The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and the distant hum of the waking city. Krungus stood in the common room, tapping his staff impatiently against the floor. Eugene and Qlaark sat nearby, still groggy from an unexpectedly restful night.
"So," Krungus said, fixing them with a pointed glare, "any guesses as to what I was doing while you two were off gallivanting through the city?"
Eugene blinked. "Uh..."
Qlaark tilted his head. "We... didn't ask?"
Krungus sighed heavily. "Of course you didn't." He raised his staff with a flourish, and before they could react, the three of them were engulfed in a rush of magical energy.
In an instant, they reappeared on the rooftop of the mushroom tower. The wind was stronger up here, whipping at Eugene's coat and Qlaark's feathers. Eugene took a cautious step forward, peering over the edge. "You know, I'm really starting to hate teleportation."
"Then you'll love this next part," Krungus said smugly. He lifted his staff high, muttered an incantation, and with a deep whoosh, the sky above them split apart in a cascade of shimmering blue light.
Descending with an air of grandeur, Krungus' airship made its entrance. Towering masts unfurled golden sails that shimmered with arcane energy, and its hull was spotless and recently polished. The entire vessel exuded an aura of... awareness. The polished brass trim caught the sunlight, making it seem as if the ship itself were alive and breathing. It looked almost like a Hollywood pirate ship, save for the magical sails. Eugene couldn’t help but wonder why they bothered to make it look like a regular ship at all. Could Krungus just… make a building fly?
Qlaark nudged Eugene. "Is it just me, or does that thing seem... alive?"
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[Identifying...]
[Subject: Aether-Class Airship – Custom Model]
[Core: Quantum Arcane Crystal – Sentient Capabilities: Low]
[Enchantments: Anti-Grav Runes, Auto-Stabilization, Defensive Warding – STATUS: Active]
[Potential Threat Level: Minimal – Obedience to Owner: Absolute]
----------------------------------------
Eugene blinked when the screen came up. "It’s watching, I know that much."
Krungus smirked. "You're not wrong. She's a fine construct, isn't she? Standard form of travel for distinguished wizards of my era. If you can get the materials for one, of course." He dusted off his robes. "That's what I was doing while you two were fumbling around. Her core requires a special kind of crystal, even base level sentience is very hard to obtain."
The ship hovered just above the tower, emanating a low, thrumming hum that vibrated through their bones. With a deep, resonating clunk, a set of telescoping stairs extended down with precision, locking into place with a satisfying click. Then, from the top of the staircase, a small figure whirred and clanked its way down. A small, mechanical gnome with wheels for feet, gleaming brass and whirring gears, hurried down the steps, adjusting levers and locking mechanisms with mechanical precision.
Eugene stared in fascination as the tiny figure zipped past him, adjusting every bolt and hinge along the stairway before finally pausing in front of Krungus.
Krungus gestured to the small automaton. "This is Reg-E, my assistant."
Reg-E didn't look up, his tiny brass hands a blur of movement. "Securing flight path protocols. Ensuring stability index. Preventing catastrophic failure. Stand by." His voice was quick, clipped, and efficient.
"He's, uh... thorough," Eugene remarked. He couldn’t help but be reminded of R2-D2, even though he had clearly been marooned in a fantasy world not a sci-fi one. Eugene used his interface on Reg-E, focusing on making it show more detail.
----------------------------------------
[Identifying...]
[Subject: Reg-E – Autonomous Arcane Assistant (Autognome)]
[Core Power Source: Modified Quantum Arcane Crystal]
[Enchantments: Precision Efficiency Runes, Mana Recycling Circuitry, Self-Repair Subroutines]
[Sentience Level: Moderate – Independent Functionality: High]
[Operational Parameters: Task Execution, Maintenance, Navigation Assistance]
[Personality Module: Pragmatic, Focused, No-Nonsense]
[Potential Threat Level: Negligible – Loyalty to Primary Owner: 100%]
[Additional Notes:]
* Reg-E displays a high level of autonomy, capable of making operational decisions without input but adheres strictly to programmed protocols.
* Voice Modulation: Slightly condescending tone detected. Possible remnants of early programming quirks.
* Self-preservation systems: Minimal but present; prefers to avoid hazardous conditions.
* Task prioritization logic indicates efficiency obsession, borderline compulsive.
* Can interface with various magical systems, including Aether-Class Airship controls and Krungus’ personal enchantment matrices.
[Current Status:]
* Ship maintenance: 99% Complete
* Navigation calibration: Optimal
* Mana reserves: Full capacity
* Monitoring crew behavior: Passive mode
----------------------------------------
"More machine than person," Krungus explained as Reg-E zipped back up the stairs. "He’s been treating the ship like kin—like a little sister, if you will. Seems to make sense to him in ways people never did." Krungus gestured for them to follow. "Come on, tour time."
----------------------------------------
Once aboard, Eugene's first impression of the airship was sheer amazement. The interior was sleek and surprisingly cozy, with polished wooden floors and brass fixtures that hummed with latent magic. The walls were lined with ancient bookshelves, odd trinkets, and enchanted lanterns that flickered with a soft glow.
Krungus led them through the main hall, pointing casually. "Sleeping quarters are down that way. Galley’s to your left. And, of course—" he gestured dramatically toward a small wooden door, "the most crucial room on the ship: the bathroom."
Eugene chuckled. "Priorities, I see."
Krungus smirked. He turned back toward the control center at the front of the ship. "Reg-E runs most of the ship's operations, so try not to bother him. He takes his job very seriously."
Reg-E, passing by with a clipboard and a quill that scribbled on its own, muttered, "Flight stabilization engaged. Diverting mana flow to external runes. No unauthorized personnel beyond engineering bay." He bustled past without another glance.
Qlaark watched him go. "Does he ever... relax?"
Krungus chuckled. "Relaxation is a foreign concept to him." He turned to Eugene. "Speaking of which, settle in. We'll be flying over The City in a moment, and I guarantee you've never seen anything like it."
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As the airship ascended higher, Eugene found himself gripping the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white as the wind swept through his hair. Below them, The City stretched out endlessly—a vast, chaotic sprawl of rooftops, spires, and streets, woven together in a grand tapestry of human and non-human life.
Districts sprawled endlessly, each with its own unique personality and purpose. The towering domes of the Palace District glinted in the evening sun, while the winding labyrinth of the Bazaar District snaked through the city like an artery of commerce. Far in the distance, Eugene noticed thick plumes of smoke curling into the sky like accusing fingers, one of the further away districts must be on fire. Another district was shrouded beneath an ominous, isolated raincloud, dark and brooding, dumping torrents of water onto its streets while the rest of the city basked under the fading sunset.
"This place is... enormous," Eugene breathed, his voice filled with awe.
Qlaark leaned over the railing beside him, his wide eyes scanning the horizon. "I've lived here my whole life, and even I didn't realize it was this big."
Krungus stood with his hands behind his back, nodding sagely. "There is no center, no singular hub—it spreads outward in every direction like a living organism." He pointed a finger towards the horizon. "Our destination, the Ruins of Grzft, lies beyond those buildings on the horizon over there. Few venture that far outside the city's limits, but I know the way."
Eugene stared, captivated by the sheer scale of the place. The intricate web of aqueducts wove through the city like veins, supplying life-giving water to the teeming masses below.
“Where did you get Reg-E? You said you just built this ship, Krungus, so where was he for the last 9000 years?”
“Oh, he was with my brother, of course. I built the little guy, but Reg-E always had an attachment to Bahumbus. Loved to build things with him. Loved to build things with me too, but I was always off doing something else.” Krungus watched Reg-E making his rounds of the airship. “The rest of the airship I mostly had disassembled in my bag here,” Krungus motioned to his waist.
“What else you got in that neverending bag of yours?” Eugene said casually.
“I’ll tell you this much– I was concerned that if I ever did make it out of Syzzyzzy I wouldn’t retain the powers I gained while I was in that pocket realm. So naturally I filled my bag of holding here with everything I might need, everything I wouldn’t be able to create out of nothing in the Material Realm.”
Eugene was still looking over the railing. “And were your concerns correct?”
“No. I am still… able to create. I haven’t been able to contemplate fully the meaning of that in this realm. In a pocket dimension there is no economy, I could not sell blocks of gold or obsidian or diamond for profits. Here, I am not sure what would stop me from becoming wealthier than anyone who has ever existed.”
Eugene was silent while he thought about this for a moment. Sure, selling a diamond the size of a basketball would probably net them billions of gold. Sure, he was probably going to ask Krungus to at least make him at least a baseball sized one. But what could gold buy you in this world that magic couldn’t do? Krungus was a very powerful wizard, no doubt, but he imagined most spellcasters could probably create food and water for themselves, if not loads of people.
“Still, something is wrong with my magic here. Things are not returning to my memory properly, or certain kinds of spells aren’t working right. I can’t tell yet. My problem is one of those things other wizards can only speculate on, however, no one has spent 9,000 years in a pocket dimension and then returned.”
“Well, obviously you’ve cast a few things, you sure it's just not in your head, and maybe your powers are fine?”
Krungus shook his head. “No, no, no. What magic of mine you’ve seen is but charismatic magic. Like how I create materials. There are some wizards who learn spells of creation through studying. Mine is different. It came to me under the extreme duress of learning I was trapped in a pocket dimension. I was going crazy with nothing to look at or do in that place until I willed the first blocks of obsidian that would become the first layer of Syzzyzzy, into existence. No materials, no incantations, no rituals, no runes. Nothing but sheer will.”
“So then, what can’t you cast?” That seemed like quite a bit. He had healed the paladins, buffed them and created armor. He had banished whoever that made Eugene show up.
“Fireballs… anything in the school of evocation, truly. I had no use for them while building Syzzyzzy. They must have just gone away. ”
“So you can’t actually blow stuff up, but you could still summon blocks of stone to drop on the enemies heads or other creative things. You can banish people. Or maybe you shouldn’t, I don’t want other people from Cincinnati ending up here with me.”
Krungus let out a dry chuckle, leaning against the ship's railing. “Fair point, lad. Banishment might be off the table unless we fancy turning this place into a reunion tour of your hometown.” He tapped his staff against the wood beneath them thoughtfully. “Not that we even know if that’s what would happen, mind you.” He adjusted his robes. “But yes, evocation... it’s just gone. Snuffed out like a candle left too long in the wind. And trust me, I’ve tried. I tried throwing fire, lightning, even a simple spark, and nothing.” He sighed. “It’s like a muscle I forgot how to flex.”
Eugene scratched his chin, glancing down at his arm, where the strange magic cannon rested under his sleeve. “Well, if that’s the case, maybe I could do all the damage dealing then. I mean, I apparently have this magic cannon strapped to my arm now.” He wiggled his fingers, feeling the latent energy hum beneath his skin. “Who needs fireballs when you’ve got... whatever this thing does?”
Krungus shot him a bemused look. “Oh yes, Eugene, by all means, lead our charge into battle. I’m sure a man who couldn’t fight off two drunken guards is exactly the warrior this world has been waiting for.”
Eugene groaned. “Hey, they had swords, alright? And I didn’t want to—look, the point is, I have options now.”
Krungus waved a dismissive hand. “Fine, fine. Just don’t go thinking that makes you some grand spell-slinger. That arm of yours will only get you so far.” He eyed Eugene carefully. “And magic here… it has rules. You’re new to this world, which means you don’t know which ones you’re bound to break. Power has a price, lad.”
Eugene looked down at his arm, flexing his fingers. “Yeah, well, I haven’t exactly gotten an instruction manual.” He turned back to Krungus. “But you haven’t answered my question—what else is in that bag of yours? If you stocked up for your grand escape, what’s in there? Some scrolls? Maybe a few priceless artifacts? Or did you just hoard a bunch of snacks?”
Krungus rolled his eyes. “It’s not snacks. Though, come to think of it, a proper steak dinner would have done wonders in Syzzyzzy. No, I brought tools. The kind of things I thought I’d need if I had to carve out a new life in a world that had long forgotten me.” He patted the bag fondly. “Rare tomes, reagents, enchanted stones, a few... questionable items of magical origin.”
Eugene squinted at him. “Questionable?”
Krungus cleared his throat. “Let’s just say some artifacts are better left unexplained.”
“Right. That’s reassuring,” Eugene muttered.
Qlaark, who had been listening quietly, finally chimed in. “Master Kru–”
“Just Krungus is adequate, little toucan friend.”
“Krungus, if your magic is incomplete, do you think it might return in time? Perhaps the material realm requires you to... readjust?”
Krungus considered this, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Possible. It’s a theory, at least. But magic isn't like a muscle; it’s more like a river. If the flow’s been blocked or diverted for long enough, well, sometimes it never quite runs the same again.” He looked out over the cityscape below. “And if I can’t call fire or lightning, I’ll have to make do with what I have left.”
Eugene smirked. “Guess that means you’ll be the one carrying the bags, then.”
Krungus shot him a glare. “I’ll banish you again, Eugene. Somewhere even stranger!”
Eugene held up his hands. “Kidding! Just kidding. No banishment necessary.”
Krungus sighed, glancing over at Reg-E, who continued scuttling around the ship with unerring precision. “Well, let’s get moving. The ruins of Grzft aren’t getting any closer, and we’ve got a wanna-be druid to track down.”
Eugene took one last look at the city sprawled beneath them, his mind still racing with the implications of everything he’d learned. A wizard who couldn’t cast fireballs, an artifact-packed bag of holding, and a mysterious weapon fused to his arm. He exhaled. “Alright. Let’s hear it, what did you name this thing?”
Krungus massaged his temples with his fingers, “Well, I wanted to go with something really important sounding like Aetherbound or Krungus’ Airship of Wonders. But now I’m thinking I like Reacclimation.”
He did not, in fact, like reacclimation.