“That girl wants you hard,” Andrew said when he and Nil set off for their meeting late the following morning. “I don’t need to point that out like I had to with Selia, right?”
“You don’t,” Nil said.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“Nothing. Maybe it's just how things work in her world.” Nil adjusted his giant pack when they exited the teleporter off the mountain. Most of its contents were Andrew’s, but he had prepared a few sweet treats for Susan and some snacks for Shawn. The man titled Shieldmaster likely expected nothing from Nil, but there would inevitably be a lul when Andrew and Susan went off alone to make up for their time apart. Nil hoped the snacks would help deal with the inevitable awkwardness that accompanied the one-on-one time. “Iris has been suggestive but never said anything outright. She’s signaling that she’s open to it but wants me to initiate. As long as I don’t, the current status quo remains.”
“I think—”
“I know what you think and want to say, Andy,” Nil interrupted. “Selia and I have been longer apart than together. After everything with Aisha and seven years of stagnancy, I should get out there and wild oats.” He adopted a droning tone as he continued. “Selia and I never committed to a full-on relationship. I have a multiverse of options and am settling down too quickly.”
Andrew burst into laughter, shaking his head.
“What?”
“That’s not at all what I was going to say.”
Andrew nodded toward the correct teleporter. Nil had strayed from the correct path while droning. He struggled to keep track of the complex signs in the transit hob. Not all of them made a lot of sense, and they needed to go through several gates in multiple hubs to reach their destination. They were traveling halfway across the planet, after all.
“Ever since you became a Summoned, you’ve gained a fair bit of fame, power, and a fair bit of money,” Andrew said. “You’ve also become marginally better looking. Attention is bound to follow. There was the shopgirl in Mayfair. There will be girls like Iris knocking on your door. It’s expected and I wouldn’t blame you for considering your options and even playing the field.”
“But?” Nil raised an eyebrow. “I get the feeling that there is a but coming.”
“But, I can tell that you really like this girl. It might feel like too soon, and you haven’t seen each other for a while, but the way you talk about her and get excited whenever there is a note…” Andrew sighed. “You might not like me saying this, but the last time I saw you this fulfilled and whole was when Aisha was still alive. Bloody hell, Sunny-boi. The way this is going, I’d think you feel even more deeply for Selia. Given the way she looks at you, I’m pretty sure she feels the same way about you. It would be mighty idiotic to lose something great because you can’t keep it in your pants.”
“When the hell did you become so insightful in the matters of love?” Nil asked, shocked and amused by Andrew’s speech. “You’re the biggest man whore I’ve ever known. It started on my sixteenth birthday and—”
“—and ended with Susan,” Andrew said, completing the thought. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for introducing me to her, Sunny-boi. Or hooking me up with this sweet gig.” He grinned. “But being with her changed things. One of those things is how incredibly insightful I am now.”
“It certainly did nothing for your humility.”
“Humility is overrated. I’m serious though, Nil. I believe you should give this thing with Selia a chance. I won’t tell you what to or not to do. If you want to hook up with Iris and explore whatever she has to offer, go for it. But I think it's a mistake.”
“I wasn't planning on it, Andy,” Nil said, thoroughly amused by Andrew’s unexpected growth. “You’re right. I like her. Iris might be an alluring prospect, but I’m not interested. Ignoring her invitations—or whatever she is doing—has worked so far, and I’m happy leaving things just as they are. Acknowledging it is bringing things into the open, and that will make the working environment uncomfortable.”
“Do what you think is best,” Andrew said. “I just don’t want you to try to make up for lost time after Aisha, go bed-hopping, and screw up a good thing.”
“Casual hook-ups were never my thing, and I got it all out of my system with Katherine. You don’t need to worry.”
“After the dark place Aisha’s death sent you to and everything you told me, of course I worry. Anyway, I’ve said my piece. Let's forget we ever had this conversation.”
“Agreed. Sappy and serious is a horrid look on you.”
The Druid’s Grove sat in the more uninhabited southern half of the planet, where there were more wilderness reserves than urban centers. Their meeting place was almost exactly at the halfway point between the isolated compound and the Onyx Dragon Academy. As outsiders of the planet, there was a long list of places Nil and Andrew weren’t allowed to visit. As a result, they had to take a criss-cross around the planet and go around several more hubs than locals to get to their destination.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Things weren’t as restrictive for Shawn and Susan. As far as Nil could tell, the druid faction was the most trusted of the three ruling powers on Ashe Falls. They lived around the world tree’s trunk, protected it, and reared it, after all. As individuals carrying the druids’ mark, Shawn and Susan only needed a couple of changes to reach their destination and were already present and waiting.
Instead of getting together in an expensive urban center, the group picked a coastal town. Primarily, fishermen inhabited, and they had tracked down an inn atop tall white cliffs that cooked the best crab and scallops Nil had ever eaten. It had rooms for Susan and Andrew to make up for their time apart. Meanwhile, the views were perfect for silent staring. It made the quiet less awkward.
Susan ran into Andrew’s arms as soon as she saw him. The pair embraced and lost themselves in a long kiss while Shawn waved over the server. Nil knew his friend’s palette and had no plans of waiting for the couple to finish their reunion. So, he ordered and caught up with Shawn.
“You look different,” Nil said after their drinks arrived. “Is it your hair?”
Shawn had short, curly hair, which he neatly kept as cornrows whenever it got too long between trims. While living among the druids, he had changed his regular grooming habits. He had a short, neatly trimmed beard, while his hair was significantly longer and voluminous. It sat in a tight ponytail, almost forming a perfect sphere behind his head.
“No.” Shawn looked smug. “I just woke up from my body ascension this morning.”
“You got a token?! Nil’s eyes widened.
Shawn nodded. “Did you miss my match? I got my ticket and completed the quest. You and Selia are up next. Speaking of Selia.” He placed a bottle on the table. “The owner said she left this for us a week ago.”
Nil uncorked the container and was welcomed by a smell reminiscent of mead and fortified wine. “It's strong. It is probably best had with dessert. The love birds will enjoy it.”
“Have you seen her?” Shawn asked.
Nil shook his head. “Just messages. I don’t know why the Weave will let her infiltrate where I sleep and leave messages but not let her spend time with me.”
“Clandestine organizations are like that,” Shawn said. “Or so I hear. The druids don’t like the Weave or their Spiders. They have special wards ensuring none enter their forests or get near the grove. They call Maka Dee—the entity the Weave worships—a liar, trickster, and thief. They worry her agents will steal all of their secrets and stories.”
“And do what? Aren’t they all about collecting and protecting information, ensuring nothing powerful ever gets in the hands of the Scourge or Void? They all need to be working together.”
“They are doing an excellent job of maintaining the balance in the Control World. I’d argue that’s sufficient cooperation. Everyone doesn’t need to be hand in hand and best friends.”
“I don’t disagree. The animosity just doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Andrew and Susan joined the pair but didn’t sit down. Instead, he opened the pack Nil had carried and dug out the weapons stowed within. He handed the first, a cross between a rifle and a mage’s staff, to Susan. It was a product of several hours of experimentation, and Nil witnessed its testing. Summoners relied on spells almost just as much as mages but struggled to cast them as fast and suffered from greater mental strain. After all, their abilities forced them to invest in Spark first and Mind second.
The weapon’s two gems acted as spell stores. Susan could pre cast spells and call them forth when needed and not suffer the accompanying mental strain. They tested the rifle function outdoors. Crimson projectiles made of energy flew from the muzzle after a brief charge-up period.
“The drain isn’t as bad as I expected,” Susan commented. “My aim needs a hell of a lot of work, though.”
“You’ll get there,” Andrew said, taking it back to check the sights. “Store this one in your Nexus wardrobe. I’ll make another one on Earth for your CIT stuff. It might not be as good, but I promise you it will get the job done.” He pushed a sheathed sword into Shawn’s hands. “You’re next, big man.”
“Fine craftsmanship,” Shawn commented, drawing the saber. Arcane symbols covered the blade, and the edge appeared to be made of volcanic glass.
“I had the base made by one of the finest swordsmiths in the forge. We exchanged favors, saving on labor costs. So I could afford to spend more on materials. Channel barrier energy into the blade. Maintain a continuous stream, circulating energy through the weapon and back into yourself. I designed it to be a part of your circuit.”
The obsidian edge glowed bright silver as Shawn obeyed, and the flat side of the blade lit up with arcane symbols. “It feels powerful,” he said, swinging the weapon. “I can feel a thin barrier forming around the edge.”
“It’s meant to emulate what you’re attempting to emulate with the barrier folding technique,” Andrew explained. “You can make do with this until you pull it off. The barrier protects the edge while creating a fine, compressed blade that can cut into much harder materials than you can with just raw strength. The density of the flow will increase the wrapped barrier’s size. You can get more reach or create a broader blade for something more like a cleaver. Chop. Chop.”
“That’s pretty incredible. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Andrew grinned. “Now sever the flow into the weapon, but don’t withdraw what’s already in there.”
“Done.”
“Now swing that way.” Andrew pointed off the cliff and upward. The silver light broke free from the obsidian edge and flew free as a rough crescent as Shawn obeyed. It travelled for several dozen meters before dissipating. “Timing and control will help with aim. Shaping will help with a better quality and sharp blade.”
“This is beyond amazing,” Shawn declared after several long moments of staring at her new weapon. “And this is just the prototype?”
Andrew nodded. “I’ll try to improve the design before our time here is done, so you have one for quests and the Arena that was made with Control World materials. I doubt the Nexus or arena construct will let you take it to Earth.”
“I suppose I’ll just have to wait until I get a soul weapon for more.”
“Amazing work,” Nil commented. “Might just die of jealousy.”
“Relax, Sunny-boi,” Andrew replied. “This is all research and development for that arm cannon you want.”