“So, who goes first?” Gideon asked. “Your half plan, or mine?”
They were standing at the crossroads. In one direction, the trail headed up the mountain, back towards the castle. When Gideon listened closely, he could hear Ondine’s wailing. Or perhaps it was Uncle Kelvan shouting into the wind. From this far off, it was hard to tell. It might have been both of them.
Gideon’s hand squeezed his staff until his knuckles turned white. Though he had many ideas to deal with the broodmother, half were stupid, and the rest had flaws he hadn’t solved yet.
“Let’s start with yours,” Grimsby said. “First question. Can you really kill her? The big mama.”
The big mama? Gideon thought, trying not to laugh. “If she doesn’t mesmerize me again? Yes. I think I can.”
“If. Not inspiring confidence, bub.” Grimsby rubbed his forehead with the palm of his bony hand. His eye sockets bored into Gideon. “I don’t suppose you gained five Willpower since earlier tonight, did ya?”
“It’s not always about the numbers, Grimsby. It’s also about strategy. Where were you during the attack, anyway?”
Grimsby sighed. “Clonk’s show rattled me. It brought back memories I thought I’d left in the dust. So I went to the kitchen to relax.” He shook his head and kicked a stone down the trail. “For a guy who doesn’t remember his name, who doesn’t even know if he has a name, Clonk sure seems to remember everything that’s happened to the rest of us in excruciating detail. He should pay me royalties.”
“When we rescue him, you can ask.” Gideon laughed, but he felt nervous. The wind was cold and biting against his face. “Do you ever wish…” His voice trailed off, and he found himself unsure of what to say. He didn’t want to pry any further.
But Grimsby seemed to understand what he had left unsaid. “Do I ever wish I’d left the castle earlier? I’d be lying if I said I’ve never thought about it. I don’t sleep anymore, not really. But I daydream. I used to imagine moving back to the city, becoming a chef in a pub somewhere, and living a quiet life. But… It took me a long time to learn this lesson, Gideon, but it doesn’t do any good to dwell on the past.” His teeth ground against each other. “Especially when we have so much work to do.”
Gideon nodded. “You’re right, of course. I wish Ondine had been willing to help. We really could have used her alchemy. I’m sorry. I know it was hard for you to stand up to her.”
Grimsby shook his head. “Before it all fell apart, Ondine Ashewood was a noble—a minor one, but still a lady. We lived in two different worlds. Perhaps we still do. In the end, I’ll always just be the help.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
Grimsby cackled. “That’s because you are, too, Gideon. Kelvan might be your uncle, but you sure don’t act like it.”
Gideon thought it over. “The idea that I might have any noble blood was certainly news to me.”
“Anyway, you don’t need to worry about Ondine not helping us, because I raided her lab.” He gently shook his satchel, and Gideon heard flasks clinking against each other. “I got anti-venom, healing potions, and a concoction that should mask your scent. Plus the argentum fog that weakened Ondine enough for us to escape. And then I spent another hour cooking up this.” He patted the tank on his back. “You don’t need alchemy to dissolve a spider web. Citrus oil and vinegar will do the job just fine.”
Gideon grinned. “So, what’s your plan?”
“Oh,” Grimsby said. He reached into his bag and pulled out a partially squished pie. Strangely, it smelled of both blueberry and chocolate, a bizarre combination that turned Gideon’s stomach.
“That’s certainly, uh, unique,” Gideon said.
“The customer is always right,” Grimsby said, though he sounded as if he didn’t quite believe it in this case. “Let’s go. It’ll be easier if I tell you the rest on the way. There are a lot of moving parts to this, bub. We don’t got a second to waste.” He paused, then snapped his fingers. “Oh, and I was going to run down the mountain, but now that I think about it, it’ll be easier if you give me that crystal thingy you have. I gotta make a call.”
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Soon, Gideon realized that Grimsby had spent far more time preparing his side of the plan than Gideon had. Then again, Grimsby had also been able to operate without Kelvan and Ondine watching over him. Nevertheless, Gideon was impressed.
First, Grimsby called Simeon and Aurora using the communicator and begged for their help. To sweeten the deal, he assured them he had an ample supply of anti-venom and that Gideon would offer his pest control services for an entire year, free of charge, to everyone from the village.
He also promised that anyone who helped would receive an autograph from Berenyn or Shylvena. Gideon had no idea how they would fulfill this last promise, but he couldn’t argue with the skeleton’s results. Soon, they watched as a procession of distant torches and lanterns left the village of Emberly and began to climb the path towards them.
Once Gideon and Grimsby reached the edge of the forest, Grimsby placed the chocolate and blueberry pie on the ground and wafted the smell into the woods with a paper fan he pulled from his pouch.
It took less than ten minutes before Melissa emerged from the foliage in bear form, looking tired but excited.
“You made it, Grimsby!” Her muzzle twitched excitedly as she began to devour the pie. “It’s so early,” she grumbled between bites, yawning.
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“Yeah, yeah,” Grimsby said. “I have a big ask for you. It might be dangerous.”
“Sounds great,” Melissa said.
“You haven’t even—” he began, before Melissa cut him off.
“We smashin’ spiders? Smelled a big pack running around.” She looked from Grimsby to Gideon, then back again.
“Well, yes,” Grimsby said.
Melissa rubbed her paws together. “Good.” She gestured at the scant remains of the now-devoured dessert. “Make more pie.”
“Are you sure?” Gideon couldn’t help but ask. Admittedly, he felt a little awkward asking a kid for help killing monsters. Where were her parents, anyway?
Melissa stomped towards Gideon and rested her paw on his shoulder. In her current form, it was almost as big as his head. “Listen,” she said, and her voice took on a seriousness he’d never heard from her before. “The balance of the forest must be ‘reserved.’” She heaved a sigh.
“I think she means preserved,” Grimsby said, and Melissa glared at him.
“That’s what Ma said. Too many spiders, no balance. The wolves and a nosy mountain lion have been bugging me to stop ‘em for months.” Her eyes narrowed. “If they ask, this was my idea.”
Gideon smiled nervously. “Uh, sure. If they ask me, that’s what I’ll tell them.”
The three of them went over the plan as they waited for the rest of their group to arrive, and slowly, Gideon started to feel more confident.
Maybe they could do this after all.
The lights of the villagers of Emberly grew closer minute by minute. Sunrise was still a ways off, but Gideon felt anxious to begin. He just hoped he would make it in time.
“I’m surprised you managed to convince Simeon and Aurora,” Gideon said. “And even more surprised they managed to convince anyone else. That looks like a lot of people coming up here.”
“If the pass becomes safe again, it’ll be good for them, too,” Grimsby said. “And don’t you underestimate the charm of the Rattlebandit.”
Gideon smiled. “I never would. I just hope nobody gets hurt.”
He patted Gideon on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll be in a big group, and we have Melissa’s roots to entangle the spiders. You’re the one with the hard job. You’re sure you don’t want anyone else going in with you?”
Gideon shook his head and ran his hand nervously through his hair. “As much as I’d love some backup, the plan will work better the fewer people are around. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“So you say,” Grimsby said. “If you’re sure.”
Gideon smiled. “I’m sure, Grimsby. But thank you. The fact is, the Silkspinner Matrifex made one crucial mistake. She might be a higher level than me, but she pissed off a geomancer and then decided to hide in a cave.” He took a deep breath and felt his mana flowing through his body. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
“Just remember,” Grimsby said, “if you die, it will be terrible for my reputation with all these lovely people who woke up in the middle of the night to help us.”
“I’ll be sad, too,” Melissa said. “I wanna eat some spiders. Yum.”
He didn’t know how to respond to that, and apparently neither did Grimsby, for a long silence passed between the three of them.
Gideon sat on a rock, meditating, until the villagers arrived, with Aurora and Simeon at the head of the pack. Simeon carried a large spade over his shoulder, while Aurora carried a lantern.
As they caught sight of each other, Simeon waved, and both he and Aurora hurried their pace to reach them. They smiled, and then Aurora turned to Melissa and raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you steal one of my chickens last year?”
“Umm,” Melissa said.
“You can put it on her tab,” Grimsby said, then raised his hands in greeting. As he did so, the villagers gathered into a large group behind Simeon and Aurora. There were at least thirty of them, and they carried all manner of weapons and farming implements—everything from shovels and pitchforks to swords and spears.
Gideon recognized a few of the villagers he’d helped or bought wares from, but there were some he’d never met before, too. Emberly had come through for them.
Turning to Aurora, Gideon realized she was the only one not carrying a weapon. Looking down at her belt, he spotted a wand in a leather sheath. Catching his gaze, Aurora raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Now, Gideon, did you forget you aren’t the only wizard in these parts?”
“Of course not!” Gideon said. “I’ve just never seen you actually use aeromancy.” He glanced at Aurora and used [Appraise]. He’d never thought to do it before—after all, he hadn’t even possessed the skill the first time they’d met.
Status Name: Aurora Turner Level: 10 Attributes Might: 9 Brilliance: 14 Fortitude: 9 Willpower: 12 Finesse: 10 Skills Aeromancy: Gold, D Grade Manasculpting: Silver, B Grade Meditation: Copper, B Grade
“You got to Gold!” Gideon exclaimed. “I thought you said you’d be stuck at Silver forever.”
Aurora beamed at him. “I’m sure you’ll catch me soon enough, lad, but I thought it might be fun to see if I pull one more rank out of this tired soul of mine. I’ve been trying to make each glass sculpture better than the last. Learned some new spells, too.”
“Well, thank you for coming.” He turned to the crowd. “All of you.”
A farmer who Gideon recognized smiled at him and waved. “After you helped me with my pest problem, I figured it was only polite to return the favor!”
Gideon was about to respond when he saw Grimsby motioning for the crowd to be quiet.
“Well met!” Grimsby shouted, his voice carrying on the wind as everyone turned towards him. “I appreciate your help more than my non-existent heart can say.” He turned to Aurora and Simeon. “Did you tell them what’s going on?”
“More or less,” Simeon said.
“When do I get to meet Shylvena?” someone yelled from the back of the group. “Is she here yet?”
Oh my gods, Gideon thought.
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure out the logistics of the elf meet-and-greet later,” Grimsby said, giving Gideon a look that meant not to say anything. “Shylvena and Berenyn still owe me a favor. I introduced them to a rare delicacy known as the pancake.”
“Do we get pancakes?” someone else asked.
“Sure, sure, why not?” Grimsby said. “Pancake breakfast for everyone! After the spiders are dead, of course.”
The group of villagers let out a ragged cheer.
“But first,” Grimsby said, as he let out a devilish cackle, “it’s time for a barbecue!”
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