[TWS] Chapter 280 – Toys for Us

“I think we should clean up the mess we created and escape before Althea finds us.” Asterios chuckled lightly while brushing through Bryn’s hair.

They sat together at the bottom of the tree which had stopped their earlier adventurous skydiving. Bryn snuggled into Asterios while seated in his lap and resting her head on his chest. They stared into the artificial stars together.

“It’s alright. This place is filled with magical arrays that keep it pristine. Everything will return to its saved state before dawn,” Bryn replied with a pleased sigh. “And as I said, Althea is most likely sleeping in her cottage right now.”

“That depends on how light of a sleeper she actually is.” He smirked. “I was able to mute the bower’s close vicinity, but everything above is a different case.”

A deep blush blossomed on Bryn’s cheeks as a small smile snuck onto her lips too.

“Just one more minute, then…” she whispered, hugging him closer.

Asterios obliged and roamed his other hand over Bryn’s magnificent skin with tender affection. The temperature around them felt pretty much perfect. Somehow, the light breeze that usually rolled through the woods had gone completely silent, not bothering their naked, sensitive bodies either. He wondered if that was just luck or a certain someone’s influence.

Soon, Bryn finally recollected herself enough to stand up alongside Asterios. A crimson portal arose from the ground next to them and they stepped through it while holding hands. Already expecting it, they arrived in the bathing chamber of Selene’s mansion. A few of the other girls were lounging in one of the pools while chatting happily. Their host stood next to the portal with a ladylike smile, in full nude too, of course.

The three of them joined Miria and Grea right away and washed up while the duo grilled the winged lady about the details of her date with Asterios even though they clearly knew everything. Still, that didn’t stop them from discussing their entertaining trips and sharing ideas about other places they could visit in bigger numbers. Grea pondered for a long time how to trick the fountain into giving them directions as a group.

Done with their cleaning, they returned to the Garden of Sinners together and regrouped with the rest of the team. It turned out that Fievedem was still present so they used her knowledge to find a good inn for the night. She brought them to the best possible establishment with a magnificent view of the city from the room’s balcony. They parted ways soon after and Ast’s group crashed on the bed after the energetic and eventful day.

In the morning, Asterios opened his eyes to an unusual but familiar feeling and found two people debating over who got to wake him with a special service. The culprits were none other than Tina and Silvia, recognizable by their voices and the sounds they made under the covers. Catching them red-handed, or perhaps red-mouthed, he mediated the issue and they ended up working together instead.

Soon after, the others strolled into the room with trays in their hands, explaining that they were in a mood for breakfast in bed. Grea joked that some of them clearly already had their fill but was quickly pacified by the blue-haired Summoner girl. They hastily disrobed and everyone shared an enjoyable meal together while bundled up, talking about the upcoming day and their plans.

Leaving the inn, they found Fievedem waiting for them in front of the entrance.

“Good morning. I hope you slept well.” The elf woman greeted them with a kind smile.

“And I hope you haven’t been waiting here for too long.” Asterios nodded at her. “Is there anything you have to share with us or...?”

“As your guide, it’s natural that I shall make myself available to you at any time.” Fievedem curtsied. “But, it is true that I do have a piece of news for you. The queen will welcome you to discuss the matters of the previous day with her at any time. She requested that we bring your Spellsong friends along the way. But, there’s no rush. You can take your time around the city if you would like.”

“I don’t think there’s reason to delay things unnecessarily if the queen is ready for the meeting,” Tina commented. “I’m sure Bryn would like to check on Althea as soon as possible anyway, right?”

The Valkyrie sent her a warm smile before glancing at Asterios. “I’m certainly not the only one.”

“I remember you mentioning an invitation from Imadil and Cynthia yesterday. We could drop by their residence, have a little tour, perhaps talk a bit, and then head to the palace together. If they aren’t busy right now.” Asterios turned to their guide.

“There’s only one way to check.” Fievedem nodded. “Though, they did emphasize that you were welcome anytime. I’ll lead the way, then.”

Everyone agreed with that plan and they followed the elf lady through the city. Since they weren’t pressured by time, they were led around the streets rather than straight to their destination. Fievedem definitely enjoyed bringing them to the tourist spots and intriguing points of interest riddling their path to their important elf friends. Of course, Asterios and the girls soaked the knowledge and trivia like dry sponges. The elven capital was still as fascinating to them as it had been twenty-four hours ago.

No surprise, they headed towards the inner ring of the artistic, breathtaking settlement. But, rather than look around for any mansions belonging to respected families, they were brought back to the palace. It confused them at first, but Fievedem then explained that there was more to the city than just its surface. Like all flowers, trees, and plants in general, it also had its roots in the ground.

The area around the palace housed four entrances into the capital’s underbelly. Fievedem explained that the other two sections had their own descents too, but each circle was separate. Since they were aiming for the residence of quite recognized people, it was obvious that they would need to look underneath the heart of the capital.

Miria couldn’t stop bouncing from excitement at the thought of discovering even more about the already incredible town. They traversed a tunnel decorated with white wood from all sides for about ten minutes before reaching an empty archway. After going through it, their chins hit the floor.

Suddenly, they found themselves inside an underground space of unbelievable size, walking out of the earthen wall right at the very bottom and edge of it. The ceiling was about five stories high and the scenery in front of them seemed to run to the sides forever. It was quite possible that the rectangular cavern covered the same area as the capital on the surface. And just like the top side, the bottom was filled with streets and buildings too, bustling with people.

Besides the buildings and other structures which were made of wood, the walls and the ceiling had been left untouched and displayed open earth and mud. The entire place was decorated with glowing vines, crystals, bulbs, and unusual, massive flora hanging off the ceiling. Everything was somehow overgrown and had a natural design as if the architecture relied on things growing up into shape rather than being artificially constructed. An aura of overgrowth permeated the underground air.

Fievedem allowed everyone to take in the sights for a while, standing next to Ast’s group with a wide smile. It was pretty clear that their reactions weren’t anything new to the elf. Anyone unfamiliar with the capital must be equally surprised and awed to learn about the other side of the mirror. Especially the foreigners, as rarely as they come.

When their ability to speak and move returned, their guide led them through the charming, earthen streets. Soon, they reached one of the edges of the unbelievable cavern and walked into a spacious tunnel burrowing into the muddy wall. After a few seemingly random twists and turns, they strolled into a much smaller chamber. It was still big enough to fit an entire mansion inside.

But, rather than a mansion, they stopped in front of what looked like an ancient, grey tree stump the size of one. It was covered with blue moss here and there, glowing mysteriously, but the most interesting thing was the fact that there seemed to be doors and windows carved in its bark, and even a small porch at the front. They clearly stood before a tree-turned-house. Or whatever was left of it.

“What’s this?” Miria asked, unable to hold back her curiosity anymore.

“Where your friends reside.” Fievedem smiled at her. “And also where they work. It’s as much their residence as it’s their workshop. A true Spellsong forge.”

“I guess it shouldn’t surprise me after seeing the root-like hallways of the palace, but it still does,” Silvia said in awe.

“Brings a new meaning to a tree house.” Grea snickered.

Asterios smiled wryly while shaking his head and they all walked to the front door. Tina noticed a small bell on the side and Miria beat everyone to it, pulling the thin, metal string. The bell swayed and a high note rang a few times. Even though it wasn’t exactly loud, they all felt like it would definitely be heard no matter the situation on the other side.

No longer than fifteen seconds later, the door was pulled open and the figure of Cynthia greeted them with a warm expression.

“I hope we aren’t interrupting anything.” Asterios smiled softly.

“Honestly, there would be no way not to interrupt something while we are here.” She chuckled lightly. “It’s been a moment since the last time we had the pleasure to work with all our old equipment so Father and I are kind of on a roll. I have almost forgotten how much fun this was, even considering all the issues related to this line of work.”

“Should we come at a different time?” Miria tilted her head as her ears laid down a bit.

“Oh, no, no, no! Come in!” Cynthia waved her hands. “We will be happy to show you around. And we do need to show up in the palace later anyway, as you might already know.”

She held the thick, round door resembling the bottom of a barrel for them and everyone stepped inside. There was no division of rooms and chambers in the stump. Only one, large space spanned from one side to another. Still, specific segments like the kitchen, lounge, bedrooms, and such were clearly recognizable by the walls. Only the bathroom looked to be hidden, for obvious reasons.

The rest of the space was full of appliances and equipment one could find in most forges and metallurgic workshops. Fireplaces, kilns, counters, benches, and plenty of other utility elements, constructs, and instruments were grouped around. Those related to woodworking, leatherworking, and other occupations also seemed to be among them.

But, while a lot of equipment felt familiar, there were also plenty of things that looked almost completely alien to most of Ast’s group. Some resembled smithing ovens but the purple, blue, and gray shades glimmering inside them, partially coming from flames of the same colors, gave them an almost mystical vibe. Lots of different contraptions were hard or impossible to describe accurately.

“Welcome to a Spellsong workshop.” Cynthia gestured at the space with her arm. “I would advise you not to touch anything, for your own safety. There are plenty of magical things around here that might do more than just give you a slight burn.”

“Is it alright for us to even see?” Asterios asked with a raised brow.

“Well, we have your secret, you can have ours. I don’t think they are of equal value, though, but most likely nothing we can offer you as a token of trust will be sufficient.” She shrugged. “As for Fievedem, the queen already bound her with the highest oath about it. So, no need to dance around the topic.”

“It’s an honor.” The person in question bowed low.

Cynthia waved at her dismissively and guided them through the incredible workshop. They soon spotted Imadil hunched over one of the wooden counters, working on some piece of wood with a chisel. He heard their approach and turned around.

“Welcome. As you can imagine, this is where most of the magic happens. I assume my daughter warned you about touching already?” The man showed a faint smirk on his calm face.

Miria giggled and nodded in response. It definitely wasn’t an easy rule to follow.

“This place is insane…” Grea whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

The demon lady’s Third Eye was wide open and kept jumping from place to place. Her expression turned increasingly more impressed, awed, shocked, and disbelieving as she inspected the devices, constructs, and contraptions. Asterios felt like Imadil’s forge was overwhelming enough to save them from her inappropriate jokes for quite a while.

“Yeah. I can feel all these spiritual arrays, formations, hubs, and circles without even reaching for my special vision. The air here is so thick it’s like we are walking underwater.” Asterios nodded. “It’s almost scary to think what kind of artifacts and weapons might have been created here. Spellslingers feel like the bottom of the barrel.”

Cynthia chuckled softly. “You have a good nose. Or eyes. But, there’s also plenty of common gear that goes through that door. At least as common as the equipment of the strongest royal guards, sentinels, sentries, and other agents can get.”

“Damn. What would I not give to get my hands on that common trash.” Grea shook her head with a wry smile. “As they say, one man’s trash, another’s treasure.”

“Well, that’s part of the reason why you are here.” Imadil crossed his arms over his chest with a faint smile.

“What?” Grea’s eyes widened to the brim as her gaze jumped between him and Asterios.

“You don’t think we would have invited you guys here just to boast about our past workplace, do you?” Cynthia smirked at them, moving to stand next to her father, both of them leaning back on the counter.

Asterios and the other girls shared surprised and confused glances.

“No way…” Miria suddenly shivered from excitement. “Are you going to make us some things?!”

Her eyes practically shone as she pushed herself into Ast’s side to keep her jittering and bouncing in check. He could almost feel the vibrations seeping into his arm. It might have been Grea who fangirled over things like these, but even Miria could understand how much of a big deal anything made by the talented pair in front of them would be. There was no doubt that she viewed their creations as equal to some legendary or mythical gear that might have appeared in the stories she had loved so much.

“But, why?” Ast’s brows furrowed more. “You already gave us two of your creations. That’s a lot of support by now.”

“True. But, none of those things were made here.” Imadil ran his eyes over his workshop. “There’s only so much we can do with conventional tools and whatever little we are allowed to carry out of here. As you can imagine, a lot of what you can see is quite a big national secret and remains locked in place.”

“And, it has been quite a while since you got your Poison Fang and Spellslinger. You are nowhere close to the man you were back then. In a good way. A lot has changed, and I don’t only mean your pure spiritual power which definitely is capable of frying all the circuits in that little thing I made for you now,” Cynthia added.

“You grew up. It’s time to get some new toys.” Imadil let out a quiet chuckle. “All of you, in case that wasn’t clear.”

“Oh, fuck…” Grea’s knees trembled and she copied Miria, keeping herself on her feet by holding onto Asterios.

“There is no way we have the funds…” Tina murmured in disbelief.

“You don’t need any.” Cynthia winked at her. “A little butterfly told us that we’ll be closely working together on a fun project very soon. You could use some upgrades to help you out with whatever challenges you will face.”

Asterios was sure they meant the poison cult. He didn’t know how much the queen had already shared with the father and daughter duo, but they would certainly be brought up to speed during the meeting in the palace.

“Plus, it’s kind of hard not to get in the mood.” Imadil shrugged. “There’s all this equipment here just begging to be used but it’s not like we are back in service and will receive any new orders. It would be a huge waste not to make use of it. We aren’t exactly staying. This is more of a vacation break to visit home before returning to our new business in Glimmervale.”

“Master…” Miria whined adorably, tugging on Ast’s clothes. “Are you going to say yes?”

He chuckled at her upturned gaze and puppy eyes, moving his hand to stroke her cute ears.

“I don’t think we have a reason to decline their goodwill.” Asterios smiled warmly at her overjoyed expression and turned to the elves. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

“For you, definitely a new weapon.” Cynthia stroked her chin while nodding to herself. “The toothpick you keep on your right forearm is nowhere enough now that you have all that draconic might to work with. You sometimes use that ominous blade, but we could whip up something more personalized. And certainly bigger. A greatsword at least.”

“We might be able to reforge that artifact sword of yours in here and make it a bit more aligned with your vulpine friend.” Imadil nodded at Selene. “The crossbow you last showed to us could get some twists and tweaks too. It feels durable enough to bear a few nice enchantments. Currently, the bolts don’t do much. They should at least be capable of blasting off a Dragon’s head after we are done with it.”

Grea basically climaxed on Ast’s arm as an extremely inappropriate moan escaped her lips. Any more talk about her precious baby and she would be leaving a trail behind them.

“As for the rest, we need some more time to think about it. We more or less know how you handle yourselves on the battlefield but it’s not as simple for everyone. Tina, for example, will most likely be the toughest nut to crack,” Cynthia added with a sigh and then grinned. “But, that’s a challenge, and we love a good challenge. It keeps you from getting rusty.”

“There’s just one small issue that holds all of that back.” Her father scratched his head.

“What’s wrong?” Tina asked as all gazes focused on the man.

“Obviously, we don’t want to half-ass it, so it would be smart to use the best possible ores and materials.” Cynthia tapped her cheek. “Unfortunately, we aren’t exactly in possession of anything good enough, only a bit of decent stuff.”

“I have a feeling that what you call decent here is considered a mythical treasure anywhere else.” Asterios smiled wryly.

She snorted softly. “We aren't even sure what exactly to actually go with in the first place. Figuring that out and then acquiring enough of it might turn out to be quite a hassle if even possible.”

They all fell silent while everyone pondered over the problem. Asterios noticed Miria letting go of his arm and watched her think about something as her palms grazed the pommels of her shortswords. Finally, she seemed to have come to a decision and slowly pulled them out. The others watched as she brought the blades up in front.

“What about these?” she asked the elf duo.

“Yes, we should be able to give them some nice treatment too, of course.” Imadil nodded.

She shook her head. “No. What about the material? You said that it felt special the last time, right? Would it be good?”

Both Imadil and Cynthia stared at the weapons while furrowing their brows. They might be recalling whatever they had managed to gather about the meteoric steel making up Miria’s blades.

“It is special enough that it’s hard to tell after it has been processed… But that’s usually a very good sign…” the man muttered to himself.

“There aren’t many materials that can escape our scrying abilities… It might be something big…” his daughter whispered too.

“No matter what, it won’t be of much help even if we melt it. There’s too little of it, and it won’t have the same effect as working on the raw resource.” Imadil sighed.

“What if we could get more?” Selene asked, finally catching on to Miria’s thoughts.

“Are you talking about the landing zone in your realm?” Asterios raised a brow at her.

“Yes.” Miria nodded enthusiastically. “The legends and rumors say that there is nothing more to find there, but maybe something was missed? There’s a chance, right?”

“We did talk about getting to see it one day.” Selene chuckled lightly. “Our recent adventure that meant to hit two birds with one stone ended up quite successful while we also weren’t sure if one part of it even existed in the first place.”

They both glanced at Asterios with expectant gazes. He pondered over it for a moment and shrugged.

“If we will have time to make the trip, I don’t see why not. That depends on our upcoming talk with the queen,” he shared his thoughts. “Shall we go and see where things stand, then?”