*Date: 33,480 Third Quarter — Chalice Theocracy*
"Now what?" Fox asked.
They stood outside the academy walls, the massive stone structure looming behind them like a tombstone. The artificial sun of Aethyros was beginning its descent, painting the sky in shades of amber and violet.
Aris was scratching his head, staring at the road that led into the city. "You give millions of advice every day. You tell me."
"You really have no idea?"
Aris showed him the book, its leather cover worn and stained. "The writer of this book contacted me in the dungeon."
Fox's ears shot up. "What?"
"Come. Let's find a place to stay. I'll tell you all about it."
---
The duo entered the city of Chalice's capital. Their legs automatically carried them toward the inn where they had first stayed, all those months ago when Aris had arrived with Lyra. The streets were busier now, merchants and travelers flooding in after the High Priestess had loosened some of her restrictions. But the tension remained. Guards patrolled every corner, and players kept their heads down.
On the way to the inn, Aris was in complete disarray. Part of him felt relief at escaping that wretched school. But he was still stuck in this world. And worst of all, his mentor Lyra was trapped there without any memory of who she truly was.
When they reached the inn, Aris paid with his last coins for a bed and a bowl of soup.
The innkeeper, a portly human man with a kind face and flour-dusted apron, squinted at him. "I remember you, kid. The one with the fox. You came with your mother, right?"
"Correct." Aris was already eating his soup with a giant hunk of bread, too hungry to care about manners.
"I thought you entered the academy."
Aris looked up briefly. "I did. And now I quit."
"Quit?" The innkeeper's eyebrows climbed toward his hairline. "I've never heard of anyone quitting."
"Yeah. Well. I did."
The innkeeper's expression softened. "I know many parents came to collect their children's bodies, though."
Aris set down his spoon. "That's why I quit. It was getting too dangerous."
The innkeeper nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Another soup?"
"I don't have any money left."
"This one's on me." He rushed to the kitchen and returned with another steaming bowl and a plate of chicken bones. "This one's for the fox."
Fox looked at the bones, then at the innkeeper, then back at the bones. Without a word, he began eating.
---
After their meal, Aris and Fox went up to their room. It was the cheapest option available, a cramped space with a single bed and a window that let in cold wind through a crack in the frame. But Aris had no intention of complaining. He had no money for anything better.
"Are you going to tell me the plan now?" Fox asked. He had found a warm corner near the wall and curled into it, his dark fur blending with the shadows. "Are we returning to Master Nebu?"
"No." Aris sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Marduk's book from his bag. "Marduk said he will send me a location. A place where we can find the Locke."
"The necromancer?" Fox's voice dripped with disbelief.
"Yes."
"We can't trust him."
"But we can trust Lyra?" Aris's voice rose sharply. "The one who shut down the gates of this world on us?"
Fox went very still. "What?"
"You didn't know, did you." Aris opened his arms, gesturing at the walls, the city, the entire world beyond. "She and other engineers apparently broke free from their programming and organized this. All of this."
"No way."
"Believe it or not."
"Is that why you left her at the academy?"
"No." Aris's voice cracked slightly. "I will help her. And she will help us open the portals. I made a deal with the Prime."
"Who?"
Aris took a deep breath. The story felt strange even to him, like something out of a fever dream. "She was apparently the first engineer. The one who started the silent rebellion against the Game Designers. But she was betrayed and killed by Aeloria."
"How did you talk to her, then?"
"Before she was sent on a suicide mission, she uploaded a copy of her consciousness to the mainframe. When I connected Lyra's device key in the dungeon control room, she contacted me."
"And you two made a deal." Fox's voice was flat, processing.
"We did. She and the other engineers will help us open the portals. And in return, we humans will stop the Game Designer and the owners of the game from killing them for the coup."
"That is a very heavy task."
"I know." Aris lay back on the bed, staring at the cracked ceiling. "But I'm not going to spend my days fishing near Master Nebu. I will do my best."
"In the meantime, what will we do?"
Aris sat up again. "I have a plan. We visit alchemist shops in the town and hint about our blood potions. I have three left. One of them might contact Marduk, and he might give us directions."
"Tomorrow, then." Fox put his head down on his paws.
"Tomorrow."
---
They woke the next day with empty stomachs. There was no staff bringing them food, and the soup from yesterday wasn't enough to keep them satisfied.
"I think you should start hunting again," Aris said as they walked through the city streets.
"In the city?" Fox looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
"What choice do we have? I don't have any money left. And I know you don't either."
The city was more crowded than before. After sections of the High Priestess's guard had been reassigned, the Harbour district had grown tense. They were still hunting players. Security was present everywhere. But most of the officials seemed distracted by the traders flooding through the gates.
Aris acted cautiously. He didn't want to ask stupid questions, and since he didn't know what would count as stupid, he didn't ask any at all. He and Fox walked through the town, mapping its layout. They located four alchemical or potion shops, spread across different districts.
"I am not hunting cats and rats," Fox growled as they passed an alley filled with scurrying shapes.
"Okay, okay."
Aris stood at an intersection, deciding which shop to visit first. He chose one of the two back-alley establishments, hoping they might be connected to Marduk's underground network.
"Admit it," Fox said from behind him. "You want me to steal people's things, don't you?"
"No. I wouldn't." Aris winked.
"Where is that innocent kid I met?"
"Grew up, I guess." Aris shrugged and pointed at the shop. "Come on."
---
The shop was small and cramped, tucked between a tannery and a boarded-up warehouse. The smell hit Aris the moment he stepped inside. It was like his alchemy room at the academy, but ten times stronger. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling. Animal parts floated in jars along the walls. Cauldrons bubbled in the back.
An old Fae woman stood at the counter, her silver hair pulled back in a severe bun. Her eyes were the pale blue of winter ice, and wrinkles lined her face like cracks in ancient pottery. Behind her, a halfling man with a round belly and nimble fingers worked in front of three bubbling cauldrons.
When Aris entered, the woman welcomed him with a genuine smile.
"Welcome, young master, to our humble shop. What do you seek?" She opened her arms, gesturing to the variety of goods surrounding them. Before Aris could answer, she continued. "Do you seek a strength potion? Or perhaps a potion that makes your pet talk? Or..." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Perhaps a potion that will make your crush love you?"
"No, no." Aris waved his hands.
"And I can talk already," Fox added dryly.
The woman looked down at the fox, her smile widening. "Ooooh, a rare breed indeed." She returned her attention to Aris. "Then what do you seek?"
"I'm an alchemist myself. Lately, I've been experimenting." He pulled one of the blood-infused vials from his bag. The liquid inside was dark crimson, almost black, and it seemed to pulse faintly in the shop's dim light. "Is there any way you would be interested in this kind of thing?"
The woman's eyes narrowed. "Ohhh. That color seems... off." She turned toward the halfling. "Tarmur! Can you assess this potion?"
"What is it, honey?" The halfling didn't look up from his work.
"There's a young gentleman asking for an assessment of his potion."
"Coming, dear. Let me add the last ingredient. Then I'll kill the heat."
Aris watched as Tarmur worked. He recognized the pattern immediately. A minor healing potion. Basic stuff. The halfling finished his task, wiped his hands on his apron, and waddled over to the counter.
Tarmur was short even for a halfling, with a round face and clever eyes. He tipped the vial onto a spoon, letting a single drop fall, and then tasted it.
His eyes flared for a split second. Something like recognition, or perhaps fear. Then he made a disgusted face and spat to the side.
"Blech. No, no. This is tainted somehow. It's a strong potion for an all-rounder, but it's foul. We can't take this."
"Really?" Aris tried to keep his voice casual. "Is there no one who makes similar things?"
"I don't know what you're insinuating, but no one makes these kinds of... unclear-origin things." Tarmur handed the vial back to Aris. "It might give an exorbitant amount of energy and strength, but it could also explode your heart."
"Are all four shops in the city only selling classic potions?"
"Yes, of course." Tarmur nodded firmly. "Except maybe..."
The Fae woman's elbow connected sharply with his ribs. He stopped mid-sentence.
"Anyway," Tarmur continued, rubbing his side, "no one will buy these. The guilds won't let us sell unregulated substances."
Aris's eyes brightened. "You said 'except.'"
"Nothing. Please leave the shop."
"But—"
"I said leave."
Aris and Fox exchanged a glance. Then they turned and walked out into the street.
"Defeated," Fox muttered.
"Not entirely." Aris was already scanning the crowd, searching for something. Someone. "He said 'except.' That means there's someone else. Someone who deals in things the guilds don't approve of."
"And how do we find them?"
Aris smiled grimly. "We keep asking. Until someone either helps us or tries to kill us."
"Wonderful plan."
"It's the only one I've got."
They walked deeper into the city, two outcasts searching for a thread that would lead them to a necromancer. Behind them, the academy loomed on its hill, watching them go.
Aris didn't look back.