Warning bells clattered, a frantic staccato rhythm that sent every adventurer in Broken Tusk into a frenzy. Theo set the alarm with a warning, using his town-wide messaging system. Every able-bodied citizen stood ready behind those sturdy walls, ready for whatever Fenian brought with him.

Theo stood with his command structure, looking out over the short field to the east. Something shimmered in the distance, but Aarok and Luras were too busy forming battle plans to notice. It was all wasted breath and effort against the unknown, but at the core of the alchemist’s intuition, he knew it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. Fenian’s mode of transportation allowed him to slip beyond reality, and he would never lead anything too dangerous to the gates.

“Call him again,” Aarok said, turning to bark more orders to the assembled adventurers.

“He’s not answering,” Theo said. “But his method of transport—”

Across the river, far in the distance, the world split apart. A gash formed in the air, bleeding shadows like a rolling fog. A carriage, looking like a miniature in the distance, flew from the fissure. Demonic Karatan drove the black lacquer carriage. Fenian stood atop the roof, waving his hands and shouting something. He was still too distant to hear.

“His method of transport is instant,” Theo said, his eyes fixed on the tear in space.

Xol’sa appeared next to him, his swirling eyes locked on the tear in space. “That’s curious,” he said, withdrawing a notebook and scrawling something.

“Ready?” Aarok shouted?

Adventurers were moving the defensive artifices around, bringing more of the [Chain Lightning Towers] to the eastern gate. It left the other walls open to attack, but no one could be certain what the trader would bring along with him. Stillness hung in the air, even as Fenian crossed the bridge and approached the gate.

Theo’s throat seized with what came next. A figure, twice the height of the town’s walls, crossed the threshold of the tear. It closed behind the monster, snapping shut like a bear trap. The thing walked with a limp, its entire body made of slick silver metal. It brandished a sword as tall as itself and let out an ear-shattering sound. The portcullis slammed shut as the trader passed the threshold, his demonic Karatan skittering to a stop and letting out mournful chitters of dismay. The alchemist swung around, jumping from the wall with questions.

“Are you an idiot?” Theo shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. He wanted to punch the Elf in the face, but the moment the thought sprung to his mind, his intuition warned him against it. There was something about Fenian he hadn’t noticed before. There was power sitting behind those eyes.

“My dear alchemist,” Fenian said, holding his arms wide and bowing. “I’ve brought you a gift!”

“Looks like a big old horrible monster!” Tresk shouted, emerging from the shadows.

“Come now,” Fenian said, waving them away. “Ascend the wall and observe.”

Theo and Tresk joined him on the battlements, watching the horror limp across the open fields near the river. It stumbled, falling face-first into the bridge and destroying it. Fenian groaned, cleared his throat, then continued his speech.

“I apologize for the bridge,” Fenian said, coughing into his hand.

“My grandfather helped build that bridge,” Aarok said, scowling.

“Well, your grandfather would have loved to get his hands on this beauty,” Fenian said. “Before you attempt to remove my head from my shoulders, I’d like to explain myself.”

Fenian was always honest with Theo. He hid a few things, but it wasn’t the things that mattered. Even if the Elf had done something reckless, the alchemist couldn’t afford not to do business with him. He was simply too important.

“Go on,” Theo said, gesturing to the flailing creature attempting to untangle itself from the debris of the bridge.

“I was pilfering some Taranthian ruins,” Fenian started.

“The Elves?” Xol’sa said, brightening up. No one else seemed as interested in where the ruins where.

“The very same!” Fenian said, nodding and causing the feather sticking from his hat to wobble. “The fun part is, you can’t get to these ruins. Unless you have my talents—yes, let’s call them that. The monster you see flailing around in the river is as old as Tarantham itself, buried for untold eons. It’s actually an artifice, if you can believe that.”

Theo squinted, trying to force himself to see further. He could make out the whirring of gears on the side of the creature, so that made sense to him. It wasn’t a monster at all, just a big hunk of metal and…Artificer’s materials. If it was advanced enough to move on its own and pursue an enemy, it was a trove of materials. Even the metal, which the alchemist assumed was some kind of steel, was worth a lot of money.

“Wouldn’t you know?” Fenian asked, slapping Theo on the shoulder. “The whole machine is weak to what? Lightning! Isn’t that amazing? Not that it matters. It might fall apart before it even reaches the walls.”

“I’d second that opinion,” Luras said, his eyes flashing with the power of Baelthar.

“The materials you gather from the thing will pay for the bridge,” Fenian said, waving a dismissive hand.

“How did you get it to take the Bridge of Shadows?” Theo asked.

“I thought that was a secret,” Fenian said, pressing his finger into his chin and frowning.

“If you were holding the secret against a group of toddlers, maybe,” Theo shrugged.

Fenian’s use of the Bridge of Shadows wasn’t a secret, not to the alchemist. It was easy enough to smell the influence of the Queen of the Path of Shadows, Uz’Xulven, on him whenever he came to town. But it was another thing to understand what the trader sought to gain from the bridge. Something in his cores whispered, Uz’Godan Bokrak Tal, but nothing more, simply the name of the bridge.

He wouldn’t be stupid enough to align with Uz’Xulven, Theo said, sending his thoughts to Tresk.

Wanna bet?

He didn’t care to wager against that.

“At any rate, this is a gift,” Fenian said, bowing deeply. “I can no longer afford the cost of your potions. So, we revert to the old way. Bartering and gifts.”

Theo nodded, watching as the artifice weapon drew closer to the town. When it fell in the river, it was damaged even further. The limp became more pronounced, with more of its inner workings exposed on its side. The alchemist could see a heraldic crest on the front of the thing as it drew closer, the image of a compass and a sword. Then, he plugged his ears as the towers hummed to life.

Fenian said something muffled, clapping his hands over his ears a little too late as the four [Chain Lightning Towers] fired at the same time. The artifice stumbled back from the force of the strike, but adjusted its footing and pressed on. The artificial monster was saying something now, but Theo couldn’t hear. Each tower sent a stream of lightning at the monster, bolts that jumped from the various parts of the thing, quickly joined by the other towers. Cones of frost, fireballs, and firebolts fired off in rapid succession.

Fenian was right about the mechanical creation, it was weak. After a few fierce volleys, before the adventurers could even get a shot off, it let out a prolonged sound and collapsed, shaking the earth under its feet. The ease of the fight didn’t temper the adventurer’s excitement for victory. They shouted and jeered at the fallen monstrosity, pumping their fists in the air.

“Is it dead?” Theo asked, turning to the trader.

“What?” Fenian shouted, digging his fingers into his ears.

“Looks dead to me,” Tresk said, peering over the wall. The creature was motionless. The gears inside weren’t moving, and it showed no signs of life.

“You must remove the [Power Core],” Fenian shouted, still digging in his ears. “Then, it will be useless.”

“Where’s the power core?” Theo shouted his question back.

Fenian simply beckoned him to follow. The trader jumped over the wall, rather than descending the battlements and approaching through the gate. Theo trusted his [Strength] and [Dexterity] to carry him safely, so he joined. With a rush of wind, he landed harmlessly on the unpaved road outside. The trader approached the fallen artifice, climbed its slick metal body, and withdrew a sword from nowhere. In an instant, he cut through the hard exterior of the artifice, and removed an object.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Power core,” Fenian said, smiling. “I still can’t hear a damn thing.”

Theo handed the Elf a [Healing Potion], shaking his head. While Fenian drank, the alchemist inspected the power core. It looked more like a large crystal surrounded by a cage of the strange metal than something that conducted electricity. It pulsed with white energy, but the alchemist put it in his inventory and inspected it from there.

[Power Core]

[Construct Power]

Epic

A device used for the storage of raw, magical power.

Current Power:

25%

The item was plain, but something caught Theo’s eye and something clicked in his mind. While the metal monster might have been an artifice at its heart, it had a literal heart related to constructs. The design looked similar enough to the idea the alchemist had, surrounding a living medium with metal to create a fake seed core, that it would be useful to study.

“That’s better,” Fenian said, opening his jaw to pop his ears. “You’ll find that the machine is made of…What is the world in Qavelli? Ah, barrowsteel. The Qavelli word actually comes from my native tongue, as it relates to the burial sites of my ancestors. If we’re talking tiers of metal, this is—”

Theo interrupted him. He could feel the power of the metal. “Third tier of metals. I have a feeling we’ll find this in the mine.”

“Then you’ll be rich!” Fenian shouted.

“We’ll organize the retrieval tomorrow,” Theo said, shouting up at the battlements.

The day was getting too late to worry about the metal monster tonight, and he wouldn’t ask his people to work through the night. It wasn’t going anywhere, and the towers were trained on that approach. Aarok shouted his approval down, joined by the other adventurers. Once Theo had left the fallen construct’s side, others came to poke at the dead beast. The alchemist beckoned for the trader to follow him, intending to get some dinner.

“You’ve been busy,” Theo said, nodding at Fenian.

“How can you tell?” Fenian asked.

Tresk appeared next to them, grinning. “Because you’re always busy, big guy.”

Instead of leading Fenian back to the privacy of the lab, Theo led him to Xam’s latest offering for the festival. The attack hadn’t diminished her spirit to prepare delicious food, and everything was prepared and presented outside. Theo enjoyed the idea of dining outside, so long as the fair weather lasted. When the next season was called the Season of Fire, it was hard to see it as anything but sweltering. The trader seemed reluctant to conduct business in front of everyone, but their relationship had grown closer over the season.

“We’ve come to the point where I can’t afford an outright purchase of your potions,” Fenian said, nodding to the server that brought him a drink.

“I said I’m willing to barter,” Theo said.

The smell of whatever Xam was preparing wafted from the interior of the Marsh Wolf Tavern. When the scent singed his nose, Theo felt his pulse quicken slightly. She was making spicy stuff again.

“Of course,” Fenian said. “The guardian is part of that accord. Theo, I thought you’d be more excited.”

The alchemist realized his demeanor didn’t suit him. He cleared his throat and looked at the situation in the best light possible. The metal would sell for a lot, but not a fortune like Fenian would propose. Throk would appraise the real treasure of the encounter as the artificer’s materials within the thing. [Monster Cores] were more valuable than gold right now, along with rare seed core buildings. Everything that was happening suited him just fine, he was just tired.

Theo dug deep, releasing a breath and focusing his mind on the evening negotiations. “I’m extremely excited about this,” he said, even if he doubted that himself. “We’ll get down to business and see if we can meet in the middle.”

As with all things related to the trader, their conversation wasn’t much of a negotiation. The thing that Theo found interesting was that Fenian had a sense for the price of his new potions, after claiming there was nothing like it in the kingdom. He could reliably get a silver for the new products, but that relied on the willingness of rich families to spend. They settled on a split between coin and goods for the potions. 30 gold coins seemed like a low sum, but that came with another 30 gold in credit.

“And a gift,” Fenian said, leaning in. “I wish we could retreat to your lab for this one.”

The sun started its descent in the western sky, looming over the swamp like a blazing sentinel. Xam’s latest spicy dish was another interpretation of milled Zee, Karatan cheese, and wolf meat. Her twist for this dish was the addition of the spicy [Fire Salamander Eggs], which made it much more enjoyable. With the meal done, Theo was happy to go back to the lab and discuss whatever sensitive topic Fenian had for him.

“Just for good measure,” Fenian said, placing a small cube of metal on the second floor landing before entering the lab.

“I need [Monster Cores], a seed core for a coin mint, and any other interesting production buildings you might have,” Theo said. He was under the impression that the trader didn’t want the others to see the high-cost exchange they normally did.

“A mint?” Fenian said, laughing. “Now, you’re clever. Look at this.”

Fenian withdrew a gold coin from his inventory, setting it down on the table. Tresk had to stand on her chair to get a good view of the coin. It was like the coins Theo had seen before, but the image rendered on the golden surface was different. While the render seemed similar to the symbol on the front of the guardian artifice, it had enough difference to claim a different source. Theo knew instantly, this was a coin produced in a foreign land. It didn’t have the laurel crown of Qavell’s coinage, nor the words that traced the edge of the coin.

“It all goes to the same place when you have an inventory, but you can pull them out individually,” Fenian said, nodding to himself. “They’re all standard currency across the world. If it doesn’t go in your inventory, it's a fake.”

“Where did you find this one?” Theo asked.

Fenian only smiled in response, changing the topic.

“A mint will cost you…Well, a mint,” Fenian said.

“Just to confirm what I heard, they’re legal?” Theo asked.

“Yes, you won’t have the crown crashing down on you. Not that they could. They’re busy,” Fenian said, his grin turning wicked.

That explained why Theo hadn’t gotten word from Qavell. If he was honest with himself, he knew that was better for them. Any undue attention would throw off his plans, and the last thing he needed were meddling princes. Still, the Elf’s proximity to how busy the kingdom was didn’t sit well with him, but he managed to shrug it off for the sake of profit.

“That leads me to something I need from you,” Fenian said, withdrawing a seed core from his inventory and setting it on the table. He then withdrew a sack and a book, setting them down next to the seed.

Theo pressed his intent into the seed core, inspecting it.

[Mycology Cave Seed Core]

[Seed Core]

Epic

A core for the plantation of a Mycology Cage. This allows you to cultivate mushrooms.

“That solves that problem,” Theo said. “What’s in the sack?”

“[Monster Cores],” Fenian said, opening the bag for Theo to see. “I need a favor. Do you remember the [Swamp Truffles]?”

Theo tried hard to forget about those mushrooms. They carried the [Experience Boost] property, which seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.

“I remember,” Theo said, casting his eyes over to Tresk. She seemed content enough to just exist during the meeting, likely keeping an eye out for threats.

“Here’s your task,” Fenian said, clearing his throat. “I’m giving some…Ah, swimming lessons. I’m not interested in the experience part of it. I need [Hallow Ground].”

It felt odd for someone to reference a property, especially when they weren’t alchemically inclined. Even with Theo’s intuition, he couldn’t understand what the Elf would do with potions made from the property.

“Bombs, or potions?” Theo asked.

Fenian stood from his chair, opened the door to the hall and tapped the top of his strange cube. The air shimmered through the lab and Theo felt a sense as though a sheet of ice had been placed over his body. The Elf was satisfied enough, coming back to sit at the table by the window.

“Brew me the most effective way to repel the undead,” Fenian said. “Some way to steer them away from me while I work. There’s plenty of ruins to be plundered, such as your Pozwa, but it becomes difficult when the damned skeletons come calling.”

Theo understood what the Elf wanted to accomplish, but a strange feeling washed over his body. The constant whisper of suggestions belonging to his cores was absent, and he understood the purpose of the cube. He was keeping unfriendly ears away, those belonging to the Gods. He wondered if it was to keep Drogromath out, or whoever Fenian called his god. The field shimmered out, and for the first time since he met the Elf, he looked slightly nervous.

“I can do that,” Theo said.

Hey, that sounds shady as hell, Tresk said, speaking into Theo’s mind.

That’s no skin off my back, Theo said.

Tresk nodded, agreeing with him in an instant. Theo would insure that whatever he exported couldn’t be used as a weapon. That was his general rule for every potion he made, although it was a loose rule.

“Perfect!” Fenian said, throwing his arms wide. A smile hung on his face. “I have a selection of seed cores you might be interested in. Take a look.”

The amount of cores he dumped on the table was absurd. They spilled over immediately, clattering onto the ground. Tresk and Theo sifted through those cores for hours, even after the sun went down. As both their [Vigor] attribute grew, they needed less sleep. Only the Dreamwalk lured them to their beds every night.

A few cores stood out, and were all self-descriptive. By the end of it, Theo selected a core simply labeled [School Seed Core], another called a [Weaver’s Seed Core], and the biggest shock of them all a [Harbor Seed Core].

“Ah, that last one is a bit pricey,” Fenian said, smiling. “You’d owe me a few hundred gold.”

“Then, I owe you,” Theo said, collecting his seed cores.

Fenian tilted his head like a predatory bird, but softened after a moment. “Call it 100 gold, then. Paid at a future date. The upgrades for that one include a shipwright.”

“Perfect,” Theo said. “One question, before you retire.”

“Of course,” Fenian said, bowing his head.

“I have a potion that can dig out a channel for my harbor, but would it be wiser to hire an [Earth Mage]?”

“Planning to move the ocean closer to town? Smart,” Fenian said, rubbing his chin. “Some advice? Do it yourself. Your issue is hardening the edges of the channel, although I’m sure you’ve thought of that. Perhaps it's time your stonecutters got some experience with building.”

Fenian withdrew 5 cores from his inventory, setting them on the table. [Stonemason’s Cores]. Even if the Elf was feeling generous, nothing he provided was free. He held his hand out and grinned. “A gold for 5.”

Theo handed the money over without hesitation. It was time for the stonecutters to stretch themselves thin to serve Broken Tusk. Fenian’s instructions weren’t lost on him, and a plan was forming in the alchemist’s head to get the harbor project underway. The massive water element left him enough [Living River Water] to cut a wide channel, and still have enough to dig his tunnels in the mine.

“As always,” Theo said, reaching out to shake Fenian’s hand. “We both prosper when the other is doing well.”

Fenian leaned in, grinning again. “You have no idea.”