Malik briefly thought about ripping the book off of the Altar and throwing it into the cooking fire. Although, the icon was moving in and out of the charted territory. Malik calmed as he realized that Garok’s chance of survival was very low and didn’t pose an immediate threat. Either way, he wouldn’t be worrying the dwarves with it just yet.
This was a good reminder for him though. He didn’t need to sneak about in the dark to track Sam and Themo and could simply track their movements here. The only problem is that he couldn’t do it constantly. With a full plate and necessary sleep, someone would need to share the burden.
A malicious grin spread across his face. He found a way to put Zahid to work. The Grand Mage might be a schemer, but Malik doubted he would take kindly to anyone harming the Citizens. Without Citizens, Zahid had no power. In that sense, Malik and Zahid’s motivations aligned.
Naveck and Charles would just have to wait for their meeting with Zahid, Malik thought as he flipped through the other pages before summoning the Grand Mage.
The War section was filling out as well. It gave reports of enemies slain as well as citizens and how much they contributed to the battle. Malik’s jaw dropped at Elle’s contribution. She had landed the killing blows on 13 of the 30 beetles. The dwarves that fought below her were awarded with assists and a smattering of killing blows.
Aisha’s contribution looked quite different. Her contribution showed Injuries Prevented. She prevented 27 separate injuries that came in a wide range, ranked from “fatal” to “minor”.
There was also a section for Combat Effectiveness. He wasn’t sure how it was weighted, but Elle was at the top of the list followed by Charles, Naveck, Aisha, and finally Malik. Malik frowned at being fifth on the list, but maybe the Logbook took into account that he helped get Milly injured. Still, he doubted that any listed above him could kill one of the Horned Beetles as easily as he did.
This list would be an invaluable resource for organizing squads based on skills and abilities to optimize effectiveness and survivability. Perhaps he would make the list public so that his people could compete for the top spot. As much as he did want that spot for himself, survival and growth were more important.
Frustratingly, the Non-Citizens were not on the list even though their contributions were visible throughout the reports. Once Malik had some precious spare time, he would cobble together strike forces and prepare them for future attacks in hopes of reducing damage and chaos. Everyone would know where they were needed and be accounted for. Then, nobody could sneak off without notice.
Malik’s smile returned as he started to summon Zahid. For once, he looked forward to speaking with the Grand Mage.
His smile fell as Zahid’s form swirled into existence. The Mage was more solid, almost appearing to be real. Malik could still see that he wasn’t made of flesh and blood, but the imitation was better this time around. There was another change. One that Malik could feel, but not see. The air around Zahid felt as if it were infused with Energy, making Malik’s skin prickle.
“Ah, I’m glad you haven’t completely forgotten about me,” Zahid said, looking around the settlement. “I must apologize for the last few times we have spoken. I have not treated you fairly. You are a new species and need guidance. I have failed you.”
“Spare me, Zahid,” Malik puffed out his chest. His confidence may have waned slightly at Zahid’s new appearance and aura, but he had the trump card with his ability to lock the Mage away. “I think we can come to an agreement and work together. You will need to explain your motives to me at some point, but there is a pressing matter that I think you might have a vested interest in.”
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“Oh?” Zahid lifted his chin, appearing to be genuinely intrigued. Malik thought he caught an approving look from the Mage’s eyes at his newfound confidence.
“Indeed. Let me explain,” Malik retold the story of Sam, the missing egg, Sam’s accusation of Themo, and the recent battle.
“Ah, I imagine those eggs would be very valuable to the right buyer,” Zahid mused aloud.
“Sam and Themo have nobody to sell them to. Sam is an outcast Shape Shifter. Themo is mostly stranded here.”
“Sam could have a middleman for all we know. Themo could be trying to use it as leverage to return to his clan unharmed. We don’t know the details yet, but you were wise to summon me. Now that we have 7 Altar Points, I can stay out here for at least 7 hours if I’m close to the Altar. My range is further now as well, but the further I go out, the less time I can stay.”
That was a nugget of information that Malik promised himself to remember, “Yes, I will need you to watch them while I sleep or attend to other duties. If you find out what’s happening, how will you reach me?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Zahid said as he made a small mote of purple light on his finger. It appeared quite dim at first, but then it zapped towards me and stopped right in front of my face, blindingly bright up close.
“Ok, that’s effective. Get rid of it,” Malik growled, shutting his eyes.
Zahid laughed, “Go, get some rest. I’ll watch their movements and enjoy the sight of the stars.”
The sun was descending and Malik felt his eyes growing heavy. He did indeed need the rest, but he wouldn’t be leaving Zahid alone just yet.
“I’ll rest my eyes right here, thank you,” he said, sinking into a crouch.
“As you wish, Malik.”
Malik may not trust Zahid or his motives, but he was confident that the Mage wouldn’t do anything to harm him. Letting his eyelids slide to a close, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep, pushing out the list of tasks on his mental to-do list. It was nice to let someone else carry the burden for a moment.
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Zahid stood over the Altar, watching the two potential opportunists mosey about. He lamented how poorly he had handled the young gargoyle thus far. Over the years, so much time was spent kissing the emperor’s royal ass to get his previous position. Coupling that with his failure in landing in the right hands, he hadn’t had the patience to properly indoctrinate Malik.
It was an odd turn of events, after all. He had arranged for one of the soldiers to pick up the seed and build the Altar for him in a safe place within the city. It would have been so much easier to manipulate a human by promising them great power. But, of course, the seed had become stuck at the top of the castle and the unexpected occurred when Malik awoke.
Still, the poor souls caught in his final spell should have taken root by now. He wondered what chaos was taking hold of the Branam Empire at this very moment. Perhaps he could convince Malik to scout it out for him, but that was a risk.
For the moment, he needed to help Malik with his mounting problems. Zahid promised to endear himself to Malik so that he could extinguish these little fires and gain his rightful influence. In any event, Zahid still had many cards up his sleeves that wouldn’t be revealed until necessary. Zahid knew that becoming a god was a slow process, but it was also a delicate one. Stone Wing Spire must survive.
The creatures of Begeria didn’t seem to know where their powers, levels, and stats came from. Zahid had uncovered the powerful truth. A truth that he would keep for himself to use for his benefit.
Over the course of the next few hours, Zahid plotted and dreamed of the power he would one day wield — far beyond the heights he ever reached as a mortal.
The map interrupted the Mage’s musings as he noticed Themo clustered with three other dwarven names moving away from their burrow, toward the base of the mountain.
Zahid smirked and woke Malik by splashing a mote of light into his sleeping eyes.