Divine Apostasy Book 12 - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

The leprechauns recovered quickly from the explosion and arrayed themselves at the volcano’s base. Each stood on a green clover, which floated on the lava. This group either had better defensive skills than the last attackers or were more powerful. They held knives, twisted staves, flutes carved from bone, and a disturbing harps made from small ribs. Ruwen really hoped those bones had come from animals and not people.

The ground shook again and the volcano convulsed. More lava spewed into the sky before dropping around them like a searing thunderstorm.

" Feldhexe," hissed the largest, a four-foot horror with moss growing from its desiccated skin. "The Ceardai Clan has marked you for death!"

"So, I've gathered," Ruwen replied. "Fifteen-against-one seems unfair."

The talkative leprechaun flashed sharp teeth. "You will suffer for years, thief."

Ruwen laughed. “Unfair, for you. You still have time to call for backup.”

All the leprechauns hissed in rage.

“We know your tricks,” the leader said. “You won’t grill any of us!”

Ruwen winced. “That was a misunderstanding. I wasn’t trying to cook your friends. Honestly you look disgusting. Although, to be fair, you are sweet on the inside.”

All the leprechauns froze.

The hot gases still roaring from the volcano made hearing the whispered word almost impossible, but Ruwen’s Divine senses managed to decipher it.

“Sang-vell,” the leader whispered.

Lir, any idea what the fae word sang-vell means? Ruwen asked.

Can you provide any context?

I explained that when I made their friends into kabobs it was a misunderstanding. I guess I also insulted their looks, but I tried to make up for that by saying they were sweet on the inside.

Because their blood tasted sweet?

The question made Ruwen uncomfortable. Yeah, I guess. I didn’t really think that through.

I am sixty-one percent confident sang-vell means “blood taker.” Humans use the term vampire.

The leprechauns remained rock still. The leader raised a dagger, pointing it at Ruwen’s head. “Pumpkin Spice, you have defiled our sacred steles. If your tongue is stained with Ceardai blood you will spend eternity suffering.”

It was Ruwen’s turn to freeze as the leprechaun’s words described a horrendous possibility.

Ruwen used the surrounding lava to create a massive sphere around the leprechauns before using his Architect Role to transmute the liquid stone into iron. He hoped the iron would make getting out of the temporary prison more difficult. He only needed a couple of seconds.

Overlord, can you materialize out here for a second.

Overlord manifested in a Minion that looked like himself. Ruwen dismissed the Scarecrow Aspect and stuck out his tongue.

“Hut olor ith muh hung?”

Overlord looked confused so Ruwen used their mental connection. What color is my tongue?

Banging came from the iron sphere as the leprechauns attacked it, and the volcano bubbled above them, sending house sized chunks of molten earth into the surroundings.

Overlord stepped closer and leaned forward. It’s orange.

The tension left Ruwen’s shoulders. He really didn’t want proof he’d tasted leprechaun blood. The fact his tongue was orange bothered him, but he’d get that sorted out after finishing these chakra quests.

There’s spots though, Overlord continued. Like you have a rash with green hives. Do you think you’re allergic to leprechauns?

Ruwen pulled his tongue back, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. The iron sphere rang like a bell from the constant attacks.

What’s wrong? Overlord asked. Is that a disease or something?

It’s a marker. I hate leprechaun magic.

The iron sphere exploded and Ruwen sidestepped the fragments.

“He really is orange,” the leader said.

Ruwen immediately summoned the Scarecrow Aspect, cursing himself for getting distracted. He knew the leprechauns communicated with each other over distances because none of them had their treasures nearby. An unhealthy number of leprechauns had seen him naked, which had earned him two titles. The last thing he wanted was another cooking misunderstanding.

On the other hand, these leprechauns had luck stealing magic. What if their bones or blood absorbed or stored this luck. Maybe he could improve the luck potion recipe he’d received upon becoming a Grand Master Alchemist.

The leprechauns sped toward Ruwen, their clover rafts leaving bright wakes in the lava.

At skill level three hundred, Ruwen chose the last boon from his Path of Perfection quest. He refreshed his memory on what it did.

Fortune’s Discovery – locate rare, valuable, and unique alchemical resources regardless of how they are hidden. Discovery radius 1 foot for every 1 Alchemy Skill level.

For the first time Ruwen triggered his Alchemical Grandmaster boon.

A three-hundred-foot upside down black pyramid appeared above Ruwen, its apex just touching his head. All the pyramids edges glowed with golden light. More pyramids appeared with him in the center. Their bases touched, creating a sphere-like structure around him. Golden light burst from his body, filling the sphere.

The leprechauns slowed, looking around at the light and sphere with concern. A second passed, and the light around the leprechauns suddenly thickened. The sphere around Ruwen collapsed into black smoke, and the golden edges turned into drifting snowflakes. The smoke swirled around the floating motes before solidifying into recognizable shapes. In a blink, thousands of tiny black dragons turned their gaze to Ruwen—and bowed their heads.

Ruwen was too shocked at this dramatic display to respond, but the dragons didn’t need his permission or direction, they knew what to do.

The thousands of smoke dragons, some rising out of the earth, descended on the leprechauns. No, not the leprechauns, but the golden light that had thickened around them. When the smoke dragons latched onto this light Ruwen realized much of the light resided inside the leprechauns.

As ferocious as the dragon attacks looked, Ruwen assumed it was painless as the leprechauns showed no indications of discomfort. He noticed that a wisp of black smoke connected him to each of the attacking dragons.

A Notification appeared at the same time the leprechaun leader screamed a single word, terror filling his voice.

“Alchemist!”

Like fuel on a fire, the leprechauns howled with outrage. Green runes flared across their skin as they triggered abilities.

Ruwen's Karmic Offset plummeted as each leprechaun activated Fortune Leech. His luck advantage evaporated in seconds. He realized the first five leprechauns hadn’t left any luck behind when they’d vanished. Fifteen stacks of Suppression Charm struck and his ears stung from the waves of discordant noise meant to counter Harmony.

The leprechaun just behind the leader raised its staff, and the ground beneath Ruwen's feet turned into a portal, likely a one way trip into the Creation Realm.

Ruwen sensed a pinprick of pressure as the spell Friction Treads on his new boots triggered and the leprechaun Mage’s Willpower tried to overcome Ruwen’s Will. It felt like a puff of air in the middle of a raging vortex.

A sheet of what looked like ice appeared over the portal, making it useless.

Ruwen opened the Notification and activated Last Breath. To his surprise he found a list of alchemical resources.

Name: Emerald Marrow

Quantity: 60

Description: Luminescent green jelly-like fluid.

Use: When crafted into eye drops, grants temporary ability to perceive invisible objects and beings.

Name: Desiccated Heart Flake

Quantity: 120

Description: Emerald colored flakes that turn translucent when exposed to moonlight.

Use: Create pills that neutralize luck-based afflictions.

Name: Eternal Whisker

Quantity: 150

Description: Course red and green strands.

Use: Create powerful wards against aging and decay.

Name: Serendipitous Earwax

Quantity: 30

Description: Oily green wax that smells like moldy cheese and dirty socks.

Use: Create a paste that temporarily binds luck to objects, causing them to be drawn toward fortunate circumstances. Items coated with this adhesive tend to be "found" by those who need them most.

Name: Tears of Desire

Quantity: 60

Description: A viscous golden fluid.

Use: When dissolved in alcohol, it grants the ability to see strong emotional connections between objects and people for one hour.

Name: Primordial Pearl

Description: Inch wide obsidian orb which is hot to the touch. This incredibly rare formation occurs only once every thousand volcanic eruptions.

Use: Create a powder that when sprinkled on the ground, generates a powerful attractant for precious metals and gems, causing them to literally rise toward the surface.

At the bottom was a single question.

Harvest?

Ruwen considered how to handle this situation. He didn’t like the idea of harvesting resources from sapient creatures. On the other hand, these creatures originated in the Creation Realm and he couldn’t kill them, only banish them back to the Creation Realm. In a way, these bodies were like the Minions Overlord used. Just a container to exist in the Material Realm.

Still, harvesting them for resources felt wrong. Like crossing a sinister line. They were still alive after all.

That thought caused a ripple through Ruwen’s thoughts. He’d just decided the leprechauns were like Minions and he couldn’t kill them, so why did he feel so strongly that harvesting them might do just that.

Ruwen pulled Sacral energy into his eyes, and the surroundings shifted into vivid colors. Adding Harmony and adjusting for Last Breath, he could clearly see the indigo threads that linked the leprechauns to the thick web of strands wrapping his body.

The fifteen leprechauns were using some type of emotional magic to convince Ruwen to spare their lives. They had all probably triggered this defense mechanism when they’d realized he was an alchemist. Considering how powerful his mental defenses were, it shocked him they could impact his thoughts.

Ruwen focused on Overlord and Uruziel. How are these leprechauns getting through Purgatory and into my mind?

I’m standing at the shed, Overlord said, and I don’t detect anything.

It’s faint, Uruziel said, but I can feel it. It’s coming from your heart. No, your Heart chakra I think.

Thank you both.

It made sense to Ruwen now. These leprechauns didn’t have chakras, that was a Material Realm magic. They’d researched and grown gems that could channel their version of malevolent chakra magic, and it had slipped right past his defenses and into his thoughts.

Ruwen felt vulnerable for the first time in a long time. It was an important lesson on never becoming complacent.

Can you two see if there is a way to suppress or block that attack path. We’re lucky the first time we encountered this was from weak opponents. It also makes me wonder about my Spirit core and my Soul. Are those backdoors into my thoughts, too?

Sure thing, Overlord said.

Talking with Pine about chakra defense will likely point us in the right direction, Uruziel added.

Very smart. I’ll do that. Thanks.

Dropping Last Breath, the chaos of the volcanic eruption, the screaming of crazed leprechauns, and the searing heat of the surrounding lava assaulted Ruwen’s senses.

Ruwen focused on the Notification once again.

Harvest?

This time the decision was easy.

Yes.