The Newt and Demon

The Arbiter's Citadel was a place known for polished stone surfaces and straight edges. The office at the top of the massive tower provided a beautiful view of the metropolis below. It stretched far into the distance, revealing only a patchwork of greenery here and there, designated for parks and recreational areas. The office itself was no different from the rest of the planet. Everything within had its place. The stone walls were polished to a shine, and the massive wooden desk dominating the area before the sprawling window had been rubbed enough that Theo could see his reflection in the surface. The books on the shelf were ordered alphabetically, and none had a speck of dust on them.

Marring the beautiful image of the pristine office was a shimmering field of shadows that rested just on the edge. Theo felt the gods pressing in, looking for a weakness in his recently bolstered willpower but finding nothing but an unmovable barrier. He smiled to himself as he looked over his friends. Tresk, Fenian, Khahar, and Theo had gathered for a meeting of the throne holders—a most necessary meeting.

“Recent events have resulted in an imbalance of power,” Theo said. “I was locked away in some hell dimension for about 30 years before breaking out. Unfortunately, I seem to have brought something with me.”

“A hell dimension?” Fenian asked, cocking an eyebrow as a gentle smile played across his face. “Why do you get to have all the fun?”

"You have adventures all the time,” Tresk objected, throwing her hands into the air. “Just listen to the man, you fool."

"Anyway, I figured this would be a perfect meeting for the holders of the thrones. It relates to us specifically. This barrier I have established prevents any god from listening in."

"Is that why my fingers are tingling?" Fenian asked, looking down at his hands.

"No, I think the barrier is blocking some of the system as well," Theo said, "but not all of it. That has concerning implications, but that's not why we're here. I wanted to talk to you, Fenian, about the man I brought back."

The facade Fenian had become so good at putting up dropped away as his features darkened with a nod. He wasn't an idiot. He could piece things together through his own information network and typically knew far more than he let on. Theo was happy that the holder of the Throne of the Herald wasn't a moron.

"The once king of Perisart… Leon." Theo didn’t have to wait long to see the reaction on Fenian’s face.

"Now, why would you bring him back?" Fenian asked, looking more serious than ever. "I know you're not altogether too familiar with the timeline of events, but he wasn't a good guy."

"I didn't truly know who he was down there," Theo said with a shrug. "The dimension I was in has a way of addling one's brain. I didn't even notice how many years had passed, even though I was counting my meals. I must have been skipping them for months at a time without realizing it. Anyway, he seemed like a different person, senile rather than malicious."

“Why don't you explain why we should be so afraid of this man?” Khahar said, breaking through the tension with a few words.

Fenian released a heavy sigh, a sigh laden with the pain of years. It was rare for the elf to show any weakness, but Theo saw it in that moment. This was a point of pain for him.

“How to put this as plainly as possible?” Fenian asked, tapping his chin. “When we defended the city of Perisart, it was madness. We had worked hard to create the defenses and man the lines. We lost quite a few soldiers that day. And when we went on to the next city to defend it, what did King Leon do? He murdered his wife and ascended to the realm of death. Then he siphoned the souls of the dead from both Iaredin and Earth to power his own schemes, imprisoning his brother and siding with Kuzan.”

“Okay, that’s pretty heavy,” Theo said.

“Yeah, what the hell?” Tresk asked. “Guy sounds like a real jerk.”

“Shall we kill him?” Khahar asked.

Fenian scoffed. “If you can. Remember the souls I was talking about? He absorbed a lot of them, making himself more powerful.”

So, Theo had accidentally released a random evil guy who didn't really fit into his schedule, but he also wasn't certain if Leon was anything to worry about. His thought on the matter was that people could change. At least he could confirm a few things that Fenian had said. Leon was strong, that was for sure. The barriers he had established in his own world should have been powerful enough to hold just about anybody. Khahar was likely the only person who could escape. Maybe Fenian, if he tried hard enough.

"We should try to reason with him first." Theo said, "My first problem there is trying to find him. My Dreamwalker's core didn't respond when he was near, meaning he isn't actually breaking any rules."

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"He likely piggybacked on the same system that allowed people like Fenian and Elrin to enter this world," Khahar said. "You'd be hard-pressed to convince the system to unlock your core to deal with it, so we've got to do it the old-fashioned way."

"Another problem," Theo said, punctuating the statement with a pointed finger in the air. "He can travel through the void."

"Which means you can be anywhere on the planet," Tresk said. "That's disconcerting, but I guess we could deal with it. Assuming he’s in the mortal world."

“Well, finding him won't be difficult,” Fenian said with a shrug. “He'll be where the old city once stood, over in Tarantham.”

"Road trip?" Theo asked.

“Might as well get it over with,” Tresk said.

“Alas, you’ll need to do it on your own,” Khahar said. “I’m still bound here until the reset.”

Khahar's situation was unique. When he assumed the Throne of the Arbiter, he was in an astral form, an ascended state. This status had removed his mortal body, granting him faux godly powers that prevented him from treading into the lower realm, which was a shame.

"I think we can manage," Theo said, looking between Fenian and Tresk. "Right, guys?"

They both shrugged.

“Well then, I guess there’s no time to waste,” Theo said.

***

"What was that?” Fenian asked, his face turned slightly green as soft grass appeared beneath their feet. Theo smiled to himself while looking at Tresk and winking.

Theo enjoyed showing off his new power. They had been standing in the arbor one moment, and then they appeared in the elven kingdom the next. It had happened in a snap, and he couldn't have been happier with the overly dramatic response from the elf. "I no longer have to move through the void," the alchemist said. "I can just go from one spot to another."

"Well, you've certainly accomplished bringing us to the seat of the old Elven Kingdom, though it isn't anything like it used to be."

Theo looked out over the rolling fields, his eyes lingering on clusters of trees that dotted the area here and there. Far in the distance was a low town with wooden walls and ramshackle buildings. From what he understood, this was once the seat of an elven house long since destroyed 60,000 years ago. It would have been the ruins of the old city. Nothing was left of it, not even a stray stone here or there.

"This place is boring," Tresk said. "Is there really nothing left of the old city?"

"Not even a whisper," Fenian said. "The locals have no idea what their people used to be. And with Kuzan gone, they've been aimless ever since. Which makes me think that… Well, I'd rather not think about Leon taking over."

Theo nodded to himself and pressed forward, making note of anything interesting he saw. Mostly, he was interested in spotting any of the ruins of the old city, but as they drew closer to the small town, he saw nothing. Comparing his knowledge of this area to what he saw in Fenian's world, he was certain they were standing before the once massive gates of the city of Perisart. Instead, there was only a field stretching out and dipping here and there. As the party pressed forward, he saw his first sign of the old civilization.

“Stairs,” Theo said, crouching low to find stonework hidden beneath a layer of soil. He brushed away both grass and dirt to reveal aged grey stones that were pockmarked here and there.

"This was the stairway leading down to the port," Fenian said, gesturing to the west. "That connects with the coastline and gives access to the sea. That's where the ships and airships used to set sail from. Ah, what a time."

The group spent hours searching the area, finally finding what Fenian was looking for. To their surprise, they actually found something resembling ruins. A series of hardened stone walls denoted the shape of a long-gone building. However, after careful excavation, the Elf discovered stairs leading down. They followed them, moving through turns and switchback stairs that eventually opened into a massive underground cavern.

Rotating in the center of that cavern was a shard, glittering brilliant shades of blue and humming a gentle song. Theo watched as a figure stepped from within the shard. He shouldn't have been surprised to see Elrin appear, striding over with a grimace on his face.

"If you could go a half hour without causing trouble," Elrin said, shaking his head, "it would make my job a lot easier."

"I didn't intentionally release him," Theo said. Feeling the need to jump to his own defense, he figured Elrin already knew what was going on. If Fenian was well-informed, Elrin was omniscient.

"Let's get it over with then," Elrin said, striding over. "I don't think you'll find him around here. He'll head to the true capital... Tarantham City."

No one questioned it. They simply gathered close to enter Theo's shadowy barrier. One moment they were standing in those old ruins; the next, they were in a busy street, with elves walking here and there, conducting their business. Theo felt his breath hitch in his throat. He had to try several times to fill his lungs before he could look upon the city he had heard so much about. He wasn't surprised that it reminded him of old Perisart. The buildings were made from thick stone, and nothing was higher than a few floors tall, except for the massive spire lingering to the north.

"Where should we start?" Theo asked, looking around as his eyes locked on his group. They saw outsiders, and the only thoughts they had were to attack or flee. Some weapons were in hand, but Elin pressed forward without a question.

"The palace," Elrin said, giving his whistle a sharp blow. Above them formed the massive dragon form of Trevor, who took to the sky and roared. Those crowds that had seemed so interested in them moments ago now fled in fear, with a bell ringing far in the distance.

“Well, that’s one way to make an entrance,” Tresk muttered, looking around as the streets cleared.

“I suppose if you’re going to declare war, this is one way to do it!” Fenian shouted with a cackle. “Kneel before your new masters!”

Elrin grunted a response. The streets cleared before him as he progressed. The group pressed forward, moving through the various gates and between businesses until the citadel loomed overhead.

“So, who wants to knock?” Theo asked. A large force assembled before them, silver armor glittering as they brandished an assortment of weapons.

The massive wooden doors swung open, revealing yet another armored figure. This one had its helmet off, revealing all-too-familiar features. Brushing golden locks to one side, the handsome man tutted. “How many times must you attack my fair city, Fenian?”