It was difficult to build things back on Earth. Humans there couldn’t carry impossibly heavy blocks of marble in magical inventories. Setting those massive stones in place was a chore unto itself. Medieval people used large wooden cranes. It was dirty, back-breaking work. But not here in Broken Tusk. Ziz and his gang were already building the foundation of the new temple. They had no shortage of stone, not with the magically regenerating quarry. No shortage of initiative, either.

Theo watched as they set the foundation stones by hand. A stoneworker would lift a block above his head—perhaps just showing off—before setting it in place on leveled ground. They applied mortar to bind the stones together. Whether that binder came from an ability, or was applied manually from their inventories, the effect was the same. It dried almost instantly, anchoring the rocks together with a grip that simply wouldn’t give.

The alchemist had no way to know how long this task would have taken on Earth. The way Ziz’s men were working, he thought it would take them only a few days. It was no surprise, judging by the pace they built the road. In classic fashion, the stoneworkers didn’t plan to build a small temple. They had their mind set on a grand scale, roping off a large section of earth and shoveling away to make it level. It appeared they planned to fit the entirety of Miana’s ranch inside.

This was the type of project Theo had been itching for. Something large, stupid, and interesting. It would lead to something good, that was certain, but standing on the outside it seemed like a waste of time and resources. Only Drogramath’s urging for him to dedicate the town to a patron proved that to be false. It would have a use. Whatever that might be.

“Let’s dedicate the temple to Marshy,” Tresk said, bouncing up and down next to Theo. She was among the many citizens clamoring for a better view at the construction.

“Marshy isn’t real.”

“We can make him real. If we just believe hard enough.”

“Pretty sure it doesn’t work that way. The good news is, we can see the temple from our back garden.”

Tresk scoffed. “Yeah, that’ll drive down the housing prices around here. No one wants to live near a church.”

“You made that up.”

“Yeah.”

Tresk stepped behind Theo, entering the shadow he cast from the fading light of the day. An instant later, and she was gone. The alchemist didn’t need to look for long to see what had sent her running so quickly. Alise approached, hands on her hips at first. Then her expression shifted, and she laughed, slapping Theo hard on the shoulder.

“She always runs when I’m angry.”

“I would if I could.” Theo turned his gaze away from the administrator, watching Ziz and his men do their work. It certainly was a sight. “Thanks for Sarisa and Rowan. Sneaky move, but I appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

“I thought you’d be more angry. You know, about me pulling Ziz off of projects.”

Alise gestured for Theo to follow. They made their way toward the harbor as they spoke. Toward the masts of boats bobbing in the water.

“If you want to drag them off your other projects, I don’t care. Throk’s artifice project is unnecessary already. So if you’re pulling Ziz off other vanity projects, that’s fine.”

Theo chuckled. That was one way of putting it. “I saw some other projects lined up. A highway to the [Swamp Dungeon]. A tunnel through the northern mountains.”

“Yeah, and you’re over here wanting to freeze the sea. And there’s a farm outside the walls that no one told me about.”

“I thought you’d be more angry about that.”

“Well, I had a meeting with Trevas Parn. The newly elected leader of Rivers and Daub seems competent. More than Alran ever was. And that portly man has settled into his role as a spymaster well.”

Theo tapped his chin. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? They had no problems with Grot, the leader of Gronro-Dir, but that was because he was too busy. Alran just needed a firm hand to put him in the right position. If this new guy, Trevas, would just fall into line then that was for the best.

“Has Trevas done anything for the poor, yet?” Theo asked.

“I’m pushing him hard on that. We had our meeting today, and things got heated.”

The pair pushed beyond the area that Theo’s greenhouses dominated, into the open fields and sparse trees. This area had always been a place of quiet reflection as the alchemist made his way to the harbor. Although he listened as Alise continued, he couldn’t help himself. He thought about how nice it would be if they designated some areas in town as parks. Calm places where a citizen could eat a meal, or meet up with friends.

Alise continued. “We threatened military action against Rivers. Trevas tried to call our bluff, but Aarok already had people in position. Several squads from the Gronro divisions and our own adventuring squads. We overcame their defenses without bloodshed.”

“Wow.” Theo paused where he stood, imagining his future park. He saw a place near a boulder that would be lovely for a fountain. “Bet that lit a fire under his ass.”

The pair continued walking, crunching through the sparse underbrush. “It did. I got him to sign a contract, but I have my doubts.”

They walked in silence for some time. Theo dragged his mind away from the park idea and faced reality. It was nice to daydream, especially in Broken Tusk. But those images of a peaceful park were replaced by the things he’d seen in Rivers. The squalor of the slums and the opulent manors of the Trade Chairs. The alchemist felt the sudden urge to burn it all down. As they approached the harbor, spotting the newest ship floating proud, he considered how to respond.

Rivers and Daub needed something to contribute. Theo’s mind wandered as he stood near the docks. Laedria shouted something at him, but he held up a silencing hand. He released his mind’s grip on that thought the moment he saw the Elf’s reaction. She was excited about the new boat, and he was cutting her off. A deep breath later, and a wide smile graced his face.

“Did you name it, yet?” Theo asked.

Laedria clapped her hands together, jumping with excitement. “Your companion came by earlier with a list of suggestions.”

It would be called ‘Boaty Boat Boat’ if Tresk had anything to say about it. Theo studied the proud ship floating in the harbor. It was a two-masted boat, significantly longer than the less impressive Cork. Sailors were on deck, practicing whatever it was sailors did with trained precision.

“Truly amazing,” Theo said, gazing at the boat. “Has Zarali come to enchant it, yet?”

“Ah, well. She’s been a bit busy with the wizard.”

Theo turned to Alise. “Did Zarali put in a request for someone to care for Xol’sa? No? Of course not, could you get someone to handle that? He’s staying in my manor.”

“Naturally.”

“Wait for the enchantments, but I’d love a diplomatic mission to the lizard islands.”

Laedria nodded with approval. “Yeah, we can do that. She’s pretty fast on her own, but once we get the enchantments she’ll cut through the water like a Brogling through Zee.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Because Broglings are famous for their consumption of Zee,” Theo said, missing the idiom entirely. “Alright. That’s awesome. Make sure to take some Bantari with you when you go. Also bring a gift. Gold? What do lizard-people like?”

“No idea,” Alise said. Theo could tell she was making notes in her interface. “We’ll talk to some of the elder Bantari Marshlings to figure that out.”

“The name,” Laedria interrupted. “Ya gotta name the boat.”

“Tusk’s Pride,” Theo said, nodding.

“Lame,” Alise said, waving the name away as though clearing a smell from the air.

“Wave Slapper.” Laedria nodded to herself. “That was one of Tresk’s ideas.”

“Even lamer,” Alise said.

“Well, damn Alise. I don’t see you coming up with awesome ideas,” Theo said.

“I’ve been sitting on one. The Wavecrest.”

“Ah, damn. That’s a good one,” Laedria admitted. “Honors our house name, and sounds really cool.”

“Yeah, alright,” Theo conceded. “That’s a cool name for a boat. It has my vote.”

“Right, we’ll sort everything out for the trip down to the southern islands. I’ll get with my people to find a minder for Xol’sa so Zarali can get to work.” Alise made some more notes in her interface, nodding to both Theo and Laedria.

“Sweet. Hey, you guys wanna come aboard?”

Theo shared a look with Alise. “Uh, yeah? Of course.”

Workers on the docks yanked on massive Starbristle ropes, dragging the boat closer to the dock. It hit the side of the lumber with a dull thud, angling well enough for them to climb a rope ladder on the side. Theo ascended with ease, turning back to help Alise up the last bit. The deck of the boat was wide. Bright blue ropes ran through the rigging above, down to cleats on the gunwale and to other places. The wheel rested on a raised platform, giving the captain a great view of the water ahead.

The Ogre Cypress had made a fine ship. It was clearly tougher than the Earth version of cypress trees. The workers had stained it with something, bringing out the darker shades of the wood. A mixture of darker browns mingled with yellow to create a bright pattern only set off by the pitch that plugged the gaps between boards. The nature of the cypress trees meant that they needed to shave them down from their massive form to create the two masts.

“The Wavecrest,” Theo said, smiling as he ran his hand across polished rails. “With more to come, right?”

Laedria was nearby, grinning as Theo inspected the boat. “We'll have a fleet before long.”

“I’m guessing the boat is lighter than the ones you’re used to building in Tarantham.”

“Far lighter. We’ve had to weigh her down a bit in the hold. Otherwise she’d just pitch to the side and roll over.”

“How easy would it be to adapt this for an airship?” Theo asked, inspecting everything about the boat. “Second question. Do you have designs for warships?”

Laedria laughed, slapping Theo on the shoulder. The alchemist grunted, falling forward a few steps. “Yeah, this is the material you’d want for an airship. Far lighter than Tarantham Oak, but also tough as nails. And yeah. I have the Wavecrest House’s designs for warships.”

Theo inspected the area on the deck. “We’ll hold off on those for now. Once Throk irons out his weapon design, I want those fitted on all our trade ships.”

There was enough space to mount one of Throk’s rail guns. The old Marshling needed to work out a system to rotate and pitch the gun, but it shouldn’t have taken up too much space. If the gunwales were in the way, obstructing the shot from the deck, they could raise the weapon up to clear that obstacle. Judging from the few tests they did, any other ship would need some serious defenses to stop one of their iron bar slugs.

“Got a mind for war, Archduke?” Laedria asked.

“I have a mind to defend our sailors. Best way to do that is with a big gun.”

“Agreed,” Alise said with a nod. “Throk is focusing on the weapon project for now. He’s been reporting to me about his challenges, but nothing he can’t handle. Not with Thim covering the smithy. He should have a working weapon and transport system soon.”

Theo tapped his foot on the ship’s deck. It made a nice sound as he thought. “You know my biggest concern is enemy airships.”

“Karasan’s airship,” Alise corrected.

“I want enough of Throk’s guns in town so that when we spot the ship, we can light it up.”

“You’re assuming Karasan isn’t some kind of genius,” Laedria said. “Bastard is responsible for the fall of a few houses in Tarantham, if you can believe it. He’s clever, Theo. There won’t be a frontal assault.”

“Then he’ll hardly expect when our airships blanket his city in fire.”

“Big talk,” Laedria said. “Think you can stomach killing civilians?”

“Nope. You’re right. I had a different plan for the airships. Something to help with the undead.”

Laedria and Alise chatted, taking Theo’s coming silence as a sign to talk about the boat. The plan for airships was loose, but the alchemist had the idea of dropping massive amounts of [Hallow Ground] potions on the undead creatures. For now, they needed the army of skeletons as a buffer between them and the angry king. But the sun was setting. His stomach was growling in protest, begging him to return to the manor for dinner. He’d missed his bath last night, and felt knots forming in his muscles that only the hot spring water could help.

After wrapping up business at the docks, Theo returned to his manor. The moment he came within range of the building’s influence, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. The scent of the food inside doubled that effect, drawing him to the dining room. Tresk sat at the head of the table, drumming her fingers impatiently. Alex was already eating a pile of bugs near the corner, honking. Zarali, Fenian, and Xol’sa were also gathered here tonight.

“Finally!” Tresk shouted, jabbing her finger at a seat. “Your servants won’t give us food until you get here.”

Theo found his seat, helping himself to a mug of Rivers mead. Sarisa and Rowan had catered food from the Marsh Wolf Tavern yet again, laying out a spread for the party to enjoy. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits except Zarali, who was upset about needing to leave Xol’sa’s side to do work. While he claimed to be fine, he wore a mask of exhaustion that he couldn’t hide.

Conversation around the table came between mouthfuls of Zee pasta with a cheesy sauce. The cheese produced from Karatan milk was extremely pungent, but it went in line with what the locals enjoyed. Fenian put in his opinion on most things, but Theo noticed how he shied away from larger topics. He was hiding something, or running from something. Either way, the Elf would have his hands full when he fully healed.

Xol’sa also had big plans for the future. His [Dungeon Engineer’s Core] was leveling at a steady rate, although it had been halted since he was injured. The road to recovery for him was slow, often measured in the improvement of mobility. But no one could give him a full time for recovery, and Theo didn’t have any ideas to speed the process.

Once dinner was done, Theo Tresk and Alex went off to have a soak in the bath. The alchemist thought about how it would be nice to have a closer bath, although that was a selfish thought. Sarisa and Rowan accompanied them, but they stayed outside of the private bath room. The water was as warm as ever, spreading a sense of calm through his body the moment he lowered himself to soak.

Tresk did her normal thing of swimming around the large pool, only surfacing to splash the nearest person. Theo just soaked, letting his worries wash away with the water.

“I feel less stressed,” Theo said, taking the chance when Tresk surfaced.

“Yeah. That rage I was experiencing from my cores is just about gone.”

I would like to feel rage, Alex said, honking. Or perhaps serenity.

“Those are conflicting feelings.”

They are extremes. Extremes are fun.

Theo could feel that Alex was close to getting her nature affinity. She was never tied closely to fire, even if she developed her skills in that domain well. He wasn’t sure why she wanted to align herself with those things, but it was her life. The goose often felt less like a familiar and more like a hanger-on to their [Tara’hek Core]. An independent little goose that did whatever she wanted.

“One day you’ll be a powerful goose-thing,” Theo said. “She’s already larger than Earth geese.”

“Really?” Tresk asked, studying the goose.

Alex’s plumage had mostly come in. There were still patches that were too fluffy, but it was mostly gone. She now bore the markings of an adult canadian goose from Earth. Her slender neck was marked by solid black, only ending with the brown on her body and strip of white on her head. It was hard not to wonder if she was going to continue to grow without end.

“Yeah, she’s big. Well, that’s a problem. Isn’t it?”

Why?

“You won’t fit inside eventually. If you keep growing like this.”

Oh no!

“No worries. We’ll build a temple for you,” Tresk said. “Did you see Ziz and his boys?”

Theo had indeed seen Ziz. They were still working, and would likely not stop until the temple was done. When they passed the construction site earlier, the alchemist saw that they had set all the foundation stones and had moved on to working on the walls. When Ziz got obsessed with a project like this, he went all in by chugging [Stamina Potions] until it was done. That’s likely how he got the road done so quickly.

“We’ll see what happens when Zarali blesses the temple.”

No one seemed willing to carry the conversation after that. A deep sense of relaxation filled the souls of each member in the Tara’hek. It was only when Sarisa and Rowan intruded, claiming the staff wanted them gone, that they headed back to the manor. The streets were quiet when they left. The moon glimmered a golden color tonight, although the dark moon wasn’t visible. No one was awake in the manor, even though a fire burned brightly in the sitting room.

Theo said goodnight to his assistants, working his way upstairs to flop into his bed. He nodded at Tresk before delving with her into the Dreamwalk.