Chapter 7: Best Laid Plans

Derek and Teetch originally planned to raid the Giild in February, but two more months passed before they got their chance. The moon never showed up long enough in February to power the gate. In March, two nights provided enough moonlight. Still, one of them, Teetch, was off chasing Bigfoot, and the other, Derek's parents, managed to nail him down for an evening of family games, which were only slightly awkward because his dad never directly spoke to him except through his mom. There weren't any more surprise animal killings in Golden Lake, but that didn't stop Lisa Dunn from going into Mama Bear protective mode ever since. When Derek asked Teetch why the Wheel didn't send anything else after him, Teetch shrugged, his new favorite Human gesture, and said that most Amberkin couldn't conceive of a world where a Seeker does not catch its prey or that Teetch could survive outside the Giild for any extended length of time.

As the days passed, Golden Lake settled back into a homeostasis of sorts. It still felt like the Golden Lake Derek loved, but something would happen every couple of days that reminded Derek that things weren't quite right. The snow melted too early that year, and "Sold" signs with the World Wide Wilco logo started showing up in the windows of local businesses on Derek's morning walk to work. Whenever they purchased another local business, Derek expected a full-on corporate makeover. Still, WWW often didn't make any discernible changes, and Golden Lakers were allowed to keep working as usual. The big company just liked to mark its territory. However, on the rare occasion that a Golden Lake resident decided to relinquish their property rights and move away fully, WWW gave exceedingly generous payouts, or at least that's what Reid told Harmony and Harmony told Derek. The businesses that World Wide Wilco ultimately bought out underwent renovations immediately, giving Main Street the everpresent scent of wet cement and sawdust. Derek's parents still owned Dunn, Dunn, Dunn, and it was the leash they were using to keep him in line, something about proving he was responsible and capable.

It significantly hampered his ability to practice his new Angler skills, but whenever he had a day off, he still spent it at the lake, but it wasn't the same as it used to be. Every lake excursion reminded Derek of the sinister voices from the WWW main office and their squat, grey office building with a coin golem out front. Derek never heard those two specific voices again, but he knew they were working for WWW. The national supplier seemed obsessed with the lake for some reason, and there wasn't a day when they weren't collecting soil or water samples or measuring something on the shoreline. Derek had avoided the dock ever since that fateful day. He couldn't help but think about the sigil drawn underneath, invading one of the only places Derek viewed as a haven.

Derek showed Teetch the sigil under the dock and the construct of pennies that Derek had started calling the Linconstruct, but the amberkin's response was the opposite of helpful. When Teetch saw the diamond shape the company minions had drawn under the dock, the amberkin said it was a sigil depicting an Ideal, sometimes called an Idealogram. Still, since they hadn't followed the designs of one of the Ten Great Ideals, Teetch couldn't guess its purpose. He said that about the Linconstruct, too.

He told Derek it was common for Idealomancers to manifest their Ideals as a construct to act as a servant of sorts, but they could usually only follow simple commands. Teetch said they could do more to hamper the plans of the Idealomancers that seemed to be working for WWW if they knew what Ideal they followed because an Ideal could only be countered by its opposite. Derek and Teetch didn't have much luck figuring out their WWW's Ideal because the suits stopped openly practicing their Craft whenever Derek or Teetch watched as if they knew when the duo was watching. Eventually, the duo gave up trying to figure it out. Teetch acknowledged that Derek's plan should work in theory, regardless of WWW's ideals.

With their extra two months of planning, Derek and Teetch refined the plan further. Since Teetch was of the Mystical, he had more freedom than Derek. While Derek worked at the grocery store, he repurposed clothes hangers into wire loops through which he could pass fishing lines. Teetch planted the loops at various strategic positions around the lake, only an inch or two above ground, using the lake's natural foliage as camouflage. Finally, Derek bought a smartwatch, so he wouldn't always have to check his phone for MythMaker; the app Hero of Prophecy app seemed to only work on his phone.

Teetch split his time evenly between helping Derek and researching at the library. Derek would have assumed the little amberkin would have found Human literature barbarical, but he couldn't have been more wrong on that score. Teetch devoured whatever he could get his hands on. His favorites were fantasy books and books about cryptids. At first, it irked the little amberkin that there were stories about elves and dwarves and even creatures that were cleariously fake called fairies, but there wasn't a single book about amberkin. When Derek tried to assure Teetch that none of it was real, the amberkin would stare at Derek like he was a simpleton.

When Teetch wasn't reading fantasy, he was "researching," which is how he referred to his study of cryptids. Teetch thought the books were a list of potential allies for him and Derek to reclaim the Giild, specifically Bigfoot, because all "confirmed" Bigfoot sightings were in the Northwest. Now, at night, while Derek slept, Teetch spent that time roaming the forests of Golden Lake for signs of the elusive creature instead of waking Derek up. Teetch hadn't had any luck, but by the end of the two months, Derek would've guessed the amberkin was one of the world's foremost experts on Bigfoot.

As Derek marked off days on the calendar, he tried to figure out how he felt about this whole thing. As the novelty of learning about a Magical world wore off, he started to consider its implications for his own life. For one, Derek had stopped doing anything other than the bare minimum in his online classes, and only that much because his mom watched him like a hawk. He also started to pay attention to what he loved most about Golden Lake and appreciate those things more fully. Derek planned to return from the Giild but didn't think he could count on that either. Teetch assured Derek he'd be back, but the amberkin would've said anything to get Derek to go. Derek tried to come to terms with the fact that these two months might be his last days in Golden Lake.

Derek ordered tuna melt quesadillas whenever he got the chance, and he talked to Esme about her kids, who had grown up in Golden Lake and moved away. Derek hadn't known. On nights he wasn't preparing for the Giild with Teetch, he was watching sports with his dad or sitcoms with his mom. Derek even attempted to pester Rod more, but there was only so much of the big man that the young fisherman could stand at one time, and despite his best efforts, Derek couldn't get the older fisherman to tell him more about Derek's dad's mysterious past. Of all the people Derek cared about, Harmony made the top of the list, but whenever he tried to spend time with her, she was either busy working or spending time with Wilco. Reid had officially moved to Golden Lake with his father, Wallace Wilco, so they could full-court press their buying and corporatizing of the small town. If their actions bothered Harmony, she didn't show it. The few times she and Derek spent time together, she acted like she'd completely forgotten what had happened that night at Angel's Perch, and Derek tried to forget it, too, but things felt different between them.

Weirdly enough, Derek found that he wanted to spend more time with the Alphabet Squad, but they'd stopped coming into the store much as they used to, and when they did, it was always to buy stuff and not try to embroil Derek in their crazy schemes. Weirder still, they always seemed annoyed when he tried to talk to them. Derek chalked it up to puberty and tried unsuccessfully not to let it hurt his feelings. He tried not to think about how pathetic it was to have middle schoolers outgrow him.

Derek hated to admit it, but he found himself getting closer to Teetch and, on good days, might even refer to the little guy as a friend before he insulted Derek's hygiene, work ethic, or intelligence and reminded him how much of a punk the amberkin could be. However, as time passed, the insults felt less genuine and more like they were just the amberkin's multi-jointed knee-jerk reflexes. In those two months, the amberkin accidentally revealed details about his life and the Giild that Derek paid special attention to, but he knew enough now not to ask questions, or Teetch would clam up or insult him. Derek eventually learned the Wheel was a ruling body in the Giild that ran things while the Queen was indisposed. Teetch mentioned the Queen and a mentor figure named Vaasla often, but never any family or friends that Derek could tell. Derek got the sense that Teetch cared about his home, Othiamphuus, a lot, almost to an unhealthy degree, and it caused the little guy pain to watch it change. Derek didn't know the specifics, but he could empathize. He loved Golden Lake more than anyone, and watching it become something else hurt, even if that change wasn't bad. When Derek tried to share this insight with Teetch, the amberkin spit on the ground and insisted the two situations were not "similatable" in the slightest.

When the time came for the next full moon, the day passed by like any other, but to Derek, it felt like massive gears were shifting behind the scenes. If anyone else could feel how portentous the day would be, Derek couldn't see it. People still bought overpriced local groceries and complained about the new construction projects like they always did, and Derek savored every second of it. When Derek removed the Dunn, Dunn, Dunn apron for potentially the last time, he did so with a reverence something made of cheap polyester probably didn't deserve. He hugged Petey McNally, the part-time high schooler on night shift, and left.

Φ

Now that everything was in place and the moment was nearly upon them, Derek felt like his plan was too stupid to work, but it was also too late to change it. Teetch assured him the plan was sound, but then again, he was the same guy who thought they needed Bigfoot on their team, so Derek still held onto a healthy amount of skepticism.

Derek sat at their makeshift fishing station, composed of a lawn chair and two heavy boulders for Derek to use as an anchor for his feet. At the same time, Teetch looped Derek's Infinity Line through the wire loops they'd planted around the circumference of Golden Lake. The Wooden Rod lay in Derek's lap, and Derek admired the visual makeover it had seemed to undergo after his level-up. Wooden carvings now ran along its length, depicting scenes of fisherman in various scenes of heroism, like catching dragons with their pole or fishing in raging storms. Derek couldn't help but feel the drawings were more like How to Be a Hero of Prophecy for Dummies.

Derek sat on the diametrically opposite side of the lake from the World Wide Wilco office suite and the construction project that used to be the Lucky Catch motel. He tried not to let it upset him, but the more he watched, the more he hated how WWW casually marred the lake's natural beauty to build their version of Holiday Inn. Teetch clambered in that direction.

They'd tested it, but Derek still couldn't believe his Infinity Line could span the entire lake's circumference. Teetch's job was to plant a Seekerclaw Hook strategically outside the WWW office, lure the Linconstruct onto the hook, and run like mad, yanking loops from the ground as he went until he met back up with Derek. Derek's job was to reel the Ideal-manifested golem into the lake with his Inexorable Pull. If everything went according to plan and Derek's abilities worked properly, the Linconstruct wouldn't even be able to put up a fight. Once in the lake, Chaasmyth would notice the Linconstruct and do what guardian fish do. While Chaasmyth was distracted by the Linconstruct, Teetch and Derek would sneak into the Giild. Derek positioned himself far enough away that even if the Idealomancers saw what was happening, they couldn't respond in time.

As Derek watched Teetch get closer, he kept expecting something to go wrong or that one of the WWW suits would spot the amberkin, but Teetch kept getting closer without any issues. The duo waited until dark, when Teetch was less likely to run into any civilians. Neither of them wanted to have to worry about Unawakened collateral damage on top of a giant golem made of pennies and a giant fish.

Teetch planted the hook directly into the path of the Linconstruct and clambered into the unfinished wooden structure of the new hotel they were building on top of the remains of the Lucky Catch. The night was mostly clear, with a few sporadic clouds, perfect for moonlight. When the Giild appeared, that was their signal to put the plan into motion. It wouldn't be long.

"Sweet setup!"

"So this is what you've been planning."

"Whatcha doin'?"

Derek nearly dropped his fishing pole as the Alphabet Squad emerged from the trees. He was happy to see the gang but needed to get rid of them before things got crazy. Not only were they Unawakened, but the Linconstruct didn't seem likely to have a soft spot for small children. Sure, they were annoying, but Derek wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to them because of his plan.

Derek attempted to put on his best customer service smile and said, "It's great to see you guys, but you kinda caught me at a bad time. How about we catch up tomorrow after school?"

"Are you kidding me?

"You really think we're that stupid?"

"Sounds good, Mr. Derek."

Derek thought he'd been pretty reasonable and polite, especially considering the mounting panic he was starting to feel. He could barely see Teetch heading toward the World Wide Wilco office. Meanwhile, far from pleased, Andy and Bev looked actively upset. Andy's cheeks were red, his eyes narrow, and Bev had her hands balled into fists, pressed firmly against her hips. When Chuck saw his friends were upset, he did his best to scrunch up his face and look upset in solidarity.

Bev stepped forward and said, "What's that other kid got that we don't?

"Yeah!" Andy chimed in, with Chuck nodding along sympathetically.

"Other kid?" Derek started to ask, then realized, "Oh, you mean Teetch? He's my cousin."

"Bull crap!" Andy shouted, "No older kid wants to hang out with their family. Just ask my brothers."

"You don't understand," Derek said. He could feel a slight tugging on the line, but it was just Teetch setting the hook.

"We understand more than you think," Bev said, "We understand you don't trust us. We know you've been having that other kid set things up all along the lake. He didn't even do that good a job. They're all so obvious."

Derek couldn't help but laugh. "You're right. Sneaky spy stuff isn't my strong suit." Derek said with a grin, "Why do you guys care so much? I'm just some guy who works in a grocery store."

"Because you're cool!"

"Because you don't care what anybody thinks."

"Because you're nice."

Derek wiped at something in his eyes and said, "It's not a big deal, you guys; this was more like a job than anything, boring adult stuff."

"You could've just asked us anyway, Mr. Derek," Chuck said, "You know we woulda helped you. We helped you that one time with your fishing pole."

At that moment, Derek felt a strong tugging on his pole. The Wooden Rod almost jerked out of his hands, but Derek regained control and started reeling. There was more resistance than he was used to, but he felt the line grow taut and slowly pull toward him. Derek glanced across the lake and could see Teetch scrambling away from the Linconstruct and getting stopped by two people, one in a suit and one Derek would recognize from anywhere: Harmony.

"It's not like that, you guys," Derek said, trying to disguise the strain in his voice, "I promise I'll explain everything tomorrow." I hope I'm around to keep that promise.

"No way! You're not getting rid of us that easily."

"Not good enough, Dunn."

"No, thank you, Mr. Derek."

Derek looked at the determined middle schoolers, the small cloud covering the moon, and Reid Wilco now blocking Teetch's path, and Derek had an idea. With Reid in the way, they couldn't execute their plan, and every effort to get rid of the kids would only cause them to dig in further. Derek couldn't leave his post to help Teetch, and he needed to keep an eye on the Linconstruct. From what he could see, the bronze giant had turned around and tried to return to its post now that Teetch had left the perimeter. Instead of returning, it slowly slid backward across the ground toward Derek and, more importantly, the lake.

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"Okay, fine. You win. I have a super secret mission for you all," Derek whispered, causing the Alphabet Squad to huddle close. I need you to get those little metal rings you saw. That other kid did it wrong. I'm going to need them back."

Teetch and Derek's plan wouldn't work without removing the rings because they needed the fishing line positioned over the lake. During setup, Derek and Teetch couldn't afford to let the line hang over the lake in plain view, but now a free-floating line over the lake was exactly what he needed. That way, he would pull the Linconstruct directly toward the lake when he reeled instead of the circuitous route outlined by their metal loops. Judging by how slowly he was reeling in the Linconstruct, the kids would have plenty of time to pluck the rings and return to Derek, and by then, Teetch would have probably disentangled himself from Reid.

All three members of the Alphabet Squad saluted Derek and said, "Sir, yes, sir!" in unison before disappearing into the woods.

Derek kept reeling and watched as the Linconstruct inched closer to the lake. He was making progress, but it was taking longer than he thought. The golem had probably moved less than fifty feet since they started, and now it was finally getting to where the slope into the lake began. Derek hoped it would move faster once he got the creature on a downhill slope. Otherwise, he would be reeling for hours, and they were sure to get found out. That he could move something that probably weighed over a thousand pounds and still complain about it was unbelievable, but he tried not to dwell on his new normal.

If Magic were supposed to make sense, the mere knowledge of it wouldn't break people's minds.

Derek felt slight tugs on the fishing line as the Alphabet Squad removed each wire hanger loop. Meanwhile, across the lake, Teetch was gesticulating wildly at Reid, pointing his little arms opposite the office suite and the Linconstruct. Reid tried to step around the amberkin, and Teetch kept shuffling around to stay in front of the WWW heir, blocking his path to the WWW office. Derek recognized the way Harmony's body shook up and down with laughter. He wondered if it was Teetch's antics or if Reid had taken a break from being an insufferable twit and was saying something funny for once.

The moon picked that moment to emerge from the clouds.

The night came to life, bathed in the light from the moon and Othiamphuus to paint Golden Lake in what felt like its rightful colors. Golden Lake seemed nearly as magical as the city under the water at this vantage. Teetch and Reid stopped mid-argument and basked in its beauty momentarily while Harmony turned around and looked around the lake, puzzled. She couldn't see the breathtaking city.

Derek realized this was the first time he had seen the city when ice didn't obscure the majestic view, and just like that, he was captivated all over again. Something about it felt more magical than the golem made of pennies or the little amberkin that could shapeshift. Derek watched the city and saw amberkin bustling along streets, single-file like the golden veins of the Giild itself. Winged shapes swooped and dove around the massive spires that defied the rules of geometry and engineering. Derek had difficulty believing Teetch's people could have built such a grand city millions of years ago. It looked more advanced than modern-day cities in its way.

The fishing line went slack. Derek kept reeling but felt a sinking feeling. He expected more resistance. Had he lost the golem? The Linconstruct shouldn't have been able to break free. The Seekerclaw Hooks item description said a catch couldn't escape while hooked, and it also said it could penetrate anything. The Linconstruct should still be trapped. Derek scanned the slope that should've held the golem and found his answer. He didn't like it. The Linconstruct wasn't resisting because it walked with long, confident strides along the shoreline. Toward Derek. Earlier, it couldn't even leave its perimeter. What's changed?

When Derek looked back at Teetch, he knew what had happened. Reid was looking right at Derek and pointing. Derek could imagine the young Wilco shouting orders at the mindless construct and telling it to chase him down. Teetch said it could follow simple commands. Reid must have overridden its orders to protect the WWW office.

Teetch tried to sneak through Reid's legs, but Wilco sensed the attempt and blocked the amberkin, trapping him on the other side of the lake. Meanwhile, the Linconstruct was getting ever closer.

"Mission accomplished!" three voices shouted in unison.

The Alphabet Squad. I've gotta get them out of here, but I can't panic or let them see the giant golem heading our way.

"Excellent work, cadets!" Derek said, "But our position's compromised, so we've gotta retreat and regroup on the other side of the like. Double time!"

As Derek delivered the orders, he started jogging in the opposite direction of the Linconstruct, hoping the kids would follow him.

"Hey, wait for me!"

"Where are you going?"

"But we just got here."

All three members of the Alphabet Squad matched Derek's jog while he kept reeling. As long as he kept the lake between him and the Linconstruct, he should be able to pull it into the lake before the kids saw the golem, but he still couldn't leave without Teetch. Across the lake, Reid must have done something that crossed a line because Harmony now had the guy in a Full Nelson while Teetch was dodging between the legs of a group of suits that must've emerged from the WWW office. A risky idea started to form in Derek's head. It relied on that Teetch was right about Awakening and that the WWW suits wouldn't risk Awakening the little kids or Harmony. Here goes nothing.

"Alphabet Squad, one of our own, is in danger! Your mission is to run interference and aid their escape. Once accomplished, you need to retreat, not come back and help me no matter what you see. Is that clear?"

Bev was in the best shape of the Alphabet Squad and had run up next to Derek. He asked in a low tone that only he could hear, "We need more than that. I know something's wrong. Really wrong. You can tell me."

Derek looked at the girl's earnest expression, lit by the magical city, and made a decision, "You're right. Something is wrong, but we can't discuss it now. I'll explain everything later. You can trust me." Derek lied.

Derek snuck a glance across the lake to see the Linconstruct closing the distance between them faster than Derek could make it. Pretty soon, the lake wouldn't be between them. Meanwhile, a circle of WWW suits surrounded Teetch while Harmony yelled at them, shaking her fists. Reid had somehow escaped her headlock but hadn't joined the rest of the WWW goons.

Bev nodded and turned to her friends, "You heard the boss! One of our own is in trouble. Alphabet Squad, let's roll out." I'm pretty sure she stole that from a movie.

"Roger that!" Andy shouted.

"I am rolling," Chuck said between heavy, exhausted breaths,

All three of them disappeared into the trees ahead of Derek in a burst of speed. He hoped they'd get there in time to help Teetch. However, it was probably a moot point unless Derek figured out how to deal with the penny golem barreling toward him. He needed to do something to slow it down. Derek heard a loud crack as the Linconstruct toppled a pine tree in its path, passing through the full-grown tree as if it were nothing more than a twig in its path. The Linconstruct didn't dodge as its mechanical stride ate up the distance between it and Derek. As Derek watched in horror, he noticed something about its motion. Its path along the edge of the lake was mindless. The Linconstruct always took the shortest path between two points. A desperate plan started to form in Derek's mind.

Still clutching his fishing pole and reeling, Derek held it so that the line was about shoulder height and started running around the base of two trees about five feet apart. Derek probably only needed to run one lap but wouldn't leave anything to chance. After the third lap, Derek examined his handiwork. A fishing line tripwire was strung taut between the base of the two pine trees. Derek had a hard time believing the slender wire was sturdier than the pine tree the golem casually crashed through, but then again, the same thin line was enough to stop the bite of a magic dinosaur.

Derek could start to feel the tremors caused by the Linconstruct's heavy footfalls. He turned and ran, holding his fishing pole over his head, letting it spool fishing line freely. In retrospect, Derek wished he'd been watching as the Linconstruct fell, but at the moment, his lizard brain was too focused on survival to watch the giant golem get tripped by Line of Steel-enhanced fishing line. When Derek heard the Linconstruct crash to the ground with a thunderous tremor, he permitted himself to glance back. Abe Lincoln's expressionless face watched Derek from knee height while the golem was still using its massive arms to drag it along the ground at a fraction of the speed it moved before, which was plenty fast enough. It didn't even try to stand back up. Derek guessed that someone would need to command it to stand, but right then, its only command was to chase Derek. He started running and reeling again, trying to get into a position where the lake was between him and the monstrosity.

Meanwhile, the Alphabet Squad had just arrived to crash the WWW party. One of the suits was slumped to his knees, clutching his groin, while another suit struggled unsuccessfully to get both Andy and Chuck off his back. At that moment, Teetch's translucent skin started to glow before white light eclipsed everything. Teetch's flashbang move he used the first day we met.

Derek blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to get rid of the white spots that felt burnt into his retinas, all while pressing ever forward and trying not to trip. He couldn't afford to stop. The night wouldn't be a complete disaster if he managed to get that bronze monstrosity into the lake. When his vision cleared enough to see across the lake again, Teetch was gone. The Alphabet Squad was scattered, and Derek could only get a visual on Bev and Chuck. Harmony and Reid seemed to be shouting and gesturing wildly at one of the goons, and with a sinking feeling, Derek found Andy. A man had thrown the boy over his shoulders; Andy was flailing his arms and legs to no avail. Derek saw Andy's baseball cap crumpled on the ground while the man carried the boy back to the WWW office.

Derek almost abandoned reeling entirely to go and rescue the kid, but then he remembered why he was there. If he quit now, then everything they'd done up to that point would be for nothing. Teetch and potentially an entire city full of lives were seemingly at stake, and they needed Derek's help arguably more than Andy did. Besides, Harmony and even Reid wouldn't let anything happen to the kid. Reid was a bit of a knob, but the lanky businessman didn't seem like an altogether lousy dude. Besides, Derek had no reason to assume the suits would do anything outright evil. The Alphabet Squad had attacked them first. It was reasonable to assume WWW was holding Andy so they could contact the proper authorities. Somehow, Derek had a hard time convincing himself of that fact. I'll come back for you, Andy. I promise.

Teetch burst out of the woods. Derek expected a snarky comment about how Derek's plan had been a disaster, but the amberkin clambered onto Derek's back with a determined expression. Teetch looked dimmer than Derek had ever seen, to the point the amberkin could've almost passed for a normal kid. If you ignored the extra joints and claws, that is. Teetch wrapped his arms around Derek's neck like Derek was giving the little guy a piggyback ride. He weighed way less than Derek would have expected, and if not for the rapid fluttering of the amberkin's little heart, Derek would have forgotten the amberkin was there. Derek had to resist the urge to blame the amberkin for what happened, but Teetch looked so tired and miserable that Derek couldn't bring himself to do it. Teetch isn't the one who sent those kids in there.

Even with Teetch adding his extra weight, Derek quickly reached the point where the lake was between him and the Linconstruct. Ever since his level-up a couple of months back, Derek felt like he didn't get tired as quickly as he used to. In high school, the half-mile was enough to leave Derek a sweaty and panting mess. However, even after the night's exertions, Derek still felt relatively fresh when he could finally wrest the bronze golem to a point where water started to lap over its massive body.

"Any second now," Teetch whispered.

Derek kept reeling, waiting to feel the golem drop into the depths. While he waited, he looked around the lake. There was no sign of the Alphabet Squad, the WWW goons, or Reid and Harmony. Despite all the wrinkles, It looked like he and Derek would get to enter Othiamphuus after all. As the golem thrashed its limbs, trying to drag itself to Derek, its movement distorted the reflection of the city. It felt like a bad omen. Derek could feel the presence of his piscine adversary somewhere in the lake. Watching him. Derek didn't think the ancient guardian would take the bait for a while, and then suddenly, there was no trace of the Linconstruct. It just disappeared beneath the surface so suddenly that Derek had to catch his Wooden Rod before it got pulled into the water.

They had their distraction. This was the moment they were waiting for, but then Derek realized he didn't know how to enter the gate. "What do we do now? Just jump in?"

"Look, Derek Dunn, it's Bigfoot. He's here!" Teetch said excitedly, pointing across the lake. "I think it wants to come with us."

Derek followed where Teetch was pointing, and he was only partially correct. Rod Hockenson stood by the docks on the other side of the lake. He was too far away for Derek to see his face, but he was clearly watching Derek and Teetch. Rod raised a big arm and waved. Derek didn't have time to speculate what the big man was doing or how much he'd seen. He added it to the list of things he would have to deal with if- no when he got back to Golden Lake. Rod was going to give him some answers.

"That's not Bigfoot, Teetch. Just a big pain," Derek said, "Now, let's blow this popsicle stand."

'"I'm beginning to think you're making up phrases," Teetch said with a grumble, "What are you waiting for? Jump into the lake. Othiamphuus won't be distracted for long."

"Hold on tight," Derek said as he dropped concentration and snipped his fishing line with the Iron Fillet Knife. Derek stowed all his magical equipment using the Inventory tab in MythMaker, another discovery he'd made during his months of planning. As long as there were empty squares in his Inventory, all items that originated from MythMaker would disintegrate into colorful neon particles and get sucked into the phone. Derek tried stowing several valuable things from his world, but Inventory only worked with items from the game.

Derek plugged his nose and jumped. Some part of Derek had been hoping that jumping in the lake would instantly teleport him into the amberkin city. A more significant, rational part of Derek assumed it wouldn't be easy. Even in a world with Magic and Heroes of Prophecy, it couldn't ever just be easy. Derek's new hope was that when they arrived, a warm meal and towel would be waiting for him, but he wasn't going to hold his breath. Actually, he would need to hold his breath because Derek could see the door to Othiamphuus, and it would require a lot of swimming. It looked like a typical wooden door, except someone had built it into the bottom of the lake floor, and it glowed with a faint amber light reminiscent of the one always present beneath Teetch's translucent skin.

Derek considered himself a pretty good swimmer, but even he could tell the swim wouldn't be easy. He aimed at the door and started to pump toward it with powerful breaststrokes. His progress wasn't nearly as fast as he was used to, with a buoyant Teetch necklace providing a gentle but persistent tug upward and water-logged clothes that made each movement harder. While he made slow progress toward the door, Derek couldn't help but marvel at his surroundings. He'd swam at night before and was used to not being able to see his hand in front of his face. The city bathed Derek in a soft golden light. Now that he was closer, Derek could see that he was surrounded by what seemed like holographic images of the spiraling towers and domes of Othiamphuus. It wasn't the real thing. There was no sign of Chaasmyth or the Linconstruct, but he could feel the water vibrations hinting at their underwater struggle. Derek wondered if the golem was determinedly trying to chase him, still following its orders, even as Chaasmyth attacked it.

He swam for his life, and by the time he reached the glowing door, Derek could feel he'd just about used up all his oxygen. He'd been underwater well over a minute, and he could feel his chest start to burn and the muscles in his cheeks clench with the strain of resisting the urge to breathe. When his hand closed around the doorknob, and Derek tried to twist and pull, his hand slid off the handle. He grabbed the knob with both hands and twisted it, and even though they didn't slide off, the door didn't budge. Who locks an underwater door? By that time, there was a brightness at the edge of his vision and spots he couldn't blink away, but that didn't stop him from seeing the baleful glare locked on him. Racing across the lake floor.

At some point in his struggle with the door, Teetch scrambled off Derek's shoulders and positioned himself near the doorknob. Chaasmyth was closing the distance between them faster than Derek could've imagined something its size could be capable of. Derek would've sworn by the look in its eyes that whatever animosity it felt toward him was personal. It recognized Derek and didn't like him one bit. Now that Derek could better look at his fishy nemesis, he wished he could return to a time when he could only imagine what Chaasmyth looked like. In this case, reality was less kind than Derek's imagination.

Meanwhile, Teetch was painstakingly molding his index finger into the shape of a key that would fit the lock to the door of Othiamphuus. He tried and failed a couple of times in quick succession, but not fast enough. Derek's entire body was screaming at him to try and swim for the surface, and darkness was taking more of his vision. Derek held on for dear life and fought to keep Chaasmyth in view. The Giild's guardian looked like another holdover from the prehistoric days, but time and possibly Magic seemed to have warped the creature over the millennia. Bony plates covered the beast like a suit of armor, but in some places, the growths had grown jagged spurs that twisted and skewed in random directions. Chaasmyth didn't have many teeth, surprisingly, just two sharp teeth each on the top and bottom jaw that reminded Derek of a staple remover, but somehow Derek doubted that's what the ancient fish would use them for.

Chaasmyth opened his powerful jaws and lunged forward in a sudden burst of speed. Derek didn't have the presence of mind to try and dodge, let alone stay conscious, so he closed his eyes to accept his fate. Something closed around his wrist, and Derek felt a sickening feeling of his stomach dropping like he was on a roller coaster. He landed on a hard floor with a thud and groaned. Water didn't rush into his lungs.

I'm on dry land. We made it?

MythMaker chirped triumphantly in Derek's pocket. They'd broken into Othiamphuus.