257 - Three Visits

“Where have you been?” Lexie demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Here and there,” Naem responded, drifting closer to her. She rolled her eyes. Of course. It wasn’t like she expected a straight answer from him anyway. 

“Do you know where my father is?” she asked.

“No. Aiden dissolved the part of our bond that allows me to track him.”

“What? How?"

“That bond was not strictly part of the oath; it was simply a courtesy built out of friendship.  The only thing binding us now is the contract requiring me to protect you in his absence. But he has severed contact with me otherwise.”

“Oh,” Lexie said. “So he dumped you."

"I suppose."

"Is it because of me?”

“Yes."

“Are you sad about it?”

“I am Eldritch.”

“Yeah, right, don’t pull that with me, I know Eldritch get sad too.” Lexie sighed. “Anyway, he’s on the Fae planet now. He’s supposed to come back in exactly six days and a couple of hours. Can you keep an eye on him while he’s there and let me know if anything happens to him?”

“I can. But, even if I were to tell you, what would you do about it?”

“What do you mean? I'll go crazy. I’ll go over there and kick Ambassador Raz-Ro-Nan’s ass and grind his face into the dirt until he lets my dad go.”

Naem radiated amusement. “That might be difficult.”

“No, it isn’t. I’ve beaten Fae before.”

“Raz-Ro-Nan isn’t like any Fae you’ve ever encountered. Even I would be apprehensive about facing him one-on-one. For you, direct confrontation would be ill-advised."”

Lexie harrumphed, crossing her hands over her chest. “He’s not stronger than me. I can beat him.”

“I don’t think you can. Especially not as an incomplete Lord. The test, Lexie. You are wasting time, and the Lords are getting impatient.”

“Impatient?” Lexie scoffed. “What does my test have to do with them?”

“I thought I already explained this to you." Naem sounded exasperated. "The Eldritch–we are a loose hivemind, we are connected.”

“Yes, with the branch and the trees, I remember.”

“It’s important to keep the connection closed, both for cohesiveness and to monitoring of Chaos Mother.”

“You know, for creatures of chaos, y’all are starting to sound really orderly.”

“It’s not by choice,” Naem said. “But it is necessary to keep our realms running. You must pass your Eldritch test soon. They will not hold off for much longer.”

“Look, I want to, but there's too much going on right now on Earth,” Lexie told Naem. “Especially with my dad. I can’t just leave and go take a test which might take me…how long does it usually take, by the way?”

“It’s hard to tell. It depends on a number of factors.”

“How long did your test take in human time?”

“Approximately six months.”

“Exactly, and I bet that’s supposed to be a relatively fast time, too. See, I can’t just run off for six months. I’m needed here. You have to give me at least a year to get things back in order before I can attempt to leave.”

“A year will be too much time, Lexie.”

“Well, I don’t have a choice. I know I’m putting myself and Pvilycht in danger by doing this, but if I leave, I’m leaving my family and friends in danger too.” She sighed. “I met one of Yasycht’s creatures today. A type of ghoul that could make itself invisible. It attacked Torin and almost made him lose the match.”

Naem didn’t say anything to that, so Lexie continued, “Do you think Neqal was trying to send me a message with that? About him targeting my family?”

“Perhaps. The only way you can stop him is by being a Lord.”

“How does being a Lord stop him?”

He paused. “I grow increasingly concerned you do not listen to me entirely during our conversations, and only hear what you want to hear."

Lexie shrugged. That was a fair concern.

"Most Lords maintain a cohesive relationship. We cannot go after each other without due cause. The trees are important. We must maintain the forest. We cannot eliminate an entire population of even our own line without cause because it affects the forest.”

“Ah. So that was why it was so troublesome for you to kill the Trechtl."

“Yes. She was the only one of her kind. Neqal is the least of your worries. He might only want his dungeon back. The others will come after you soon and either try to kill you or incorporate you into their line permanently. “

“They can’t do that when I have my soul card. If they come, I’ll just have to destroy all of them.”

“Are you going to fight the world, Lexie?”

“If necessary.” She shrugged. 

“With your constitution?”

“Speaking of my constitution, that reminds me of what I actually wanted to talk to you about. Living cards. I want you to show me how to make the cards like the ones you made for Aiden, but with my powers.”

“Making them isn’t going to be the problem,” Naem said. “How do you plan to utilize them on Earth?”

She sighed. “I’m still figuring that part out. I tried to sneak into the Fae control room at the embassy to see how they allowed for a different system on Earth, but I couldn’t get much out of it. And I also thought about using my oathbreaker, but I don’t think that would work, since Earth’s oath is more complex than just a simple oath, right?”

Naem was silent, allowing Lexie’s thoughts to keep working. 

“There’s also this place called the Shatters. The Alchemist somehow rigged it so that it wouldn’t have the same effect as Earth's oath would on my body. I think it had something to do with pocket dimensions. I guess I can try to study the Shatter's atmosphere more deeply. My dad can help me ask questions when he gets back. Hopefully, they don’t kill the Alchemist before then.” Lexie would have to ask Stella about that, also about whether or not Vulcan would die soon. 

“Did you get taller?” Naem asked, seemingly out of the blue. 

Lexie straightened. “I don’t know. Did I?”

“I think so.”

Lexie was pleased until she realized, “Are you sure it’s not just because we’re in a dream?”

“Perhaps. After all, anything is possible in a dream.”

“Oh.” Lexie deflated. 

“Do you think Neqal is spying on me by the way?”

“Part of our deal concerning you is that I do not give you intimate details about his movements and behavior. It’s already enough that I warn you and remind you of ways to rectify the situation. I cannot do more than that.”

Lexie blew out a breath in frustration. She felt caught between two difficult choices, and neither of them was entirely right for her. Completing the Eldritch test not only took up her time, but it would also likely incorporate her under Fae jurisdiction, and it would make her more susceptible to the Ambassador’s control. 

This begged the question of why Naem was pushing so hard for her to do it.

“Why,” Lexie said slowly, “are you pushing me for this so much?”

Naem didn’t answer.

Did he think it would be safer for her to be an Eldritch? Or did it just tie into his larger plans?

God, why wouldn't he just tell her what he wanted from her?

Then it occurred to her. His pointed silences. His mysteriousness. What if it wasn’t him just trying to be annoying?

The Eldritch, including Naem, were bound by Oath, too. 

"The thing that you want from me,” Lexie asked him as a thought occurred to her. “Is it that you don’t want to tell me, or that you physically can’t tell me?”

“The result is the same,” Naem asked, which was the exact kind of non-answer nonsense she expected. 

She sighed. “So I guess… talking to you is useless, huh.”

Naem seemed faintly amused. “I suppose. But I enjoyed it regardless.” 

Lexie stuck up her nose at him.

“Do not do anything rash,” he told her. “You are not the same as you were before, so every decision and every negotiation carries a high risk but also may collect a high reward. Think through all trades, and consider angles you might not have before, especially as you grow. Look at things more holistically from your current vantage point. Looking directly at a problem and looking down at it gives you two entirely different perspectives.”

“I have no idea what you’re even saying right now. Have you been reading fortune cookies?”

He paused. “You’re about to wake up.  I will see you soon.”

“Bye,” she said right before the sound of her door opening drew her from sleep. 

It was Max standing in the doorway, frowning disapprovingly. “You were supposed to call me when you got back.”

“I was sleepy,” Lexie grumbled, sitting up to wipe her face. “Besides, I’ve been home alone plenty of times in the past, especially when I was younger."

“Yeah, well, I was supposed to be babysitting you then, too."

"But you had better things to do?"

"That and you didn’t have a homicidal maniac after you.”

“Vulcan’s in jail.” Or at least in a pocket prison. 

“Still. Who knows if that bastard has associates?”

“The association is taking them out one by one.”

"The association just lost its head." He crossed his arms. “Have you eaten?”

She shook her head. 

“I popped some of your father’s sweet potato mash in the warmer. Come down and eat some.”

Lexie hopped out of bed, stretched, and walked down the stairs with her uncle. “Is Tate back?”

“I don’t think so. That kid..." Max shook his head. “I probably need to talk to him about the new curfew I'm going to institute."

Lexie snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that."

After Uncle Max gave her food. He sat and started cleaning his gun.

He disassembled it with methodical precision and practiced ease. Cloth. Oil. Wipe. Click. Reassemble. Take it apart again. Lexie could practically feel the tension rolling off him. He wanted to say something. He just didn’t want to start.

“So Vaceks’ dead, huh?” Max asked eventually without looking up. 

“Maybe,” Lexie replied around a mouthful of mash and gravy. She swallowed. “Probably.”

“Wow.” He wiped the barrel. “I honestly thought that guy would outlast cockroaches and the damn apocalypse. Never thought he would go out like that.  He’s always seemed so indestructible. So untouchable."

“He definitely got touched in that pocket dimension,” Lexie said.

"When do they plan on announcing his death?"

"Probably after they finish the investigation. Right now, his whereabouts are classified information." Lexie tilted her head. “They think my dad had something to do with his death, you know.”

“Of course they do.”

Lexie continued, then asked Max, “What do you think?”

Max stopped moving for a second.

"Are you asking me if I think your father is a cold-blooded murderer?

"Well, he had reasons to want Vacek dead. And he didn’t have to murder him. He just had to...not save him." Lexie would genuinely understand if Aiden had made that choice, but she just wanted to know for sure.

Max shook his head. “I think we should talk about something else.”

“Okay. How about we talk about you?”

“What about me?”

“It’s dungeon season.”

"And?”

"You usually go raiding in dungeon seasons.”

He gave a bitter laugh. “I think I’ve had enough raiding to last me a lifetime.”

“Seriously?" Lexie gaped. "You’re quitting forever?

“I don’t know,” he said, and swallowed a haunted look appearing in his eyes. “I’m still just adjusting. I can’t say for sure, but…so much of my life was spent raiding dungeons. I thought that was the only thing that gave life meaning. And as it turned out, I was wrong." He picked the gun back up, then started disassembling it again. “And it only took getting stuck there for five years for me to know that.”

Lexie nodded. She didn't blame him for still recovering.

Lexie didn’t develop a phobia of dungeons, but Lexie and Max’s experience had been totally different. She’d been a partial Eldritch in a dungeon, and he’d been a human. By definition, she’d been the predator, and he’d been prey. 

Lexie thought of all the creatures she’d killed.

Were some of them an 'Uncle Max' to someone? Probably. 

Lexie bit her lip.

...that sucked.

“I’m sorry,” Lexie said, squeezing her fork hard.

“It’s not your fault.”

“It is.” Uncle Max would not have entered that dungeon if he hadn't been on Vulcan's radar, and he wouldn't have been on Vulcan's radar if Lexie didn't exist.

"It's not. And now let's change the subject again."

“If you’re scared of dungeons, how do you plan on going back into one with Ceciilia?"

He exhaled. "I don’t know. I’m hoping she changes her mind.”

“Do you think she will?”

“The plan is to get her to want to change her mind, using entirely underhanded means." He shrugged. "If it doesn't work, I guess I’ll just have to tough it out and follow her."

“That doesn’t sound healthy. You know, in healthy relationships, you shouldn’t bottle things up and lie to each other. You should communicate your boundaries, and if she doesn’t respect them–"

“Okay, first of all, Cecilia and I aren’t in a relationship. Secondly, I’m not taking relationship advice from a kid.”

“Teenager,” Lexe said. “I’m thirteen now.”

“Oh, really? Then why do you still look ten with those short little arms and stubby legs?”

Lexie glared at him, and he chuckled.

After dinner, she went back to her room and measured herself. Naem had been lying. Shehadn’t gotten taller

Or maybe she was measuring wrong.

And Uncle Max was wrong, too. 

After all, Eldritch didn’t lie.

***

The next morning, Lexie got a curious knock on the door. It was right after breakfast, and Max yelled, "Lex! You have a visitor."

She expected a couple of people, but it turned out to be two people she didn't expect.

"Abernathy?" She came around Uncle Max. "Doyle?"

"Hi Lexie,” Abernathy stammered. They stood still as statues, spooked by Uncle Max's glower.

“Are you looking for my Dad?" she asked. "He’s not around.”

“No, uh, no. We're here for you. We just wanted to welcome you back.”

“My mom baked cookies,” Doyle said. “They’re not very good, but she tried. So. Whatever."

"Oh, sure. Come in." She nudged Uncle Max out of the way and let them in. He didn't move very far, still looming as they made their way to the living room.

Doyle looked around curiously.

"Wow. Your place is pretty nice."

"Is it?" Lexie had seen nicer, like Dewie's parents' mansion.

"Yeah. And big. My place is like a matchbox."

He then stood with Abernathy in the center of the room, still holding the basket of cookies, and they both stared at Lexie with large, uncomfortable smiles.

He not-so-subtly elbowed Abernathy lightly in the stomach.

"Do you guys want to sit down?" Lexie asked.

"Sure."

They gingerly sat in tandem on the edge of the couch.

What followed was another painful silence.

When Doyle elbowed Abernathy once again, Uncle Max finally rolled his eyes, muttered something about 'teenagers', and walked off somewhere to give them privacy.

Even without Max there, Abernathy wasn't speaking up, and Doyle finally gave him a look of frustrated disgust.

”Abernathy called you a bunch of times,” Doyle blurted out.

"No, I didn’t!” Abernathy said instantly. “I mean, I did call you, but it wasn't that many times. And it's totally fine you didn't answer. You probably get like a bazillion messages–”

"Bazillion's not a word, Abernathy," Doyle said in a superior tone that made Abernathy scowl at him.

“It’s fine," Lexie said. "I actually have a new number now."

"How?" Doyle asked.

"Long story, but basically, after I came back from the dungeon, I'm not entirely connected to the system anymore. So I can't use any system messaging software."

"Oh, that's wicked!" Doyle said as she'd just told him the coolest thing ever. "So what...now, you're basically untrackable? You can commit crimes!"

"Why is that the first place your mind goes?" Abernathy asked. "And why do you sound so excited by it?"

"It's just interesting. We were all born into a system. Aren't you curious about what it would be like to be out of it?"

"Yeah, but my first point of curiosity would be how her system healing was affected, not about her going on a crime spree."

"My system's okay," Lexie said. "And I don't plan on going on any crime sprees."

"Yet," Doyle winked. "Speaking of which, we heard what happened at the match yesterday. You were there, right?"

"Yeah. I guess you guys are really clued into AFC news."

"We're clued into Lexie news."

"Doyle..." Abernathy sounded exasperated.

"What? It's obvious. You're insanely famous now, Lexie. Like really famous, even more than when you were in the AFC. You even have a fan club now. Three of them actually. There's Lexienators, Order of Sparrowfoot, and Deckheads."

"Deckheads?" Lexie frowned. Absolutely not.

"Yeah, the name’s stupid, but they tend to be the most active and have the most accurate news, and they get into the most fandom wars. They've been going crazy yesterday on AllForums because of all the debate."

"What debate?"

Abernathy's eyes widened, and this time he jammed his elbow into Doyle's side, hard enough to hurt,but the boy totally ignored him.

"Oh, you know...the usual. Some people think you're a hero. Others think you're a villain in the making. And after what happened at the AFC match, a few people think that you summoned the Eldritch onto the field."

What?" Lexie frowned. "Why would they think that?"

"Because they're dumb. And they probably don't know about Dru."

"Dru?"

"You don't know Dru? Oh, right, you've been in a dungeon this whole time. Dru is a mech engineer who sometimes also goes by Dark Artist or Blackwright. No one knows who he is exactly, but he sells mechs on the Undernet that allow people to use these really crazy dark magic powers. Like Eldritch-y powers. It figures that maybe that's where Patriot got his mechs from, and that's probably why it did what it did."

Lexie frowned.

What the heck?

How was there another human crafting magic tools made with Eldritch energy?

That was her idea.

Well, it wasn't like it was an original idea, given the existence of cursed objects like the one Albion had been trapped in, but she was still miffed he'd beaten her to it.

She was also angry that he was using Eldritch to endanger people like Torin. The question was also how he was doing it. Probably by clumsily having the Eldritch creature sign coul contracts with the owners, and becoming partially possessed by them, ignoring how dangerous that was.

Neqal had to have something to do with this.  

"What else do you know about him?" Lexie asked.

"Oh tons!" Doyle said happily, but before he could continue, someone knocked on the door again. She hopped to her feet and walked to the door, opening it.

She blinked. "Xena."