Fluid - 30

Gathering up the meat from the lightning-cooked crabs, I push out Resonance's reach and what I find steals amusement away. Sprinting between the last of them, I head back to the others. “Lots of crabs are moving in. I’d hoped it was a Mana surge through the nexus overnight responsible for so many, but from what I sense, something is actively driving them from the ocean’s depths.”

“How far is the range of what you're doing?” asks Ipy.

“If I relax, it’s a few hundred metres though I can get details up to five kilometres; beyond that is problematic,” I say and gesture towards the village. “Let’s move along. I will message Alfarr and some others to let them know.”

My admission causes Nanok to pause cleaning his axe before he nods and scraps the last pieces free. Without another word, he shifts to the other side of the team, and everyone repositions to match.

Multi-voice lets me send and duplicate a half-dozen messages and illuminate the beach around the inlet. Though there are scores more crabs, none are the size of Nikias' house-sized beast.

Nanok angles his stance slightly so he can look back at me. “Looks like we’ll need to put in a lot of work on Nikias and Myrto’s training.”

As responses come from Sarah and the others, I nod my agreement. “The more we kill now, the fewer we have to deal with later. Sarah and the senior guild members will divide and ensure the fishing boats are safe while securing the cove between them.”

“Good. You let the rest know, I assume,” says Androkles.

Nodding, I gesture towards the furthest crabs. “Same drill each time unless we see another of Nikias’ extra large ones. I’ll start by pulling the further ones towards us, so we will get them clustered up. Ipy, hold dropping your first Lightning Storm until we’ve got most of them clustered. I’ll help you fry them on the last stretch.”

Ipy nods. “This will balance my Wizard progress. I’ve been melee bait a bit much of late.”

With the growing number of melodies along the beach, I almost laugh. “It will depend on how far advanced you want Wizard.”

This isn’t how I’d intended the team to progress.

Myrto looks between Nanok and Ipy’s concerned expressions. “Are the fishermen going to be okay?”

“Giant crabs won’t normally swim to the ocean’s surface, but this is an unusual swarming,” admits Androkles. “With everything else, folks are going to ask if something you did caused it, Gail.”

“The nexus line from the village’s direction is normal, and the crabs aren’t being drawn to anything. Something is pushing them here, but I don’t know what yet. Though the closest I can sense from them is hunger and fear.”

Androkles nods. “Let’s get started.”

Nanok and Androkles move to take the lead, with Nikias trailing them slightly further from the waterline. Phile straps the quiver to her belt before she follows, and Myrto returns to chanting as she keeps pace. Before they leave the rock ledge towards the inlet, I prod some crabs to come to pick on Nanok. Knowing that the power’s purpose is to put the crab at a disadvantage doesn’t help at all. With scores of crabs rushing in, targeting Nanok, it doesn't feel kind to him.

That he goes right to the edge of the zone being lashed with lighting to kill three crabs himself pushes most of that aside.

“I was going to say sorry for them charging you, Nanok. Did you have fun?”

Nanok grins broadly, eyes bright with excitement. “Would you like me to kill all the crabs myself?”

“Let’s continue with the plan,” I reply, and his casual shrug drives the last of the guilt away.

Nikias and Myrto don’t level from that group, but their songs shift again in the fourth stretch towards the village, from the death of not one but two massive crabs. My song rips their upper shells apart, letting Ipy cook them with a fireball each. The pressure shifting in their song has me regarding them with concern instead of immediately harvesting.

“What’s wrong?” huffs Nikias, shifting his shoulders when I hummed in consideration.

“That puts you through the simple levels; three levels in a rush isn’t the best thing for you, but both of you look more flushed than I’d expect,” Nanok warns. “It might be better for Gail to hop you back to the village. You’ll already have a couple of weeks of effort to balance your skills from what fighting should have provided, let alone the two weeks of training in the afternoon.”

Catching Ipy’s concern at their flushed faces makes me agree, but the reason for the difference is apparent. The strength of their classes is surging within their Mortal flesh. Something I should have considered, given I had similar fun with two evolved classes. With Myrto and Nikias respectively having three and four, they’ll likely crash with fatigue once the surge dies.

“Your evolved classes need time to stabilise, as well as your skills. You’re probably going to crash hard when the rush fades,” I explain, and they both freeze in surprise.

“What do you want us to do?” Nikias asks.

“I’ll send you both back to Hestia’s Temple. Make sure you tell Priestess Irene why, so they don’t get you defending any positions if anything is rushing the cove. Don’t go anywhere until you see how you feel after the surge fades.”

“If anything is in the cove, we can at least monitor the Temple’s approach after this surge fades,” Myrto suggests.

“Any things that arrive in the cove will probably get mauled by Aggie’s team or Tove,” I reply, and remember someone I’d forgotten to account for earlier. “Or Thea, if she’s still at Hestia’s Temple.”

“She’s still present,” confirms Myrto.

“Please don’t tell her I left her out,” I whisper.

Myrto taps her chin thoughtfully. “I’ll have to consider if I should keep such information from a Celestial.”

“Please!” I plead, clasping my hands together.

“Fine,” laughs Myrto, her levelling flush still brightening her cheeks.

Teleporting the pair back to the Temple, I scry to confirm they’re safe—despite the innate accuracy of Greater Teleport—and watch until they head for the refectory.

With them away, Phile joins the front line to support Androkles, and we move onwards. Teleport again, putting us a hundred metres from the end of the zone I’d scanned.

We’re clearing up at the ten-kilometre point when draconic energy heading for the cove tickles against my Resonance. Focusing on it makes me aware I’d allowed my range to retreat to a more comfortable coverage. When I push it out again, I find the source of trouble three kilometres offshore and growing closer because of its angle towards the cove.

Dragon turtles aren’t proper dragons, despite their steam breath weapon and size. However, they possess a power similar to Dragon Fear, which this fellow actively uses to herd the crabs before him. Though old, his song doesn’t contain even my degree of Class strength, and he’s also wounded.

Pulling the last of the crabs’ meat into Inventory I rejoin the group.

“I know what’s causing this,” I huff. “There is an old and lazy Dragon Turtle offshore herding crabs.”

Mentally humming, the tune engages with Silent Song, and I send the details to Tove and Sarah, letting them figure out with Esdras who will get to play.

Androkles looks up from checking his sword after the latest fight. “What?!”

“There is a Dragon Turtle out there heading for the cove. I bet it wants tribute or something stupid, though it could be herding a feast together. It's sustained wounds that are still healing.”

“We should get back,” snaps Nanok.

“More crabs and other things will crowd the beaches, and they’ll be dangerous later. He’s swimming slowly and radiating a weak type of Dragon Fear. At the pace we’re moving, we’re likely to beat him to the cove-”

Tove interrupts by appearing beside me, giggling loudly. “Mine. Point the way I’ll get him to back off, or someone can have Dragon Turtle soup.”

Thea appears next to Ipy. “Ours, not yours.”

“I didn’t tell you where Gail was,” protests Tove.

Thea tsks. “Your vanishing prompted me to scry for Gail, and I heard what you said. Can you kindly point the way to the Dragon Turtle, Gail?”

“How is he yours?” I ask, containing my amusement.

“The others are still arguing about who has the right of way, and I choose me,” giggles Tove and she flies around me in a tight loop.

“Us,” corrects Thea again.

“He’s deep and old but not as strong as either of you, Class wise. Please find out what it thinks it's doing in these waters,” I caution them. “I’ll give you a guiding arrow.”

As Tove streaks away with Thea racing alongside, Nanok gives me a curious look. “Why get it to back off if Tove can kill it?”

“Him, not it. Why encourage him to leave? Because power vacuums or territories shifting suddenly can attract trouble. I’m not an expert, but dragon turtles aren’t normally malevolent. That said, they can be greedier than they’re worth. With the Shaughin in this region, I’d prefer an obstacle, even if it is lazy.”

Ipy interest perks up. “How do you know it's lazy?”

“It's an old Dragon Turtle with two classes and has not yet taken a Prestige Class. That says a lot about its approach to life,” I clarify.

“Adult dragon turtles sink large vessels,” notes Androkles, his gaze following the Tove and Thea plunging beneath the waves.

“We’re in more danger from the crabs he’s driving in than they are of him,” I counter and wave to the shells visible amid the surf. “I’ve seen Tove blow up greater demons that would snack on the turtle. Do we move on or wait for the light show if it comes to a fight?”

Nanok's stance shifts to a more relaxed pose, and he rests his axe on his shoulder. “Do you think we’ll even see anything at this distance?”

“You never know,” I say, equally in the dark.

We get our answer within ten minutes of the lantern archons vanishing beneath the waves. A cragged shell breaches the ocean’s surface and rises until it's bigger than Sanctuary’s hall. Clear of the water, a snub-nosed head whips around, sighting a swiftly moving Archon, eyes narrowing as he unleashes a burst of superheated steam. The Archon he’d been targeting had already vanished, and a Lightning Bolt crackled across its rear shell a moment before another lit up its underside.

He tries to dive again, only to be herded back to the surface, and a flurry of spells continually drives it towards the shore. The crabs that had been in the surf scattered before his path well before the trio reached the shallows. His speed in the water is impressive, and we’re backing up towards the dry sand, unsure what the pair are doing. I’m about to teleport us much further away when a pillar of Celestial flame punches between the Dragon Turtle’s eyes and causes a cloud of steam to hide its slumping head.

“They didn’t kill it earlier. Why?” gasps Phile.

Tove appears within arm’s reach while Thea circles the corpse. “Is that close enough to harvest?”

The question makes most of us laugh, but Ipy shakes his head.

“Yes, it's certainly not in danger of sinking, so I can perch on the shell. Would you tell us what went on?” I ask after everyone calms down.

With no sign of movement, Thea teleports to the shore as well.

“I got close enough to read its surface thoughts. He’d lost a mating fight. The rival claimed the mate, lair, and hoard. He was looking to cause trouble and demand tribute to clean it up. That would let him replace some valuables he’d lost,” explains Tove. “He endangered people out of greed. I choose to remove the threat he posed to them.”

The news sets Androkles laughing again. “Until recently, we would have nearly nothing to offer.”

“The Adventurers’ Guild would have sent someone to help Imhotep and other seniors see it off,” counters Nanok. “Where is its lair?”

“It had swum up from deeper waters,” states Thea. “Many images in its mind of dark waters with the sun barely a glimmer on the surface. Dragon turtles can breathe underwater just fine, unlike normal turtles.”

“Thank you, Archon. If the mates are out in the ocean, that’s fine; I was worried about coastal shipping,” explains Nanok.

“Thea is fine since you’re in Gail’s Team,” replies Thea before I catch her focus shifting to me. “Hestia asked me to convey her regards and enquire if you need any aid dealing with your guests?”

“I believe I have it under control,” I reply, ignoring Nanok’s quick look of disbelief, though I’m unsure if it's for my confidence or Hestia’s offer. “I intend to shoo the Royal Guard towards home today and keep delegates locked in the Demi-Plane until it's all resolved.”

“What are you going to do for serving staff? Since it's a Demi-Plane, Hestia said she could send a few dozen hound archons?” asks Thea.

“It is most generous of Lady Hestia to offer such help, but the banquet hall doesn’t need serving staff. Aunt Am set it up to feed a thousand guests three times a day as long as I attend the meal services,” I explain, and Thea bobs in the air before she disappears.

Nanok fixes me with a suspicious look. “Elves dancing to your tune, and now a goddess is offering you help? Who exactly are you?”

“It was a very generous offer, and I would have given each archon a gift of a magical item, Nanok,” I point out, causing him to blink. “She knows I can easily do that, so she gains items that can help her faithful and I get some help. It would have been a lovely exchange, but it's unnecessary.”

Teleport puts me atop the Dragon Turtle, and I can feel my Inventory groan and complain with all I grab. Despite what I leave behind, I have enough harvested materials—including an undamaged section of shell—to make more artificers drool before I pop back to shore.

“I’ve hit my limit, especially with tonnes of Dragon Turtle. I’ll need to visit Stoneheart,” I state, catching the look Phile gives the remains I had to leave. “Ready for some experience?”

“What are you doing?” asks Ipy.

“Crabs are meat eaters,” I laugh and start singing. The song echoes the hunger of the crabs already moving towards the exposed flesh, beckoning to other crabs for kilometres around to come feast.

Ipy’s question gets answered before I stop singing, catching the sudden movements of crabs in the surf.

“I didn’t use provoke. Instead, I provided information about the location of food, so it took nearly no effort—their instincts are doing the rest,” I explain. “Everyone be ready in case of any straying this way. They’re not the most intelligent of monsters.”

Tove leaves us to it.

As the crowd of crabs increases, Nanok provokes some to come to the shore to play. Once there, Nanok, Phile, and Androkles deal with them while Ipy and I kill crabs around the Dragon Turtle’s remains.

Teleporting atop the bluff at Sanctuary, I spot the leading edge of the crabs. However, I don’t steal crabs from the group of adventurers already killing some a few kilometres from the village. I stop to mark out the crabs for them before I move on.

Hopping along the shoreline, I repeat the lure of food into the crabs' minds. Each stop sends scores of crabs towards the remains before I rejoin the others. With my song reaching out past the shallows, I gathered crabs still in the depths the turtle had been herding. With hundreds of varying sizes to kill, the morning of baited butchery drags on. When neither Ipy nor I have much Mana to spare, the crabs are still swarming in to feed. Passing an image of the beach location to Aggie and others, True Song delivers us back to Hestia’s Temple.

From what I can see of the cove, it doesn’t look like they’ve had any trouble. Nikias and Myrto aren’t in sight, but after focusing on filtering, I catch their songs off in the Guildhall's direction. Which could put them there for training already, or at Nikias’ folks.

“I levelled two classes from killing crabs today,” sighs Phile. “I need to learn more so I can contribute to fights with magic.”

“There’s no rush, but since we’ll need to train Myrto and Nikias, we can put in some solid time,” offers Ipy.

The hollow feeling of Mana depletion niggles at me, and my stomach growls in protest. “Is it too early for lunch?”

“You’ve got another couple of hours until noon,” offers Ipy.

Drats! I said I’d feed everyone lunch, yet I’ve got a bunch of guests that are still unpredictable.

Phile and Nanok's stomachs add their growls at Ipy’s assessment.

“Shall we go see if the other two want lunch?”

“Are you going to let us in with the delegation present?” asks Nanok.

This could go so very wrong.

“Yep, we’ll use the small dining hall and have an early lunch there. Then I’ll deal with them at noon and afterwards go to Stoneheart to sell the materials,” I say. “Though I’d ask you not to rise to any verbal baiting, even if they deserve it.”

Nanok grinds his jaw hard enough for his teeth to creak. “We’re not good enough?”

“No, that isn’t what I said or meant. It's my residence; I’ll need to handle them,” I correct. “I’ve already had quite enough of their attitudes.”

Nanok opens his mouth to argue only for Ipy to interrupt. “Why don’t we eat at Zosime’s? Do you still have some of that food you tucked away the other day? There were a couple of chicken dishes you made that smelt interesting.”

“I’ve not used any of the extras I made,” I admit with a smile.

“Mum would be relieved,” Phile admits.

Scrying for Nikias, I find him and Myrto practising sword strikes against the training yard’s posts. “Myrto and Nikias are in the Guildhall’s training yard.”

“Technically, I should scold them for using it without a guild member supervising,” digs Nanok. “Since they’re locals, I’ll let it pass.”

“Shall we walk over?”

My question causes Nanok’s brows to lift. “Finally tired of bouncing around?”

“Never!” I retort, and a run of quick, silent notes moves us to the training yard

Caught in mid-step, Nanok huffs in disbelief. “Really?”

Our arrival prompts the two to stop their training, and from their drawn expressions, it's likely for the best. “I thought I’d find you two at the Temple still.”

“Things were quiet in the cove, so after the surge faded, we came over to train,” replies Myrto, motioning to the battered post. “We didn’t want to let anyone down.”

“Unless you’ve picked up regeneration somehow, there's no sense in pushing so hard. Your bodies need time to recover, just like weapons and gear need maintenance.”

“Hadn’t thought about it that way,” mutters Nikias.

”Let’s have an early lunch,” I suggest. With the stress in their tones worse than their expressions, I create a plate of berry-stuffed pastries. “Eat up, you two. I might even let Nanok have some if you do.”

The joke earns a snort from Nanok, and when the pair rack their practice weapons, I ensure they take two pastries each. Handing out one to each of the others, I even get a nod of thanks from Nanok. When I take a hurried bite, I almost spray myself with stewed berries.

“Any sign of what caused them to swarm?” asks Nikias once he inhales his first pastry.

“A Dragon Turtle bigger than the Guildhall,” grunts Nanok in between bites.

“Thea and Tove drove it into the shallows and killed it,” adds Phile.

“Then I used it to bait the crabs. We killed a bunch and then passed on the news to others,” I finish before licking my fingers clean. “That eased my hunger, but I need something substantial.”

“Mana depletion leaves me feeling especially hungry,” admits Ipy.

“I need to clean up, but I won’t have the time with everything else,” I huff. “Raise your hand if you don’t want me to clean you as well.”

Feeling all sand blown and sweaty, a rippling melody cleans me up, and with no one protesting, I shift its focus. The dancing notes waft across the others until everyone looks and smells clean.

“Sand gets in places it shouldn’t,” grumps Nanok.

“I’m learning that; lack of sand is certainly an advantage of pebble beaches,” I say and head for the Guildhall’s side exit.

When we get to Zosime’s house, her warm welcome makes me glad we’d avoided using Sanctuary’s small dining hall. She joins us for an early lunch but leaves us to our conversation afterwards. We’re still planning training sessions post-lunch when the shortening shadows in the courtyard call me to tend to my house guests.

Guests whose presence I wish I could ignore.

When I arrive in the shadow-dappled foyer, the acidic tones of my noble guests arguing blows away the peace of that relaxed lunch.

Striding forward, I spot Sarah relaxing against a tree on the hall’s edge, wearing another nearly-sheer gown. Though this one covers her from neck to ankle, it hugs her figure explicitly. Ellother and an older elven male with matching silver hair are engaged in quiet conversation, with Sarah ignoring the others arguing. I take my cue from them and approach the three of them.

“Good afternoon. It seems many are in bright spirits.”

Ellother starts, but her companion turns to face me, his composed expression belying the amusement in his silver irises. Both his hair and eyes being silver is such an unusual combination for an Andúnë Elf and takes me by surprise. A flustered Ellother waits fruitlessly for him to speak before addressing me.

“Father, allow me to introduce you to Gailneth. Gailneth, this is my father, Calinion Roquentar.”

When he takes my offered hand lightly, he bows and touches his forehead to the back of my hand. I’m not sure I like the gesture of fealty being used, but it's also their custom for acknowledging perceived debts.

“My thanks to you, Gailneth. You’ve twice honoured my daughter and my alliance by allowing us a representative at your discussions. We were most embarrassed, having made assumptions about the evening’s purpose after you had corrected Lord Turcotur.”

“The purpose wasn’t to embarrass anyone, Calinion. I always intended to pick the soberest among you, as I wanted those inclined, through nature or training, towards wary moderation. Whether I succeeded in such has yet to be determined,” I say and let him consider my words before I smile. “Ellother honoured herself in speaking up for your alliance and herself. She had some insightful points in the discussion about the financial impacts of some requests.”

Calinion’s return smile lit his gaze with genuine warmth. “I’m delighted Ellother hadn’t just been humouring me while listening to her father prattle about trade. Your aunt’s job offer to her has provided some interesting Class options, I’m told, though she won’t tell me their names.”

The last, he directed towards Ellother with a teasing smile. Listening to her song doesn’t help because I’ve never previously heard the music of the classes she now possesses. I’ll have to ask Ellother their names.

Sarah’s smile twitches, and her mental voice whispers in my mind. “I offered Ellother a chance to train and be your financial manager. Gideon gave her the fancy offer of Arandurtá—among others—but she’s only taken that Class so far.”

Royal Minister. Gideon, you’re giving the game away.

Pulling a spare starburst amulet from Inventory, I link its song to Ellother’s before presenting her with it. “You should have this, Ellother. It will help with your new role and keep you safe. Sarah or I will explain what it can do later.”

Ellother duplicates her father’s gesture, pressing her forehand to my hand before putting on the amulet.

“I’ll introduce Ellother to Midyåci and Esdras after lunch, and we’ll start tracking Sanctuary’s financials.”

Ellother hesitates only momentarily before curiosity gets the better of her. “Would you show me your Dragon form, Sarah?”

Sarah’s bright smile is enough to have Ellother laughing lightly in relief that Sarah didn’t take offence at her impulsive question.