27. So Close But Yet So Far

Kelpie appeared within minutes of Penelope departing for the research center. She was in a hurry and they ate breakfast in the inn’s dining room for a change. It was fortunate the sorcerer didn’t need Lukas or Elvis’s services until later in the day. The landlady immediately made herself scarce and the usually doting service staff kept their distance from the corner where he sat.

“You made quite an impression last night,” Kelpie commented, taking the seat Penelope had occupied minutes ago. “Eddie can't tell if you have giant balls of Uru or plain ol’ stupid.”

“Why can't it be both?” Lukas asked. Penelope's teacup sat on the table untouched and overturned on the saucer. He placed it in front of the intimidating woman and topped it up with hot tea. If not for decades of working with Lady SIlverspine, he’d be terrified and sweating bullets. “You have ‘little rats’ everywhere, don’t you?”

Kelpie glared at Lukas. It was clear he wasn’t going to get an answer. “I’m not here for pleasantries. How about we just get on with it? Alright?”

 “Oh,” Lukas said, speaking in a drab monotone. “You mean I don’t get to spend more time with you? Pity.”

The deadpan stare seemed to amuse Kelpie. She snorted, flashing a small smile and unraveling a leather wrapping on the table. It was the same dagger from the evening before. Kelpie pushed it toward Lukas.

King Killer
The Uru dagger has killed kings, emperors, and demigods. Many refuse to believe that the weapon exists. The feats it and its wielders have achieved are often impossible to believe.
The dagger is well-made, durable, and strong. It doesn’t carry any magical properties. However, the vestiges of its dozens of past owners continue to live on within the weapon. A skilled diviner or medium might be able to call them forth.

Lukas relayed the information to Kelpie, struggling to hide his confusion. He expected more and didn’t quite understand the bit related to the vestiges. It didn’t seem like the right time or place to ask. “Is that good enough or were you expecting more?”

“Honestly? I was expecting less.” Kelpie wrapped the dagger in leather, tied it tightly, and tucked it away in her coat’s pocket. “You got the name and materials, somewhat proved its authenticity, and identified the existence of the vestiges. We haven’t encountered many appraisers or diviners who can do all of that.”

“I take it that this is enough to prove my competency?” Lukas asked, sipping his tea. Kelpie hadn’t touched hers or spared it a second glance.

“I don’t know about competency. However, your shard ability is suitable for the job. It can take you far if you get over this delving nonsense.” Kelpie paused, staring at Lukas for a moment. “Are you sure you want to take this job? We’re at the point of no return. If we go any further, you’re officially entangled. Edward Grey doesn’t care about your other employers. Cross him. Try to run away with payment and the job incomplete. Talk to the wrong person about it. We’ll hunt you down. Escaping Iskander by land or sea won’t save you. The Grey Rats will hunt you to the ends of Fracture.”

“Did you get the essences?” Lukas asked, letting the threat and warning impotently hank in the air. 

Kelpie placed a fist-sized glass sphere on the table. It contained a chrome core.

Essence of Steel

“Nabbing an Essence of Lightning will be harder work, and Eddie requests you give him a couple of weeks. If we don’t find one in the city, a ship is bound to bring one in soon. If we fail to procure one before the auction, Eddie is willing to find you a substitute or two of greater value or compensate you twice the average price of lightning essence.”

“I suppose that’s understandable. Essence of Lightning might be too rare and valuable for even the Grey Rats to procure.” The statement failed to get a reaction out of Kelpie. “May I?” Lukas asked, reaching for the Essence of Steel. He only picked it up once she nodded. “Heavy, isn’t it?”

The weight of the essence sphere was much of a steel ball of the same size. It sounded metallic when he tapped it. Lukas didn’t know what he wanted to do with the essence, but he knew he wanted it. The pieces available on the market were all lesser versions. He had seen Essence of Rust, Essence of Molten Iron, and Essence of Bone Metal. None came with the same solidity and density as the Essence of Steel.

“This will do to start,” Lukas said. “I’ll expect an update on the Essence of Lightning’s every week.”

“It’s not balls.” Kelpie glared. “You’re just stupid. When the Grey Rats make an agreement, they keep to it. People don’t check up on us.”

“Is there a contract?”

The woman rose from her seat, shaking her head. “We’re not like your sorcerer friend. Contracts are too impersonal. When someone screws us over, we like to look them in the eye while extracting our pound of flesh. That’s after they watch us do the same to their loved ones, of course.”

“You really want to scare me, don’t you?” Lukas chuckled. “Is this your idea of foreplay?”

“You’re lucky Eddie needs you.” Lukas was sure he saw the hint of a smile when Kelpie turned away from him. “Also. I’m sure your brother knows everything about your dealings, but it's in his and your best interests if he doesn’t spy on your meetings. It's creepy and might get him killed.”

She marched out of the inn’s dining room and exited the building. His shoulders relaxed, and the tension from the meeting melted away. Lukas’s heart raced—not the Lukas sitting in the dining room but the one peeking down from the hallway above it. He was careful to stay out of Kelpie’s line of sight. The clones had checked for him and reported that he was perfectly hidden. It meant the woman had superior senses or she was bluffing.

Hours of experimentation had proven that the clones could carry and move the journal. They couldn’t summon it, but using its functions was well within their capabilities. Unfortunately, the soul-binding limited how far the object could move from Lukas. The fact that each clone contained a fragment of his soul didn’t seem to make a difference. He was thankful for the security the distance gave him. However, the dozen and a half feet or so was barely enough. He needed more when dealing with such murder-happy individuals.

Revealing Inspector’s Compendium was a mistake. If I’m lucky, a journal upgrade will allow the clones to use it.

Lukas had told Penelope the same lie. The identification power demanded magic, and he had limited daily uses. It meant she needed to give him advanced warnings before requesting identification work at the research centers or in the undercity. He also wanted the option of sending clones in his stead. If Penelope believed he’d already spent hours in arcane training or scouring the markets, she couldn’t expect him to identify samples or entities in the depths below.

“Long-term deceptions demand preparation and foundation,” a con man on the Realm of Greater Beings had taught him the lesson. The court of Minarv had executed him long after but the lesson persisted. 

After taking a few minutes to finish his tea, El-Two returned upstairs. Lukas dispelled him as soon as the door closed behind him. He didn’t want to rely on a retelling. All the details from the meeting flowed into his mind, every inflection, glance, and movement still fresh. Kelpie seemed to have bought the deception, but Lukas couldn’t be sure. If he had more clones, he would’ve assigned one to tail Kelpie or watch Mister Grey. 

Now, because of his jobs and commitments, he felt trapped. Lukas couldn’t just run with the Essence of Steel in hand. He could always use a couple of clones to stage his death, but then Kat and her father, and possibly Esther would feel the Grey Rats’ wrath. He worried that the clones, and by extension, he was now emotionally entangled and would struggle with the emotional distress afterward. Lukas didn’t yet have a sympathetic figure like Minarv of the Queen of Owls to purge his memories.

After taking a moment to mull things over, he resummoned El-Two, still struggling to figure out how to proceed.

“What’s the plan, boss?” The clone asked.

Lukas dispelled him and resummoned him again. 

“This can’t be good for the magic stores, boss.”

The clone dissolved again, and Lukas made a more conscious effort to draw in all the dispersed magic. Gaining ranks had already increased the ability’s efficiency, but it seemed that the formation and dispelation process consumed approximately a third of the net energy.

“I don’t think this is going to cut it, boss. We need to try something else for that last rank.”

“I know.” Lukas sighed. “But I’m out of ideas. Can you think of anything better?’

“I propose a heist! The tension, the distractions, the—”

“We’re not doing that,” he said, cutting the clone off. “Remind me. How did we grow the old Arcane Clone?”

El-Two shrugged. “If you don’t remember, boss, I don’t either. That’s why I suggested a heist. Our best growth spurts used to come during times of stress and danger when we pushed ourselves the hardest.”

“Things don’t work the same way on Fracture, dumbass.”

“I know what you are, but what am I?”

“Clone of dumbass.” Lukas sighed, falling back on his bed. He stared at the ceiling, wracking his brain for answers. El-Two started blabbering again so he dispelled the clone, focusing harder on ensuring minimal magic dissipated into the environment. 

When no ideas came to Lukas, he summoned El-Two again. He handed the clone five crowns. “Go to the market. Buy a new shield and short spear.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea, El-Prime,” the clone said, forgetting the poor humor for a moment. “We might not—”

“That’s why neither you nor El-Two are going to be carrying any of the good weapons. Go create stressful situations in the undercity. Return to where the journal vibrated and go deeper. See what’s down there. Maybe figure out what ‘interest’ Silverspine has down there. If I can’t think of a way to fix our issue, we’ll need the journal to ascend.”

“You know this is what she wanted, right?” The clone asked. “She expected you to grow impatient on your way to power and turn to serve her again.”

“I know.” Lukas sighed. “The journal has proven invaluable, though. The initial boost to Arcane Clone was also nice. So, if we get desperate, it's a decent fallback option.”

“Intelligence never hurts I suppose.” The clone pocketed the money, donned Lukas’s jacket, and left the room.

Sending out the clone had two purposes. First, they needed mundane weapons which Lukas didn’t mind losing in the undercity. Second, he was sure that Kelpie and Mister Grey had their ratlings watching the inn. He wanted them to get confused and distracted following El-Two. Meanwhile, Lukas donned his coat and a stolen mask before going out through the window.

Instead of descending to street level, Lukas moved Fluid Mass's slider to the lowest point. “Frar,” he whispered without drawing the sword. Magic compressed deep within him and blossomed, ignoring all external supplies. It had taken the clones repeating Esther and Penelope's arcane exercises countless times to achieve the necessary competency. Lukas still had far to go. He leaped to the neighboring roof with a grace born of the clone's tireless efforts.

Traveling along the rooftops had become a regular exercise for the clones ever since Lukas awakened the Heart Pillar. It was an energy-intensive endeavor. The low-mass clones regularly lost balance or missed the mark and fell and suffered enough breaks to warrant dispellment. The more injuries the clone suffered, the less energy Lukas retrieved from them. He then resummoned the clones and had them practice again until they couldn’t anymore.

After mastering safe landings and moving across sloping roofs, he had the clones practice until they could do the same silently while staying low. Now, Lukas reaped the benefits of their torture. Improved balance. Muscle memories. Intimate knowledge of the surrounding rooftops. It all helped him maneuver the neighborhood and swiftly put distance between himself and the inn. Lukas only left the rooftops after encountering a street too wide to cross. Thick tethers connected the buildings, but he lacked the spare clones to master rope-walking.

Lukas spent several minutes weaving through market alleys and side streets, going in loops while ensuring the Grey Rats weren’t following him. Half an hour later, once he was sure that there was no one on his tail, Lukas started toward his destination: the main temple district near the city’s center. 

Colorful murals, grand statues, and intricate carvings decorated the marble buildings. From what Lukas understood, Fracture had countless faiths, cults, and several big religions. It was a world born from fragments of countless others, after all. People from all the different realms had brought their gods with them. In several instances, demigods and deities had followed or extended their influence into the world—like the Silver and Crimson Dragon. Several native gods had also birthed along the way. Lukas hoped to eventually join the category. 

One temple stood out to Lukas. All of its decorations featured owls, and Lukas had learned that, much like on Earth, the bird represented knowledge and wisdom. He hoped it would help him find the answers he desperately wanted. Guards lined the street, ensuring no one stole from donation plates and followers of rival faiths kept their distance from one another. A guard stepped toward Lukas as he approached the stairs. A silver shell was enough to make the man wordlessly turn away. 

Lukas only removed his hood and mask once he was inside the temple. He stood in line like everyone else and waited for his turn, using the time to study his surroundings and listen to everyone around him.

“Tier-two, rank-five,” a well-dressed young woman said, radiating pride. “My father thinks I should just upgrade my first mid-tier ability, but I’d like to check my options first.”

“Your pillars. Your shard. Only what you think best matters.” The man accompanying her was significantly older. Their chemistry appeared professional but not close enough to be party members. He couldn’t see their outfits but guessed they belonged to allied guilds or different branches of the same organization. “I’m stuck between three shards for my pillar ascension.”

“Hoping the diviner will help you with your decision?” A boy barely older than sixteen asked. His clothes appeared new and untouched by battle or the undercity’s sludge. The soft, uncallused hands and delicate features suggested his shard abilities weren’t particularly physical or involved any crafts

Mage, support, or maybe a merchant. He’s a rich kid for sure.

Lukas eavesdropped on several conversations while waiting for his turn, learning a fair bit about shard progression. His lessons with Esther and Penelope had mostly covered magic and they hadn’t discussed the Pillars of Self beyond ascension to second tier and conjunction abilities. Lukas made mental notes.

Two second-tier abilities birth a conjunction ability. Four permutations are possible:

• Shard ability A and Shard ability B

• Shard ability A and Essence B

• Essence A and Shard ability B

• Essence A and Essence B

It seemed the first three combinations created a sub-ability related to one or both shards or in one instance, created a whole new ability together. Lukas couldn’t begin to imagine what the combination of two different essences could birth, but it meant he needed to choose all the more carefully. He also wondered if conjunction abilities with Arcane Clone would produce conjunction abilities that his clones could use. If so, he needed something especially potent and powerful. They needed something potent and tangible not just for improved combat performance but also to prove the ‘Zaun Brothers’ story better.

Everyone seemed to focus subsequent pillar advancements on improving current capabilities instead of adding new ones. It meant their choice of essences narrowed. Many claimed to use the same essence as the one from their first ascension for subsequent tier upgrades. Alternatively, they hunted for closely related or thematically appropriate options. Some essences were significantly more rare than others, after all. Many struggled to acquire duplicates of the ones they used in the past.

It was another instance of money solving most problems. He needed El-One to continue mastering blacksmithing because he foresaw it becoming a vital craft for his future enterprise. If Elvis became a famous blacksmith or what many called an ‘arcane smith,’ they’d be rolling in money. Then Lukas would have contacts to acquire rare essences and shards without relying on the likes of Mister Grey.

“Next, please,” a soft voice called not long after Lukas reached the front of the line. The wait was just over an hour long. It was why he hadn’t visited the temple’s diviners before. They were powerful and reputable. “How may the temple assist you, believer?”

“I’m here for a divination of my Soul Pillar,” Lukas said. “It’s been on the cusp of ascension for some time but is struggling to reach the final threshold. I was hoping for the temple’s insight and guidance.”

The woman smiled softly. She wore a beaked hood that cast a shadow on her eyes and nose, leaving only her soft lips exposed. “Guidance? Yes. We do specialize in that. Are you able to make an appropriate donation for our assistance? Or do you intend to barter it for service to the temple?”

“I’m happy to pay,” Lukas answered.

“Excellent.” The woman nodded. “Please follow me.”