The Newt and Demon-7.66 - Marshling Bites

Normally, Theo wouldn’t mind occupying the same space as Salire while doing his alchemy work. But with a new apprentice in the mix, he wanted to ensure she had a good time on her first day. Especially with how shy she seemed. Most half-ogres didn’t have confidence problems, and elves were typically as arrogant as could be, but the woman seemed to have a hard time with her move from the destroyed nation of Veosta, so he wouldn’t push it.

Instead, I’ll just find something else to do, Theo thought, heading out into the streets of Broken Tusk.

The temperature wasn’t bad today, and the vibe throughout the city was one of lively activity. Theo worked his way through the center of Broken Tusk, ambling past the market stalls and inspecting the ships under construction in the harbor. He remembered a time when Khahar had helped with the construction of the harbor, and looked upon the arena far in the distance.

The alchemist wasn’t certain how hard Ziz and his gang had worked on it, but it looked done. Theo went into his administration interface, checking on the progress of the project. Although there had been no update, he was certain the project was completed. WIth nothing better to do for now, he left the harbor, following the path toward Qavell that eventually split onto the causeway. This gave him a chance to inspect the quality of his work while snooping around to check the arena.

Although the initial excitement for the causeway had faded, people still walked its length as a leisure activity. As Theo made his way across, he was reminded of the way the spirits in Tero’gal had responded when first arriving. Leisure time like this was important, and the alchemist had to ensure he remembered that. Instead of rushing straight to the arena, he appreciated it from afar. The way it was set on the chain of islands was beautiful in its own way. Ziz had created a marvel that seemed to dance over the waves at a distance.

When he finally made his way to the artificial section of the small islands, Theo mingled around the area for a while. People had taken his idea of creating a small town on the islands seriously. He spotted several food stalls, vendors selling seashells, and other pop-up businesses that sprung from nowhere. That was concerning, especially considering the area wasn’t done. The alchemist would need to work on breaks for the waves, and other measures to ensure the entire area wasn’t wiped out to sea with one rogue wave.

When he was done lingering around the area, Theo made his way to the arena grounds. They were massive, with seating enough for just about everyone in the alliance. When he stood at the base of the structure, looking up to the flared walls, he got dizzy by the height. He must’ve been standing there long enough to look like a lost lamb, because a familiar voice eventually came booming.

“Thought that was you!” Ziz shouted, jogging over. He doubled over, catching his breath before continuing. “Come to inspect the good work?”

“Exactly,” Theo said, still dazzled by the height of the area. “How the hell do you guys work so quickly?”

“Already told ya. Lots of Stamina Potions.”

“So, drugs,” Theo said, nodding along. “Wanna give me a tour?”

“Of course!” Ziz shouted, slapping Theo hard enough on the shoulder to send him pitching forward.

Ziz then led the way, following a path that wrapped around the area. He explained all the areas and what they were meant for. The largest concern he has was for traffic. Coming into or getting out of the arena was an act designed to be easy. He had created the exterior to have many entrances, which would bring those attending to their respective seats. That meant the entire exterior of the arena was dedicated to moving people.

“You might need to widen the causeway,” Ziz said, nodding back toward the mainland. “But we can also do crowd control on the far side. We’ve got plenty of time before the games.”

Theo followed Ziz inside of the concourses. It seemed like a maze at first, until he realized the simplicity of the system. One only needed to follow the signs painted on the walls to reach their destination. The halls were wide, and the stone below foot was textured to provide even footing. They ascended several switchback staircases, finding themselves on the highest stand in one of many private boxes.

“This one is yours,” Ziz said, coming to the front of the room, and gesturing out to the arena below.

Theo felt a pulling sensation at his navel as he looked over the edge. The wind whipped from the open ocean beyond the area, howling over the top and stinging his eyes. “The arena is as big as Broken Tusk was when I first got here.”

“Maybe bigger,” Ziz said with a shrug. “Right now, we have the ‘stage’ setup for the arena.”

“What’s that?” Theo asked.

“Just a standard wooden floor. But we can swap the floor out for whatever we need. We built the arena on a platform, so there’s room underneath for people to work. And since we’re right on the bay, we have a bunch of artifice pumps to remove any excess water.” Ziz paused for a moment as though consulting a mental checklist. “We can also pump water in, filling the ‘stage’ with a good amount of water. Deep enough for the Cork to bob in.”

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Theo tore his eyes from the stage below, offering Ziz only a flat look. “The ocean is right out there. What’s the point of flooding the arena?”

“Because the ocean doesn’t have stadium seating,” Ziz said, shaking his head. “On that thought, we’ll need to get a good amount of services ready outside the arena. Alise is working with me to design a small city out there, just to ensure everyone has what they need.”

“Bathrooms, food, lodging…” Theo trailed off. “I guess people can stay back on the mainland, huh?”

“Right. Toilets and food, that’s just about all we’re concerned with. And she’s planning emergency measures in case anything falls through.”

“What would I do without her?” Theo asked.

“Probably die,” Ziz said with a shrug. “Anyway, I’ve got half my team working on houses back on the mainland, and the other half is here. I’ll move them around as I need them, but I think we’re well ahead of schedule.”

Theo was aware they had a schedule, but it shifted daily. Which meant there was no schedule, so why bother checking it?

“On the west and south side of the island I have some concerns,” Theo said. “If we don’t break the waves before they hit, I’m worried about flooding.”

“Already working on that,” Ziz said, waving the question away. “We’ve got some seawalls and breaks coming in, but my boys are short on stone.”

“And we’re sorting that problem out?” Theo asked.

Ziz looked around, squinting as the wind whipped him in the face. “Well, that’s where you come in…”

Theo had other plans for the day, but Ziz led him back to town and onto the tram. Less than an hour later, they were walking over the bridge leading north out of Gronro-Dir. The area had completely changed compared to when the undead were a problem. Of course the stonemason was a hound for stone. Before long they were standing over a chasm, looking down at an angry sea below. Nestled in the wall of that cliff was a face of decent-quality stone. It wasn’t the perfect-quality marble they normally harvested from Broken Tusk, but Ziz claimed it would do. fгeewebnovёl.com

“Can ya get it?” Ziz asked, peering over the edge. A gust almost pushed him over the edge, forcing him to hit the ground before pitching over the edge.

With his Earth Sorcerer’s Core slotted, Theo reached out. Joining with his first core, his Shadow Core added to the effort. Although he tried to act tough, removing the entire section at once, he couldn’t. Instead, he cut it into sections and lifted it through great effort. Each time he placed a slab on the ground, the earth shook. Ziz revealed how little he enjoyed heights, eventually finding a safe place to hang out while the alchemist did his work.

“Decent quality,” Ziz said, crawling over to inspect the stone. “I think we can work with this.”

Theo then watched as Ziz sucked in the massive slabs. As they were all twenty-by-ten feet with a thickness of a few feet, the alchemist watched with his mouth hanging open. “How does that fit in your inventory?”

Ziz laughed, sucking another slab into his inventory. “Just gotta take the right skills!”

Apparently, today was Theo’s day to pal around with Ziz. They hit a few more deposits of stone, all of which the stonemason was happy with. When they were done, it was the alchemist’s turn to invite Ziz to do something interesting. After dropping the slabs off at the quarry, they made their way back to the arena. He had sent Tresk on a secret mission…

“I’ve got this fancy upgrade for the city,” Theo said, double-checking his interface to ensure he had bought the area the arena occupied. “Been a while since I used Dynamic Incorporation, and… Well, this isn’t gonna be pretty.”

Standing at the base of the arena, Theo felt what Tresk was doing more than he saw it. The many bites she received would be worth it. With a pop, she appeared nearby, wrapped in a hateful embrace by a furious marshling mother.

“I’ll kill you!” Sledge shouted, biting Tresk on the face.

“I need you for like five seconds,” Theo said.

“I need you to die!” Sledge roared, punching and kicking Tresk with everything she had.

Theo had kinda planned for this. He focused on his Tero’gal Mage’s Core, pulling in the pieces of the Hopeless spell together. He kneaded it into something different, though. Focusing the energies of his spell on Sledge, he allowed it to fulminate. Ribbons of magical energy wrapped around the angry marshling. A moment later, her face softened and a system message appeared.

[Target Pacified]

Your spell [Pacify] has taken hold. The target’s mind has been temporarily calmed.

Sledge went slack, falling from Tresk with a hooded gaze. “Hey guys, what’s going on?” she asked.

“There’s something morally wrong about this,” Ziz said with a grimace.

“I’ve got someone watching her babies,” Tresk said, waving his concerns away. “She seriously needed a break, anyway.”

“I just need your help for a second,” Theo said, pointing at the arena. “Can you use your Fabricator’s Core to incorporate this building?”

“This one?” Sledge asked, dragging her gaze to the arena. It seemed as though she’d fall asleep at any moment. “That’s a big boy.”

Theo smiled, patting her on the shoulder. He tried not to laugh when Tresk chugged a Healing Potion, removing the many wounds inflicted by the angry mother. His will joined with the confused marshling, bolstering her enough to incorporate the entire structure. It wasn’t easy, but she focused her mind long enough to make it happen.

The ground beneath their feet rumbled as magical energy spread across the structure. It started at the ground itself, radiating out like a tidal wave. Theo shielded his eyes from the light, wincing back as the system did its work. Sledge had her hands held out the entire time, clearly in a state of extreme focus. When it was finally done, Theo ignored the message that appeared and turned his attention to Sledge. But Tresk had already scooped her up.

“Gotta get this mama back,” Tresk said, taking a deep breath. “Marshlings get their teeth very early. Good thing I’ve got a few hundred Healing Potions…”

Theo watched as Tresk drew on his authority to pass through the void, abusing it to travel back to Mudball Fundamental. Only when the alchemist was sure Sledge was safe did he turn his attention to the arena.

“Okay. Let’s see what kind of upgrades we can get for this thing,” Theo said, rubbing his hands together.