20. The Undercity Hungers

“What is it, Elvis?” Penelope asked as they approached.

“I found another live one,” the clone replied, holding up a rolled parchment. All but the edges were frozen solid and black marked an edge. “He was trying to burn it.”

The parchment’s owner lay trapped under a fallen mushroom. Part of a giant mushroom crap lay across her mid-riff and her right leg pointed the wrong way. She glared defiantly at the sorcerer but, much like the previously downed attacker, went ignored. 

“Well, that confirms it.” Penelope sighed after checking the scroll. It had defrosted as soon as she touched it. “I and my research are not welcome in Iskander.”

“Care to tell us what you’re working on?” El-One asked. “It’s not like we can tell anyone even if we wanted to.”

The sorcerer looked between Lukas and his clone for a moment. Then, her attention shifted to the woman on the floor. Bass seemed to read her intention and leaped from her arms. A paw swipe tore her leather jerkin and shirt below but left the skin untouched. The same spiral of runes sat under her collarbone. A badge similar to Lukas’s sat pinned to her breast. It was crimson and serpent-like.

Lukas’s eyes narrowed. He looked at the clone and nodded. A spear thrust to the throat winked out her already fading light. The tattoo disappeared within a heartbeat. 

“Adventurers delved too deep, well past the undercity, and stirred something,” Penelope said, turning her back on the corpse. “We don’t know what this something is what it can do or what it looks like. Only two things are clear. It’s ancient and powerful.”

“Is it something that’s always been here or made it home when the old city was buried?” Lukas enquired.

“No clue.” Penelope sighed. “Educated guess? It's the latter or there’d be some mention of it or its impact in historical records. All we know is that after centuries of stagnation, the creatures of the lower levels have started to evolve. Arcane signatures are changing. Delvers are dying. 

“The sorcerer’s conclave is worried about this power being misused. There is also the danger of a new blight or plague born of it.” She paused, looking back at the dead body. “Draconic mutations don’t happen often. If there is an ancient dragon sleeping down there or even a corpse we would’ve seen it long ago.”

“Or someone or something awakened it,” Lukas said. “I haven’t shared this detail with many people but the Wyrmkin raid wasn’t just a random attack or supply-gathering mission.” He added and tweaked details to fit with already spoken lies. “I only got the lady’s side of the conversation before the ‘Shamin’ executed her. The cult was looking for some sort of weapon to appease their master. A dragon master. Could this be related?”

“It could.” Penelope nodded. “I wasn’t wary of this little tidbit. Although, Wyrmkin raids are rarely just for food and supplies. They’re more than capable of growing and hunting, and their needs are fewer than ours. So, I had guessed as much, and it’s also part of the reason I hired the pair of you. People experienced with the Wyrmkin and dragon cults are rare. Any and all insight can prove valuable in our investigation.”

 One of SIlverspine’s interests? The fucking clones will bet my right nut on it. 

“Hopefully, I’ll be in good enough form to stand up to the Wyrmkin if and when I encounter them again. The cult probably wants me dead for getting away and warning people about them.”

“There is no shame in a strategic retreat,” Bass stated. The reassurance felt strange coming from him. “You’re weak and squishy. There is no pride in death if you have nothing or no one to protect. Survival takes priority.”

“How far is your shard ability from ascension?” Penelope asked, shooing El-One, gesturing him to continue checking the corpses. He complied, grumbling.

“Not far,” Lukas answered. “The scryer said it's already at rank nine and I have three essences to choose from.”

“And if things go well for the rest of the delve, we might have the materials to fix your shard,” she added. “Do you know what essence you want to use for it?”

Lukas shook his head, taking it out of his hiding place and passing the crystal to the sorcerer. “I have no idea, to be honest. Repulsion. Change. Shadow. One of them will go toward upgrading my Soul Pillar. Another can be used to fix the shard. I have no idea what to pick.”

“I’m not sure what this contains,” Penelope said, holding the shard up to her staff’s light. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever essence we use will combine with the fragments of power that remain and change its nature.” She brought it closer to her face, fingers tracing the cracks as she watched the lava-lamp-like contents. “Fluidity. Amorphous. Flow. Freedom. They’ll probably be the contributing qualities.”

“Sounds like great concepts for a Mind Shard,” Lukas stated. “Water—”

“I wouldn’t race toward awakening the Mind Pillar yet,” she interrupted. “Especially if you want to learn magic. Unless you luck upon something that will grant metamagic, it is more detrimental than advantageous. Most people get far too focused on the shard’s magic and design their education and training around it. The fundamentals fall through the cracks and end up forgotten. Hold out for the right shard or just sit on one until you’re more adept at manipulating arcane forces.”

The sorcerer’s advice directly contradicted what Esther had said. She advised prioritizing the Mind Pillar because it significantly improved one’s magic capacity, senses, and absorption capabilities, accelerating arcane education.

Neither advice sat well with Lukas. They were well-suited for someone young, immature, and not with Arcane Clone in their arsenal. The clones shared his discipline. If Lukas told them to focus on one skill and ignore another, they did just that. Gluttony and lust occasionally interfered with their directives but they almost always got the job done. He didn’t want to rush to fill the pillar, but Lukas refused to sit on it if a shard appeared that was a good fit. 

“Repulsion and shadow essences would be good for the Mind or Heart Pillar,” Penelope continued. She continued speaking as Lukas paused to study another corpse. Another minor guild’s logo sat pinned to his cloak. “Essence of Change for Body and Heart. The final decision is yours, of course. You can do whatever you want.”

“I’m playing it by ear. My Soul ability doesn’t have direct combat or everyday application unlike Elvis’s quick recovery and physical growth. Anything that helps me overcome limitations will work just fine.”

“Maybe you’ll get lucky. Fluid-concept shard. Essence of Change. It might create metamagic.”

Lukas tried broaching the topic of Penelope’s work in Iskander again but she skirted the topic. He didn’t push the matter and moved on. She was starting to trust him and more would come out sooner or later. They spent another ten minutes checking all the fallen attackers before moving on. 

There was only one other survivor and El-One put him down without hesitation. None of the fallen anything worth immediately grabbing besides a few crowns and change. Penelope graciously let the Zaun siblings keep everything. Lukas couldn’t help but wonder about her power levels and wealth to treat shards, essences, and money so casually. She was clearly doing far better for herself than Esther. It was clear the vet wasn’t telling him a lot and had suffered several setbacks in her life.

A narrow tunnel led away from the cavern into the undercity. While the new Iskander sat wider than it was tall, with the truly titanic structures concentrated around the affluent center, the old city seemed uniformly tall throughout. Platforms and bridges crisscrossed overhead. Lukas imagined it was a grand place with streets in the sky, putting Earth’s flyovers to shame. He was sure powerful magic had played a role in its construction. 

The elevator had brought them close to the bottom. Ancient canals crisscrossed below the party and shadowed behemoths lurked between them. Penelope’s attention often drifted to the shadows below, eyes lighting up as she scanned the lurking monsters. Her familiar led the way. Bass had grown to the proportions of an ordinary leopard but retained the lion coloring and wings. His mane was more like a puberty beard if compared to the glory of the full form. While the sorcerer watched below, he scanned ahead and above. Lukas and his clone followed close behind, regularly checking the rear even though their employer said it was unnecessary.

Skitters. Growls. Clatters. The darkness was far from silent. Sound carried far through the narrow alleys, rebounding off the ancient walls and natural barriers surrounding them. The party’s footsteps also carried far, giving away their position, and they were far from alone. It was impossible to tell where most of the other delvers were, but it didn’t seem many ventured had ventured as deep down as them.

Lukas heard the loud clashing of weapons. It was far closer than all other sounds. He followed Bass’s eyes. It was just above and ahead of them. The familiar said nothing but seemed to have communicated with his bonded companion wordlessly.

“We’re taking a left ahead,” Penelope announced. Even though their position was far from secret, she kept her volume low. They had agreed to not make too much noise. She and Bass had enough power between them to deal with most threats but that didn’t mean they wanted to broadcast their presence to predators, ambush hunters, and malicious delvers. Resources were best conserved.

“Is there something in specific that we’re looking for?” Elvis asked, using the three-stage spear as a walking stick. “Luke has good eyes, you know.”

“A first-tier shard ability?” Bass sounded amused. “Your posters. Extra bodies. Carry things. Keep shut. That’s your job unless we say otherwise.”

“Be nice, Bass.” Penelope’s reprimand was soft and gentle as if she were talking to a child. “You’d need dark sight or keen arcane senses to find what we’re after, specifically, signs of draconic mutations, draconic influence, or signs of any cults that worship them. The first stage of the investigation is figuring out the nature of what we’re dealing with and its source. Then, we can study it and decide how to deal with it.”

Lukas couldn’t help but wonder whether his arrival on Fracture had triggered something. He wasn’t so self-important to think he specifically was the cause but wondered about the magic that had brought him to the world or the journal’s presence. Either could’ve caused the other dragons or Greater Beings to extend their reach and attempt to deter Lady Silverspine. Lukas didn’t quite understand what entities like her got out of interfering in other worlds, especially Fracture—or if he did, the transmigration had robbed him of such knowledge. He guessed pride and giving rivals the finger played a significant role.

Cross dimensional barriers. Start all over again in a new body and I’m still a bloody pawn in her fucking game.

His eyes drifted to the clone whose attention drifted between watching their rear and Penelope’s shapely bottom. Lukas often missed being as carefree as the clones. They thought about needless things far less and seemed happier. A large part of giving up everything and coming to Fracture was about learning to be happy again. He used to have a lot of fun in the Realm of Great Beings.

Once Lukas got past the infinite deaths and all the pain, there was immense entertainment in the clone’s memories. He also had the benefits of telepathy and often indirectly lived through them in real-time. Lukas enjoyed the finest food and drink, and the company of countless partners. He accrued immense riches and his mountain home had grown into a museum filled with eclectic collections. Then, when the thrill passed, only emptiness remained. Lukas wasn’t happy.

Freedom also had its joy but Lukas hadn’t yet found the missing something that left him feeling so empty. Material wealth and power wasn’t going to do it, but he wanted them anyway. It was a lesson he had learned after the first two decades of his previous life. Money didn’t buy happiness. That much was true. What most didn’t realize was that those with material wealth had the luxury of time—time to explore life and the world, and time to figure out what made them happy. Freedom, power, and time together would hopefully allow him to figure out what it was he wanted and needed.

Following several twists, turns, and upward and downward inclines, Penelope paused before a flight of crumbling damp stairs. Drips from waterways above had eroded giant sections. Neither Bass nor Penelope descended straightaway. The pair stared at the bioluminescent fungus-lit, water-logged area below. Debris blocked their view of whatever lay beyond.

“Do you feel that, Lukas?” Penelope asked.

It was no different from the rest of the undercity. The party had passed through pockets of dense magic during their exploration. What he sensed now was no different. Lukas hesitated for a moment walking onward, stopping only once he was shoulder to shoulder with the sorcerer.

The journal vibrated. Magic in the air grew denser.

A shiver ran down Lukas’s spine. Even though the temperature hadn’t changed, sweat soaked the back of his shirt. He tried to take another step forward but his knees wobbled and he almost grabbed Penelope for stability. Transmigration had stolen almost all of his knowledge but the familiar sensation remained fresh in his mind. Lukas had experienced it several times below. It was fear. Primal fear. Lady Silverspine triggered it. 

“I feel it,” Lukas whispered, struggling to find his voice.

“Good.” Penelope nodded. “Burn this sensation into your mind. Draconic magic sparks dread in all who are magically sensitive.” She took a step forward, head high, and shoulders squared. Lukas couldn’t tell whether it was confidence or defiance in the face of danger. “My master used to say that dragons were the first sorcerers and gave us mortals magic. They also drilled an eternal fear into us as a reminder—what’s given can also be taken away.” She grinned, looking at Lukas. “The Great Dragons can’t exist on Fracture without a working vessel. So, we needn’t worry about that.”

“Is this a field trip or a delve, Penny?” Bass asked, licking his lips. The hair on his back stood on end. The familiar’s back had stiffened and his hair stood on end. 

“Right.” Penelope spun on her heel, looking between Lukas and ‘Elvis.’ “The pair of you are staying here, and not moving unless we call for you.”

“Lukey and I can take care of ourselves,” Elvis said. “You don’t need to worry about us.” He rested the short spear on his shoulder and flexed a muscle. Lukas almost groaned when the clone winked at their employer. “I can pull my own weight, I assure you.”

For the first time since they had met, El-One’s antics seemed to amuse Penelope. She flashed the minutest of smiles. It only lasted half an eyeblink. “I don’t doubt it. You’re not staying here because it's too dangerous down there.”

“There is a reason tier-one’s never descend past the upper levels,” Bass added. “The slightest of breaths can kill the likes of you.”

“Right.” Penelope tapped her staff on the ground twice. Luminous lines spread from the point of impact. They took sharp turns and runes appeared in the spaces between them. “This is more to protect our escape route if things go awry below. I need you to protect and watch the magic circle. It should weaken anything that comes close. Maybe just enough for you to get a good poke in and scare them away.”

It didn’t sound like placation or patronization. The sorcerer’s request sounded genuine. Lukas nodded, drawing his sword. 

“Skina,” he said out loud, focusing on the techniques Esther had taught him and clones had endlessly practiced since. Instead of the blade lighting up like it was supposed to with the basic enchantment, a fist-sized ball of light materialized floating just above the tip. Lukas poked it and the sphere floated upward, slowing the further it moved from him. The hint of surprise in Penelope’s eyes gave him some satisfaction. “We got this.”

“Show off,” Elvis whispered as sorcerer and familiar turned away, slowly descending the damaged stairway.