Theo stood with Tresk and Alex on the east-facing wall of Broken Tusk. Across the bridge, a portal shimmered with an impenetrable black sheen. The group stood ready to drop into Tero’gal the moment they spotted what chased Fenian. Aarok shouted orders to his commanders, casting an annoyed look at the Marshling. Someone had to pick up the slack of Tresk’s stealther squad, leaving them on their own until she returned from their realm.

“I bet five gold that we get a giant fire monster,” Tresk said, placing the coins on the wall’s edge.

Theo drummed his fingers on the wall’s edge. His intuition said it was a force of something, likely adjacent to undead. He played the series of events out in his mind. Fenian wanted to lure Karasan out. They ended up either on the bridge, or another god’s realm. There were gaps in his knowledge of the events, but it ended in a deadly chase across the Bridge.

The alchemist narrowed his eyes on the portal. It shivered.

“Are ghosts a thing here?”

“Yeah.”

“Ten gold on ghosts.”

Aarok slapped a single gold coin onto the wall, glaring at the pair. “One gold to shut you up.”

A force of power rolled across the open space between the river and the walls. Dust fell from the mortar. Every defender on the wall was pushed back by the force of the energy, steadying themselves and locking eyes on the portal.

Theo’s stomach twisted into knots as a black carriage burst from the opening. Nausea spread through his body when he saw Fenian riding atop. The man was beaten bloody, his left arm and leg severed and bleeding freely. He held one silver-blue rapier in his remaining hand, swatting arcs of flaming power behind his carriage.

The adventurers brave enough to perform a sortie were already out of the gates, lined up in their gleaming armor. They formed a wall of shields and spears, ready to catch whatever came forth. Tresk gripped Theo’s hand tightly, sending waves of confident comfort into his heart. Alex honked with reassurance.

Spectral figures flooded behind Fenian, moving in a tide. Tresk, Alex, and Theo fell into Tero’gal the moment they appeared.

Theo popped his shoes off the moment he landed in his realm, letting out a heavy breath. The reassurance of his realm washed over him, even after the icy portal sprung up near the field of wheat. Benton stepped forth, waving with excitement.

“What a twist!” he shouted.

Theo moved to the cool water of the stream, sitting on the edge and soaking his feet. Tresk came to join them. They summoned an image of Broken Tusk’s defense in the sky below.

“What are those, Benton?” Theo asked, gesturing to the field of green figures pouring from the portal.

“Lost souls. Wraiths.” Benton fell down near the water’s edge, gazing off into the shifting image formed in the sky. “Folks that had nowhere to go when they died. “Looks like someone set them on that Elf without an arm or a leg.”

The image below moved in slow-motion. The wraiths boiled over the landscape. Those in the front were floating, or jumping, over the river rather than using the bridge. There were hundreds of them already. More poured through the portal by the moment.

Theo withdrew an unmodified [Hallow Ground Potion] from his inventory and inspected it. The description was clear. It would work on ghosts. He couldn’t stop his mind from spinning out the events that led him here. Fenian created the means for him to produce these potions in mass quantities. Now Fenian needed help against the wraiths.

“Is that irony, or…” Theo asked, trailing off.

“Coincidence?” Tresk laughed. “No, that’s Fenian being himself.”

“That’s a lot of ghosts,” Benton said with a nervous chuckle. “Bet he was traipsing realms he didn’t belong in.”

“Is that a thing?” Theo asked.

“Yeah. You don’t mess with another god’s realm. Or ya get the ghosts,” Benton said. “I’m guessing there. Never tried it myself.”

“Cool.” Theo watched the ghosts moving across the field for a few minutes. Everyone gathered was content enough to just watch and think. Alex played in the water, honking and shooting small balls of fire into the air. “How long do you think we have, Tresk? Two hours?”

“Yeah. Maybe three.”

“Could you prepare these [Swamp Truffles],” Theo said, removing a massive pile of the things from his inventory. Tresk nodded, scooping them up and moving off to the new fancy stills. The alchemist withdrew parchment from his inventory, along with some of his crude bone carvings.

“I see where this is going,” Benton said, rubbing his hands together. “And I like it.”

Theo smiled without looking up. He focused on his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core] and reviewed the spells he’d created. Since he had discovered the [Detect Enemy] trigger for his wards, he’d been itching for a way to use them. The alchemist sketched out a concept for his new spell, detailing a group of Dronon fighting against the undead. The spell had no potency, and wouldn’t bind to anything until he unlocked the property as a ward effect.

“Got some drips,” Tresk said, holding a glass vial under the output of one still.

If anyone other than Tresk were to handle that essence, they would explode. Theo took the container, replacing it with one from his inventory. He focused on the [Hallow Ground] essence within, then sent it into a plume of acrid smoke with his [Reagent Deconstruction] ability. The primal essence it left behind glowed white, echoing with the power to repel the undead. He licked his finger, dipped it in the vial, then pressed it to his tongue.

Knowledge flooded through Theo, adding the [Hallow Ground] effect to his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core]. “Benton,” he said, turning to regard the bear god. “Mind making some carvings for me?”

Benton rubbed his hands together, withdrawing a knife and lengths of ivory from nowhere. “It would be a pleasure.”

Theo and Tresk watched the stills while they carved. She came over after they had created several gleaming statues, wanting to try her hand at the craft. The Marshling was better than Theo starting out, but she was impatient. She was obsessed with getting the shape of the frog-like frogopus into the ivory, but it was too complex.

Benton worked masterfully. He created likenesses of Fenian, Theo, Tresk, and even himself. He carved figures of various creatures, ornate rods with decorative engravings, and even a bracelet. Theo broke off after a while, rewriting his spell to work with the [Hallow Ground] property. During the process, they worked the stills and created [Hallow Ground Potions] with the most useful modifiers. That came down to brewing almost every potion with the [Aerosolize] modifier to create a zone of denial for the approaching wraiths.

In the mortal realm, the wraiths were approaching the gates. Fenian had sent his cart flying through the front gates and the warriors were moving into position to battle against a foe they couldn’t beat. Theo inspected his new ward before they moved forward.

[Lesser Hallow Ground]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive field of [Hallow Ground]. Field only activates when enemies are banished when within range.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Trigger:

Detect Enemy

Duration:

1 day.

Theo and Tresk split the ivory idols, taking 25 each. They also split the finished potions between them, the Marshling taking most of them. The alchemist would focus on keeping the gate clear of ghosts while she ran off to distribute the potions and seed the land with ivory.

“I wonder if you could have mounted this defense without your realm,” Benton said, groaning as he rose to his feet.

“I had a few [Hallow Ground] potions in my inventory. The towers are hitting the ghosts, so it might have worked.” Theo held an ivory figure of himself in his palm.

Something about the scrimshaw spoke to him. It was as though the material took the effects especially well. He clutched the figure in his palm and nodded to the bear god. “Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.”

“Hey, happy to help,” Benton said, clapping a hand on Theo’s shoulder. “I’m rooting for ya.”

Theo held a figure in one hand and a potion in the other. He nodded to Tresk. Alex honked.

Tero’gal faded around them. While passing through the realms, Theo saw the Bridge this time. It was filled with glowing green wraiths. Packed so bad they were falling over the edge, into the abyss below. He thought he heard a voice cry out in the distance, one belonging to Uz’Xulven, but it was faint. A flash of bright white, and a blink before he was standing back on the battlements.

Aarok was shouting with panic, the adventurers scrambling to get out of the way of the incoming ghosts. Theo tossed a potion at his feet, then the ivory idol down to the road below. The potion exploded into white fog, covering the battlement fifty paces in both directions. A bubble of pure light burst from the ground below, forming in a dome roughly half the size of the potion below. It was still enough to cover the entire entrance of the gatehouse.

A chorus of shrieks rose from the ghosts below. Tresk was already tossing potions and figures everywhere, blanketing the area in thick fog and shimmering bubbles. She went north, so Theo headed south, dropping potions and wards as he went. He successfully covered the section of the wall where the ghosts impacted, but some had made it through.

The sounds of a strange battle issued from within the town. Steel ringing off against cobbles and shouts of adventurers rose. Aarok found Theo gazing back into the town, slapping a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

“Take these,” Theo said, shoving several figures and potions into the man’s hand. “Replace the others if they fade.”

The alchemist jumped from the wall before the commander could respond. He broke into a sprint, finding areas where the ghosts were attacking his citizens. They didn’t fight with swords and shields. They drained life away from people, hovering over them like the specters they were. Sucking health in streams of glistening red mist. Theo banished a group of the foul green wraiths, sending them back to whatever realm they clung to.

A wave of power rolled over Theo, sending him falling to his ass on the hard cobbles. He spotted Zarali in the distance, holding a staff high and chanting something. Every time she slammed her glowing purple staff against the ground, another wave of energy came forth. Each pulse sent the ghosts spinning off, phasing through buildings and scattering away. Following close behind was Xol’sa, clutching his side and wincing with every step.

“We need to get him to the battlements,” Zarali said.

Theo popped a [Strength Potion] imbued with [Refined Elemental Fire]. His muscles surged with power as he scooped the wizard up as though he were a baby. The alchemist darted across the town, taking the steps of the battlements two at a time. He set Xol’sa down gingerly, steadying the man as he looked off at the fields of ghosts. The Elf was glassy eyed, wobbling on the spot.

“The portal won’t close on its own,” Xol’sa said, reaching a hand out. He struggled against an invisible force. His hand wouldn’t close.

Theo placed a ward at their feet, then watched as it sprung up immediately. A gout of ghosts from those surging into the town washed up, slamming against the barrier and vanishing. The alchemist withdrew an [Intelligence Potion] imbued with [Refined Elemental Lightning], tilted Xol’sa’s head back, and forced it down his throat.

The Elf gasped, choked, then straightened. Xol’sa reached out again. Ribbons of blue energy whipped off his body, burning the wall where they lashed. Space warped around him as he channeled a spell. The portal in the distance quaked, rumbling the ground for miles around. Theo almost lost his balance as he stood with his friend, steading both himself and the wizard.

Xol’sa crushed the portal into nothingness. His hand snapped closed, removing the portal from the far side of the bridge. Then the Elf collapsed, caught by Theo as he fell. Zarali was ascending the steps, stumbling as she came up but otherwise unhurt. She slammed her staff into the ground again, sending another wave of banishment outward. Wraiths scattered the wake of the spell.

“He did it,” Zarali said, a tone of hope in her voice.

“Now we just need to kill all the ghosts,” Theo said.

The alchemist opened his administration interface, finding the tactical map. Aarok was always good about drawing on it. He watched as it updated in real time. Drawings on the image of the town where the ghosts were and what places needed reinforcement. Tresk had distributed the potions, giving way to more clouds of anti-undead magic that sent the wraiths packing.

Theo found a chat log about Fenian’s condition, sending his heart thumping hard in his chest. It was bad. The alchemist overrode some of Aarok’s commands, ordering a squad to escort Xol’sa somewhere safe. They arrived in moments, four members of a Gronro squad. They saluted, and happily took some [Hallow Ground Potions] before running off.

“Fenian needs your healing magic,” Theo said, grabbing Zarali by the arm and leading her away.

She had spaced out, watching as the squad took care of Xol’sa. Theo knew she wanted to be with her betrothed, but he would be fine. As long as those badasses from Gronro were with him, he was fine.

Fenian was being treated in the town hall. When Theo and Zarali burst through the door, they found citizens huddled in fear. He placed wards throughout the place, then shot up the stairs with his sister. Zan’kir’s blades whispered from their sheaths when the alchemist entered the room. He relaxed in an instant. Back to working on the Elf.

Fenian looked horrible. Missing an arm and a leg was the least of his problems. The Elf’s entire body was covered in endless cuts and punctures. Zan’kir fed him another [Healing Potion], shaking his head. Zarali came to his side, tossing her staff away and pressing both her hands into his chest. When she spoke next, her voice came as a distant thing. As though she were talking in an adjacent room.

“Lord Drogramath. Hear my prayer. Fulfill your oath to your faithful. Save this man.”

The prayer was simple. Not much fluff compared to how she went on about the purple bastard. But Theo’s thoughts of doubt fell away in a moment. Zarali’s back arched as her hands flung to the side. She let out a scream of pain, then drove both of her palms back into Fenian’s chest. The Elf let out a grunt of pain, wiggled a little, then went silent again. The priestess collapsed to the side in a heap.

“What was that?” Zan’kir said, casting his eyes around the room.

The air stung with magical power. Theo knew the flavor of it all too well. The stink of a god who’d made themselves known on the mortal plane. He checked Zarali, propping her head up on a bit of [Starbristle Flax Cloth] from his inventory, then turned his attention to Fenian.

“He’s alive,” Theo said, watching as the man’s wounds closed. The arm and the leg were still gone, but he wasn’t bleeding anymore.

“Only just,” Zan’kir said, pressing his palm into the Elf’s forehead. “I think Drogramath simply increased the effectiveness of your potions. I’d forced him to drink enough regeneration potions to heal anything.”

Theo didn’t want to, but he looked at Fenian’s stumps. The flesh had healed over as though the wounds were old. Like the scars forming on his chest, they were cured.

“This is going to suck,” Theo said, withdrawing his [Regenerative Potion] from his inventory. The potion he’d prepared for when Fenian returned. He dipped his fingers into the sticky salve, then spread it across the Elf’s stumps. “Damn, sorry. Better to start this now.”

Theo monitored the fight through his tactical map as Zan’kir helped him undress Fenian. The Khahari fighter ran off to grab a bed, returning shortly after the alchemist worked a robe over the Elf’s head. The pile of ruined cloth that were his fancy clothes sat to the side, caked with blood, green ichor, and mud.

Tresk kept Theo informed about the fight. They had more than enough [Hallow Ground Potions] to keep the undead at bay, but many had retreated after the portal vanished. Alise was already coordinating with Gronro to send potions down to Rivers and Daub. Everyone expected the worst, even as the battle in Broken Tusk calmed.

Zarali woke when the fight was nearly over, jolting into a seated position. She screamed. “Where is he?”

Theo didn’t need prodding, he knew who she was talking about. He’d been monitoring the list of injured people. “First floor of this building. Our infirmary, apparently.”

Zarali bolted to her feet, and fled the room. Theo and Zan’kir both fell onto their backs, breathing sighs of relief. Fenian’s breaths came slow and steady as though he were in a deep sleep. When the alchemist felt sure enough that the fight was over, he felt the Khahari to care for the Elf.

Aarok stood on the east-facing wall of the town. He gazed off into the distance, a strange smile on his face. Theo edged closer, placing a comforting hand on the commander’s shoulder.

“You alright?”

“Me? I’m fine,” Aarok said, laughing. He gestured to the pile of gold coins on the wall. It hadn’t been disturbed from its spot. “Looks like you won the pot.”