click, click.

Zsig had never heard a name like that.

“Why are you holding us prisoner? Where’s our stuff?”

Nikiiarqusu—Zsig didn’t plan on trying to say that out loud—disregarded him.

“Tresspasers. But from meadows. Must wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“A decision.”

More vibrations. They moved decisively, speaking very little. The tablet-bearing scorpion man scurried back in, flanked by the other 14 escorts. Zsig was quickly ushered out of the room and back to his cell.

———

A day later, they were escorted out of the cell and brought to the pool in the cavern to wash up. Why, they had no idea. But no one complained because the stink was real—okay, she might have objected at first but stopped once she realized they’d get to bathe.

There was no soap, the water was cold, and spears were pointed at them. Theo definitely wasn’t adding this to her best bath list—baths were awesome when you could make alchemical bubble bath mixes; it was a large source of Rubedo’s income. Theo missed her lair. Prisoner life didn’t suit her.

After they were cleanish, their entourage, as Theo was now calling them, escorted them to a room down the left tunnel.

Zsig, Theo, and Atn were locked in a new room, but this one was much cushier than the cell. Luxurious carpets covered the cold floor. Overfull bookshelves made of stone with giant ancient-looking tomes and yellowing scrolls stood against one wall. A carved stone desk sat in the centre of the room with a scroll of parchment, an inkwell and a candle. And comfortable looking chairs were spread about the space.

Theo decided it was a good time to snoop and wandered over to a wall full of portraits. They all looked like the same person, except that the colour of the hat changed from painting to painting. A round, cheery face. Rosey cheeks and a long white beard. A large, slightly mischievous grin on each.

“What do you guys think’s gonna happen now?”

As if on cue, a little man appeared, sitting before them at the desk. Carefully writing on the parchment.

“Interesting that you wandered here.”

The man had a ruby-red cone-shaped cap on his head and navy blue robes. He looked exactly like the person in the portraits.

“Where did you come from?”

Zsig exclaimed, reaching for his weapon before remembering, like Atn, they did not have any of their stuff.

“I chose to reveal myself, certainly. Why have you sought us out? We cut ties with the outer world many centuries ago.”

“Please, we don’t know how we got here. There was a storm and the cave in the mountain side was the first shelter we saw.”

“Shut up.”

Zsig stomped on Theo’s foot and hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

“You are not being honest, child. How did you arrive here?”

Theo opened her mouth to respond, but Atn stomped on her other foot.

“Gah!”

“Would you mind telling us where we are? Or who you are, perhaps.”

Atn took over the conversation.

“I see the truth of your questions, genuine curiosity. Yet, I do not understand your confusion. Have we been away from the world so long that we have been forgotten?”

“I’m sorry but we don’t know who you are so we can’t give you a proper answer.”

Atn answered gently. He was much better at talking to people than she was. And he was leaps and bounds ahead of Zsig in the charisma department.

“I am Grnulf, First Guardian amongst the Gnomes of Vyrall Pass. We are the earth elementals that inhabit this mountain.”

“What’s a gnome?”

Theo blurted out, hurriedly flipping to a blank page in her field book.

“Ah, how time changes history. A tragic lesson to learn. I see I will have to start at the beginning. Please, sit.”

He flicked out a small hand, and three chairs scooped up each of them, and they were tugged to sit around the desk.

“What just happened?”

Zsig and Atn looked alarmed.

Yes, it was surprising, but Theo knew when something needed to be documented, and this was one of those moments. That took precedence. She prepared to take notes as the lights dimmed around them.

“Sorry, but can you turn those back up just a bit. I can’t see what I’m writing.”

She shrugged off Zsig and Atn’s incredulous looks.

Grnulf chuckled and nodded approvingly. The room grew slightly brighter as he sat back in his chair with a contemplative expression. Then he cleared his throat.

There was a time when Gnomekind roamed all of the world. We served as revered guardians of ancient knowledge. Constantly recording new histories to be preserved for all time. To learn from, grow from, so things would not be lost to time. We readily shared our recorded histories with those who sought us.

But mankind is greedy.

They began to hunt us. Some desiring to keep our wisdom for themselves. Others to eradicate us and prevent our truths from spreading. Our species dwindled, as did the knowledge we guarded.

To preserve our species, Gnomekind conferred—it was a monumental gathering the likes of which had never occurred before nor since. There, it was decided to resettle in this mountain. Vyrwallian Range.

We lived happily inside the mountain, keeping to ourselves and building a home here. Over centuries, despite our trepidation, we learned peace with the neighbouring village.

As we are Gnomish, treasure calls to us. Precious metals held in the mountain's rocky embrace—the rich deposits are very well suited to our nature. We shared these as gifts with our friends in the village—we had no need for gold and gemstones; friendship and knowledge were what we valued.

Unfortunately, our innate magic lures monsters. The worst of which you already ran afoul. Terrible things followed the magic’s call, but none as numerous as the Qhuls—the thing you call giant centipedes. They are easy enough to kill on their own. A rather doltish creature if we are speaking in truths—which a Gnome always does.

Numbers. Therein lies the problems. They reproduce at exponential rates.

The Scorpion Men of Tahir received word of the Great Qhul Migration—as it came to be known—into the mountain. They were sworn enemies. Thus, the Scorpion Men of Tahir vowed to journey far from their lands to protect the remnants of Gnomekind until such time that the Qhul has been vanquished or the last remaining Gnome has passed on.

The arrival of the Qhuls stirred trouble in the village. The people demanded not only protection but more riches. Greedier, they grew until we could take no more. Their sharing of stories and camaraderie was no longer. They grew to resent us for our very being. They tried demanding tribute from us as compensation for the Qhuls, but they did not know our strength, for little do we show it.

In our wrath, the earth around us trembled, and a rock slide devastated the village and cut off access to Vyrwall Pass and our home. The Scorpion Men and Gnomes withdrew into the mountains altogether. And now we are locked in an endless battle with the monster.

Gnomekind does not reproduce. We are content as we are. The world no longer has need of us. At least not a need they can respect. Thus, we shall be the last. For those that seek our knowledge, they can find it here—waiting for someone worthy.

Grnulf concluded his lecture story. The distant look in his eye faded, returning to the present.

"This is absolutely mad. You guys can’t be buying this."

"The history of Gnomekind is not the ravings of a deranged man! Shall we discuss your history?"

Zsig's cheeks coloured, but he didn't argue further.

"Very well. Now you must be leaving."

"What? Where do we go?"

Theo gaped at him. He wasn’t going to help them at all; just tell them a story and send them on their way to die?

"You complete what you set out to do, child."

"We didn't set out to do anything, I just made a potion."

"I see the truth you speak. Be that as it may, you have a destination, intention. Follow your path."

"Stop speaking in riddles!"

Zsig was growing angrier by the second. Not the hot, seething anger of fire, but a wave of cold, sharp anger.

"We have withdrawn from the world. Our knowledge does not grow. I can offer you no answer on the future or the current state of affairs. Take your belongings, and you will be given knowledge of where to find the exit."

Theo laughed at the wry reply and went to collect her things. Thinking of what kinds of answers she could weasel out of Grnulf before he kicked them out. She began checking her bag, making sure everything she thought might be in there was still there—she was always finding unexpected things stuff in her satchel.

Atn was inspecting his gear. Like Theo, he ensured all his weapons and tools were in their belt pouches. When he pulled out the voltage orb, the gnome stared at it. His merry eyes began sparkling in the light.

"What a curious magic."

"It's a voltage orb."

Atn gave the Gnome a curious look.

“It’s charged gear, not magic.”

Zsig scoffed at Grnulf.

Of course, none of them actually knew what magic was. Theo, Atn, and Zsig traded glances. The two protectors looked wary, but Theo was getting the same shimmering stare as Grnulf. They shook their heads at her, warning her with their eyes. Zsig even took a step towards her…but Grnurlf was an immortal being, had popped up at the desk out of nowhere and done other cool tricks without any visible aid from a charged device. And he was part of a species that collected knowledge. He had to have some answers for them, at least about where they were or ideas on how they got here. Maybe they knew what the plant was that she used in the potion.

"Magic."

She repeated the word under her breath.

"Theodora, don’t say another word.”

Zsig gave her a murderous look. It almost worked, too—his black hair was harsh against pale skin. Steel blue eyes and sharp angular features made his expression severe at the best of times. He had a menacing aura about him that Theo hadn’t noticed before, and his tall stature only enhanced it. But it would take more than that to silence her.

“Where are we? How did we get here? Is this Triahkel? Where is the village?”

“Child, please. As I said, we have little that will aid in your future. You must follow your own path. But I can tell you this. We are in Olera. And the village is due south of Vyrwall Pass.”

“Olera. Where is that?”

“That you do not know is of great concern. The world must be vastly changed.”

That wasn’t an answer. Theo tried to tell him that, but when she opened her mouth, he flicked a finger, and her jaw clamped shut. Zsig was making the smugest face she’d ever seen.

“You cannot linger here. The Scorpion Men will not abide it. That you are still alive is a small mercy. I shall grant one final gift from Gnomekind, the last we shall ever give. May you spread our tale that some might remember us when we are gone.”

The small man got up from his chair and disappeared as he walked around the desk—he was the same height as the desk.

“Come, come. Stand here.”

He walked over to a circular rug on the stone and pulled it away. A giant glowing circle was revealed. It was white, almost painfully so. And Theo could feel it, almost like it was beckoning them forward. Attracting them like a weak magnet.

“Hm. Yes. Transformation. Would it be spiritual? Ah. just a pinch should do either way.”

The circle pulsed a royal purple, and glowing lines spread inside the circle, forming intricate designs.

“Good. Some awakening is definitely necessary.”

The white was warmer this time. It flashed through the lines. The purple and white combined into a lilac shade.

“They look nervous. I should add some bravery, or maybe courage, just to be kind. Lest they forget the generosity of Gnomes.”

Grnulf murmured to himself as he gave the trio a quick once over. They were too spellbound by the now pinkish-red glow to care about the jibe.

“I should probably customize the final one. Safer that way.”

“Safer?”

Atn questioned.

“Oh, you’ll be quite alright. Come, young man. You feel strong.”

Grnulf motioned Atn forward to a second, smaller ring of clear space in the centre of the glowing array, but Atn hesitated.

“I’m not sure about—”

Theo shoved him forward into the circle. This was going to be great. She had a sense for these things, after all.

Grnulf gave her a disapproving look.

“Forcing magical transmutation upon another is a disgraceful thing, child…But since you’re here now.”

The circle shone grey. Theo wasn’t sure how grey could glow. It wasn’t a lustrous metallic shine like silver. It was grey, the shade. No true colour to it. The pale magenta circle adopted the grey and grew darker, losing some of its warmth.

“I really think we sh—”

Atn looked around nervously and tried to leave the circle but found that he was stuck. When he attempted to cross the small inner ring, the boundary flared with dancing waves of light—a magical aurora.

The Gnome said some things in a language no one could understand, then clapped his hands together sharply. The whole circle erupted, light rising like a barrier and dissipating just as fast, taking the grey tint with it. The diagram was still glowing, but it was just the warm pinkish-red again.

Atn stumbled out, panting.

“What did you do to him?”

Zsig pulled out his standard-issue combat knife. But he froze in place as the Gnome flicked his wrist and tsked. Zsig zoomed into the centre of the circle.

“There will be none of that. Just give him a moment to find his strength. He was full of mana. Fused into his very core. He’s probably experiencing a bit of shock from the awakening.”

“I though you said forcing—”

“Yes, yes. I know what I said. But he’ll thank me later. A dash of optimism would be most beneficial for you.”

A glow of yellow, then the colours mixed, and the lines turned red.

The problem was every boost Grnulf added had other effects, too. His magic being more open to interpretation than other forms. For instance, red had many associations. Strength of heart and body one of them, violence and anger another. The same for purple, white, and yellow—dual meanings.

There were strange words and a sharp clap, and the circles hold on Zsig released. He launched out at the Gnome. But went flying across the room with a casual flick from Grnulf.

Theo’s alchemist senses tingled. She was practically frothing at the mouth, eager to enter the circle. Grnulf frowned but motioned her forward.

She stuck her foot out, testing the barrier of the inner circle. To her surprise, it didn’t flare with light like when Atn tried to leave. In fact, nothing was stopping her at all. She could cross in and out of the circle without issue.

“I don’t feel anything, Grnulf.”

She bounced from foot to foot in the inner ring, impatiently waiting.

“That is because I cannot find anything.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are empty, child. There is nothing unique for me to add. I shall grant you the transmutation, but it is unlikely an awakening will occur. The magics might bestow you a temporary blessing.”

The magenta light danced and faded just as quickly when Grnulf clapped. A second clap saw the glowing colours fade into the bright white it had started as. The Gnome laid the carpet back over the array.

Theo lifted her arms and looked down at herself. She didn’t feel any different. She grabbed a short lock of hair and inspected it. Still amber. Not a regular ‘redhead’ shade of amber. It looked like melting gold or perhaps flames. Something that would be warm to the touch—at least when it had been washed and conditioned with proper elixirs. But this wasn’t unusual.

She turned to Atn and Zsig, who had both collected themselves and stood off to the side, weapons ready. Grnulf ignored them, watching Theo carefully instead.

“Guys, do you notice anything different?”

“I can practically feel the charge rolling off of Atn. And my blade staff is shaking.”

“Magic.”

Grnulf coughed loudly.

“I don’t care about your fighting stick. Me! Do you notice anything different about me?”

She looked from one to the other, hopefully. Desperately.

“No. I don’t know why you’re so excited about this. He could be harming us for all we know.”

Zsig responded flatly. Atn, on the other hand, at least pretended to consider the question. He moved closer and began walking around her slowly.

Theo felt something on her hip where her satchel lay. A vibration. Very subtle at first. But as Atn got closer to the bag, the sensation increased until it practically pulled itself off her.

She opened the flap to peek inside, and her field book flew out and flopped around on the floor like something was trying to break out of it.

“Oh my! You may not have been awakened child, but it looks like some of your belongings have been.”

Her potions flew out of the bag next. She tried to grab them but wasn’t fast enough as they went crashing to the ground.

Atn had reached out, also, but was too far away. Except the potions didn’t ever hit the ground. Instead, they went to hover in front of him. The glass bottles bobbed gently in the air.

“You are overloaded. So is the book, it seems. We must purge you before there is more mana than the receptacle can contain.”

“What would happen then?”

Grnulf was quiet for a moment.

“Let’s just purge you. Shall we?”

The Gnome approached Atn and pointed at one of the floating bottles. They zipped straight into his waiting hands. They weren’t actually potions but bases, pre-made to be turned into tonics and the like.

“What are you doing with my bases?”

He went over to Theo’s notebook, still shaking around on the ground. The book blasted open when he magically unclasped the small leather and brass latch on the side. A funnel of air rising from the centre of the pages. Grnulf grabbed the book, turned it upside down, and literally shot the invisible beam into the mouth of the elixir bottle.

The liquid inside the bottle created a whirlpool and mixed with the magic air. The potion level rose, and it took on a transparent white shade.

“I have never seen a white potion before.”

“No two practitioners of magic are the same. Neither are any two magics the same. Even the same schools or classes of magic respond differently based on the individual. Each wields their power in their own way—or the magics wield them if their willpower is lacking.”

“Wha—”

Grnulf always seemed to barrel right over doubt, protest, or really anything he didn’t want to deal with or answer.

“The potions are white, child, because the one who imbibes it dictates how it replenishes their well. If you were to watch the contents flow through the body, you would see the colour adapt to the consumer's magic. For now, this young man’s will take the grey shade added to his array earlier, and his will be red. Until they come into their own styles.”

The Gnome did a similar process with Atn’s extra mana, but he directed the deluge of magic into the bottle with his hands the time. Invisibly moulding the magic-soaked air and sweeping it into the container.

“Here you are now, bottled mana. Stronger since it comes direct from the source. Use it if you feel empty. You will recognize the sensation if it comes. Otherwise, in due time, you will replenish naturally.”

Grnulf passed the bottles to Zsig and Atn telekinetically.

“Now the time has come. The final gift has been bestowed. You must depart this mountain and venture south. Begin your journey in Ezall and seek your purpose.”

Grnulf touched his palms together, then flourished one hand sweepingly. The field book lying on the stone floor snapped together, latched and put itself back into her satchel.

“But want does the gift do?”

“There is no time for that now, learn through action, that is the way of alchemists after all. Farewell.”

Theo started to call after him, but Grnulf vanished with a snap of his fingers. She didn’t think he had to use his fingers to make the magic work. It was just a style thing.

“Did he really just leave us?”

She spun in a circle but didn’t see any signs of movement.

“What do we do now?”

Zsig went to try the door, but it was still locked.

“You heard him. We have to find our purpose, our path!”

“He was a loon, Theo. Get ahold of yourself.”

“Did you not see Atn go all magnet on those potions?”

“She does have a point, Zsig. Grnulf seems to have given us something. Don’t you feel…different?”

“I feel—”

The lock clicked, and their escort returned.

Like before, the Scorpion Men all but dragged Atn, Zsig, and Theo out of the room and further down the passage. The extra legs let the Scorpion Men move much faster than them. They were practically jogging to keep pace.

They travelled down the tunnel for a long while. In actual silence this time. At a certain point, the lead scorpion man stopped and gestured down the tunnel with his spear.

“That way.”

That was all he said. The escort turned and walked back the way they had come, the echo of the scuttling steps quickly fading as they disappeared into the dark tunnel. They didn’t need orbs to see in the dark, apparently.

They had to climb over fallen rock, and Atn tore down shrubbery that was blocking the small gap they would have to squeeze through to leave. But the trio finally exited the mountain, eager to find a way home. Magic was probably cool—they still didn’t really know what it was—but not being lost was better.

Theo walked to the mouth of the cave, a gentle wind hitting her face. She closed her eyes and stepped out, inhaling deeply and enjoying the warmth on her face. When she opened her eyes, she was promptly blinded by the sunlight, which they hadn’t seen in a week, at Theo’s best estimate.