[Elara Twice] You can’t trap us here, Golgheim! I need to go after Margaret!

[Golgheim Vast] I don’t make the rules Elara. I won’t break the contract.

[Elara Twice] But you can bend them! I know you have before! You protected the Ispartikans. They shouldn’t have even been able to enter—they aren’t fuckin’ envoys.

[Golgheim Vast] Bringing them in is easier than letting you out.

[Elara Twice] Please. She’s my daughter.

[Golgheim Vast] No. She was chosen by an envoy.

[Elara Twice] She was stolen by a fuckin’ pirate!

[Golgheim Vast] I’m sorry, Elara.

– Elara Twice, Conversation with Golgheim

Chapter 35 – Boiling Point

Toki's boots crunched on scattered rubble as she returned to her cave within the monkey amphitheater. Her heart thudded in time with her steps, frustration and anxiety evident from her pace. She approached the makeshift infirmary, where the prone Edgar lay. He was placed on the cave floor, his once vibrant and colorful wings were now a monochrome flock of crimson.

I told Kristina to fuck off, but how can it be that easy. Getting out of grandmother’s webs was hard enough.

Toki reached out, fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the fiery feathers. They were hot to the touch but no longer burning with fever. Despite the relief at this small sign of improvement, a shadow of unease spread through her. He was still trapped in the depths of unconsciousness, his chest rising and falling with a steadiness that belied whatever was happening inside.

Toki had cut him out of the cocoon, but he did not wake up. Though she could not be certain of Kristina’s methods, if it was anything like Toki’s own cocoon illusion, Edgar was facing his fears on top of whatever was going on with his body.

"Come on, Edgar," she murmured. "You've got to wake up."

Edgar remained motionless. It had been this way for the last hour.

Toki’s mind, meanwhile, spiraled into the labyrinth of other thoughts. The Alpha had been unable to locate the dragon’s core. The object that Kristina said could save Edgar. The only one left is Golgheim. He has it. If I can get it from him, I can use it to save Edgar, then trade it away to save Aris. But why did he send me down here if he is the one that has it? What’s his game?

Does he want to get rid of me?

With a slow exhalation, she looked upon Edgar once more, uncertain of how this all had come to pass. If I am to forge my own path, I need to understand the one laid out for me… then I can flip the table.

Zeppo and Two's words echoed in her memory, the confusion in their voices mirroring the turmoil within her own head. Why had this started? Why had grandmother sacrificed herself? What could possibly be worth such a price?

Grandmother was never the one to play the martyr. The contract sigil on Golgheim burned brightly in her mind's eye, its intricate design more enigmatic than any puzzle she'd ever faced. Kristina's warnings played over and over, a litany of caution that made Toki's skin prickle with dread thinking about him. Golgheim was not what she knew him to be, and Elara had bound him by something so powerful it demanded life itself as its due.

"Grandmother, what did you see that I cannot?" Toki whispered to the void, hoping for an answer she knew would not come. “What’s in your contract? And why can’t Golgheim just break it?”

Her thoughts drifted to the note she had burned long ago—at least what felt like long ago—Elara’s final words about Golgheim, cryptic and heavy with meaning. ‘Force him to submit.’ There was significance there, a key that Toki needed to find if she was to break the cycle that ensnared this world.

Is he forced to help me? Protect me? What is it?

Toki could feel Alpha's presence before he spoke. It broke her from her rumination. She patted Edgar’s feathers once more before turning around.

"Glassbreaker, I hast thought on our actions. But I am confused. Hast the spider spilled thy blood?”

Toki did not know how to respond. Kristina hadn’t. In fact, Kristina was probably more helpful than hurtful. “She is using me for goals that I do not understand.” Am I doing that to the chimeras? “Her path is not my path.” No. That’s not it either. “Paranoia, I guess. Sometimes you are grateful to someone but cannot trust them. Does that make sense?”

“Can my kin trust you?”

“I have no reason to deceive you.”

“I must meditate on this.”

I must as well.

“You call me Glassbreaker. What can I call you?”

“Mother bid me six-five-seven.”

How morbid. “Is that what you would like to be called?”

“I do not wish to bear the moniker of an experiment. You have given me much to think on. I shall find mine name.”

“Well, for now I will call you Elder. Let us move the tribe to the underground city. There are cowcrabs there that we can use for food. Their swarm is not endless like the rats, but they are bigger.”

Elder nodded.

“I want to bring you all to the surface. But I don’t know how safe it is for you up there yet. When I go up there, I will create safe passage to a farm. There you will never go hungry again.”

“Glassbreaker, our kin await us below. We will not tarry to find them and free them.”

Everything is pointing towards heading into the depths. I can be impulsive at times, but I know I can’t afford to be rash here. It’s so frustrating—everything in me is telling me to head down.

“And we will. But I learned that below the glass, there are dangers that are still beyond us. We need to prepare, and I will need to request help from above.” I’m not the only one looking for freedom. I hope. Whatever Golgheim, Kristina, and Elara planned, I’ll be ready.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Elder nodded.

“Make sure to settle close to the beach. The black robed warriors should have no reason to harm you if you run into them. But be wary.”

She continued in rapid fire, “We will need to bring the manasmithing materials there as well.” Toki thought back to the crates of adamant and even more exotic materials hidden away in Dutch Eternal’s cavern. “I’ll make armor for all of you.”

“Glassbreaker, the path is not clear to me. The spider hath not harmed us, yet we fought her. The black robed warriors hast killed mine kin and we shall clear the way? The world of thy humans is most confusing.”

“Indeed.” Why. Why shouldn’t the monkeys kill the warriors? “They do not deserve our gratitude and have earned our hate. But, we can trust in them having the same goal, Elder. They too want to descend into the Earth. They will show their sincerity and will bleed alongside us. We’ll ensure it.” Is that a weak reason? Am I being too lenient? “Can we blame the soldiers for the actions of the leader?” If anything, it’s Two that should be punished. Then again…

Elder paused in contemplation, but then finally nodded. At his command, the monkeys began their labor. Watching them, Toki felt the weight of their fate heavy on her shoulders.

Toki nodded back, not convincing herself. “If they attack you, do not show mercy.” I’ve never had to lead an army before. Am I fit to lead them? I know Two’s definitely not dead, and when she comes back, she’ll want to parlay. I hope I am right about her motives.

Toki felt a tug of the system and sat down next to Edgar again in frustration. I don’t have a single moment to rest, to think, to plan. Fuck! Was this grandmother’s life?

[Law Cats has called upon Tokyo Twice for a meld – agree?]

Agree.

The familiar surroundings of Law Cats surrounded Toki. She stood across from Marsha, her white hair a stark contrast to the crimson stains that marred her garb. Marsha was in a luxurious blue pantsuit, claws clicking on the desk behind her. This time, Toki was not distracted by the manatech city.

“Ah, there you are. Couldn’t tell ya how many times upstarts just go silent on ya. If the ringer didn’t go through, I’d have thought ya died on me.”

“I don’t need the banter, Marsha. Why am I here?”

“My, my, aren’t you a little catty today.”

Toki gave her a serious look.

Marsha’s sassy demeanor faltered, yielding to gravity when she took stock of the earnest severity etched deeply into Toki's expression. "Fine. Fine. The dragons are bustin’ down the doors to Aris. More aggressively than usual. Our legal barricade will crumble soon enough—if I had known you were living in Bastion, I could’ve predicted this. Do you know a Vindictus Eternal?"

“No.”

“Well, apparently, Dutch was his very young wife… and she was having his kid. The age difference between them… let’s just say, half his age plus seven would make me look like a preschooler. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Get to the point, Marsha.”

“Ya have about a year before he gets through. I’ll make it hard for them. But that’s the protected class protocol for ya. He’s allowed to locate his missing egg, dead or alive—collateral damage be damned. He’s a stage-three, hun. Six months if ya’re unlucky.”

“Is there anything you can do?”

“Do you have his kid?”

“I have an egg. But it’s definitely dead.”

Marsha looked at her with wide eyes. “Well, that won’t help then. I knew it would be dark for you since you’re on that planet, but lass, it was just a child.”

“Fuck off, Marsha. It was dead when I found it. What’s the deal with these protected classes anyways?” As the cage around Aris seemed to get smaller, Toki’s anger started to simmer.

“Ah. Well. Perhaps this is a larger scheme—they may have killed the egg as a precaution. Protected classes are just beasts, plain and simple. They just have lineages that date back before the Ostellian accords… meaning they got their claws on the system before it got too big… for all the good that did them. Almost all of them still got tricked.”

What does that mean? Toki frowned.

“Ya don’t know what that means, yeah? No history on yer planet, right? I suppose that fucker would make up his own shit. He always had the proclivity to play gods and fairytales. What is your history this time? Zeus’s Pantheon? The Akashic Regents?” Marsha pulled around behind her desk and sat on the chair.

Toki did not know how to respond. Golgheim made up the color gods? He made up everything? But the Twice history…

Marsha continued, “Anyways, the lizards are one of the only beast species that have retained their long egg gestations after the Accords. At the time, it was so their lineage would be prepared for times of war and to empower their youth before hatching, but now it’s why they’re poached… also why they can call upon system protocols to hunt their poachers. Who doesn’t want a contracted dragon?”

Marsha paused, then continued, “Now, more often ya’ll see dragons using dead eggs aggressively as a way into protected planets. Ya can’t sell them, so they’re basically timebombs. You get a crazy stage-two or three into a mortal planet and even when they get downleveled by the system and put on a timer, mortals are still gonna die.”

Toki folded her arms in disinterest.

“There’s too much to explain here that isn’t really relevant for ya, but a dragon egg would go for a pretty penny at auction. Probably more than the system reward ya have on your hands. If you had a live egg, ya could sell it for allies, or possibly return it in trade. Contracted beasts are one of the best system workarounds.”

“I don’t need a history lesson Marsha! How does this help me? The egg is dead. Tell me some real options.”

“Well, I don’t suppose you want to get married. I suggest you get your folks ready and invoke the world trial," Marsha replied, her tail flicking with the tension of the moment. “Battle seems fitting given you’re an [Elite] now, huh? Didn’t think it would be a good thing to mention last time?"

“Nope. Not happening.” Another person telling me about the world trial. AKSDJAPSD

“That’s really your best option, hun. The—"

“Are you fucking playing me too now? I swear to all the fucking Tyrants, if another person tells me to start the world trial, I’m going to just let everyone in and let them do whatever the fuck they want with the world! Highest bidder. Fuck Elara, Fuck Kristina, Fuck Golgheim. Fuck them all. I swear, Marsha. Don’t fucking give me any of that elfshit, because I’m done with it. I need my syslaw to come up with options, not give me the easiest, shittiest way out.”

Toki heard a thump by the door.

“Sweet mercy. Who put your britches in a twist. None of your options are good. Believe me, now that we’re hitched in this contract, I’m on yer side.”

“I don’t know how you know Golgheim, but since you do know him, you know he had enemies. Don’t fake your ‘I’m on your side’ elfshit. If I start the trial, my world is finished, and who knows if I can even make it out.”

“I represent you, Tokyo. Not your world. Bastion is fucked.”

Silence. Maybe that was impulsive. She’s just trying to help me. Toki waited, nonetheless. Grandmother would scold me for showing my frustration. Especially if there was nothing to gain.

Calm down.

“That planet spirit has been a pain since I was in Cazoran. I’m sure ya’re in a bind, hun. I’ve helped him more than you can imagine. I represented the Spearbreaker back then and he in turn helped me evolve into the feliform I am today. I helped Golgheim in his crusades out of trust in that man’s vision… But I lost family in Golgheim’s frivolous wars. I was chased out of Cazoran. I lost so many crystals that it almost broke me. I owe the Spearbreaker everything. But Golgheim… Golgheim owes ME everything."

“You guys got me kid, your pal pulled a fast one on me. I gave Kiwi a beating for it. Poor kid. That’s fine. I still get my cut from you. But what’s hidden down there is going to throw all of Cazoran into chaos. Get off planet. Let that plan fail. That’s my advice. If you don’t choose to listen, it’ll just be another dead [Elite]. You aren’t the Spearbreaker.”

“What’s down there?” Although the release was cathartic, Toki felt apologetic for her earlier tone.

“I can’t say.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both.”

Toki recalled Marsha’s earlier comment, “Can you call the Dynasty?”

“Kid, becoming an undead bride isn’t the answer. You’ll just end up trying to avoid a different apocalypse.”

“I just want to talk to them.”

“Whatever you say. Don’t agree to anything rashly.”

Marsha fiddled with a magitech machine sitting on her desk. “He has ten minutes to accept. Let’s see if he answers.”

“Can you also put out feelers for a beast core from the manasmith who created [Chimeric Entanglement]? If none of this works, I at least want some allies.”

Marsha’s expression turned serious. “What do you know about that?”