Deadgold: Chapters 8-9

Chapter 8

The war across the continent hadn't yet turned apocalyptic, which meant that there was time for soulcrafting. If Theo was honest with himself, that was what mattered most to him.

Not that he'd resented checking in with various contacts. A major reason for his journey to Ichil had been to return with a sapphire for Navim, so he was glad to visit the Mundhin and confirm that his samples would do. He had also tried to check in with Homez, and had actually been disappointed to hear that the man was currently on a mission and couldn't be contacted. And of course he'd spent some time with Nauda, talking over her blueprint choices even though she was already confident in them.

With all of that done, however, there was nothing to distract him from some long-overdue soulcrafting.

He'd decided to dub his new material voidice, and even after double-checking it in the light of day, it was still perfect for his purposes. Now he walked through his Stronghold floor, moving away all of his materials and shifting his temporary altars to the roof. In the process he did some additional polishing of his bricks, detail work that might have been tedious but helped him focus.

In less than a day, however, he was confident that everything was perfect. Theo carefully carried the chest containing the voidice to the top floor, then set it down. After several deep breaths, he not only opened it, he willed it to do what came naturally.

This time when the material exploded, it didn't blast him to the floor like it had so long ago. No, this time he was fully prepared and the shockwave of power only energized him as it passed through. More importantly, it coated every surface on his fifth floor with the pitch-black darkness of the Ichili ocean, even carrying with it a crushing pressure appropriate to a black hole.

Of course, he hadn't actually finalized his ideas for his second singularity, but regardless of what form it took, his soulhome structure was massively reinforced. There wouldn't be any problem with sustaining the flow on this floor, even when he built up a second sphere of cantae flow.

As he moved back in all his materials, Theo checked over the surfaces to make sure no damage had been done, but this time he didn't even need to do much chiseling or refining. That voidice had been the perfect material for this coating, setting him up for all the work he needed to do now.

Fortunately, most of his work was already done, given his preparations since he reached Stronghold. He placed the full mountainheart above the fragment, and now he could chisel vents in between floors for perfect synchronization and an excellent "Corporeal column". Since his corner chamber was reserved for a future material, that meant he only needed one more corporeal material on this floor, and in fact only two more overall.

Which meant that his focus was about to turn to the Ethereal side, where he'd made less progress. As Theo rebuilt the corner chambers that reinforced his singularity, he kept examining the Ethereal rooms and considering his options.

He already had the temporalstone, which dilated time just enough to make him think faster in combat. Really, now that he thought about it, that one had to go above the thought-made-flesh to make a better circular flow in the future. That still left two empty chambers, plus he would need to find a lot more ethereal materials if he wanted to pull off his second cube.

Theo was still contemplating his potential soulcrafting options when he was interrupted, and this time it wasn't a pleasant distraction like Nauda, Fiyu, or Navim. Instead, he saw Blacksilver representatives, and they looked serious this time: Dhan was at the head of the group. He also saw Karchibol and Antha, so clearly they needed his full attention. Had he spent so many days soulcrafting that he'd neglected some obligation to the House? Surely they had extra credit built up, as they'd even been loaning out their sleigh to the war effort.

"We're beginning something new," Dhan said as he removed his mask. "We need your assistance if we're to be prepared for a full invasion from Tymetron."

"I'm already doing what I can." Theo stood up and instinctively brushed off his hands as he faced the group. "What do you need from me?"

"We're going to run a tournament," Karchibol announced. "All the great powers of Norron have opened their deepest vaults, but we need to determine which soulcrafters are worthy of these emergency measures. Best to do it in a way that unites us."

"No, that's the wrong move. A tournament when there's this much risk? It will group too many tempting targets for Tymetron to potentially strike, plus it will injure many promising soulcrafters at a time that they might be needed."

"Give us some credit," Dhan said, "we're planning contingencies to retaliate."

"But you saw what Plutalgion was like. If he showed up at a tournament, what are our options?" Theo refused to back down, shifting his gaze between them - Antha, at least, should know better from a logistical perspective. "I'm not saying there aren't advantages, but the risks are too high."

"Our Dominions need more support, otherwise the superior numbers of Tymetron will be able to swarm them. Crintak has already had an uncomfortably close call where Tymetronese Strongholds took out the soulcrafters with him."

"Right now the distribution of sublime materials is very inefficient." When she spoke up, Antha sounded almost apologetic. "We're squabbling with one another, both old arguments between the Asplundat Movement and the Ruling Cities, and brand new problems trying to cooperate with the Wavefront. The soulcrafters need to rank themselves to determine who is relegated to backup and who tries to ascend before the main invasion."

"We aren't asking your advice," Dhan added, "we're informing you. The leaders of all three great nations on Norron have already decided."

"Then the leaders are making a mistake." Theo wanted to give them a whole list of reasons this was a bad idea, yet he held back, considering the situation again instead of following the path of least resistance and throwing out snark.

The courtyard hung in the balance, as they all knew that the power had shifted between them: Theo and his direct allies represented the majority of House Blacksilver's military strength, and if Guchiro was considered, a significant portion of the strength of the continent. Yet Blacksilver wasn't doing this out of ignorance or haste, they had to deal with greater forces that put pressure on them.

Even granting that, Theo still thought that the tournament was a mistake. It was good politics but bad strategy, bonding together the three major factions at the cost of their overall effectiveness. Theo didn't pretend to fully understand Plutalgion or Vistgil, but he thought that gathering so many promising young soulcrafters in one place was too tempting a target.

He wouldn't gain anything by arguing that with his own allies, and he'd grown beyond needing to be right all the time. This was absolutely a moment when he needed to be an adult and compromise, otherwise he'd destroy this relationship too.

"Note my objection," Theo said, "but I understand if the decision is already made. I'm willing to work with you on this, but I can't take off an enormous amount of time to participate in a tournament."

"Oh, you aren't eligible," Karchibol said stiffly. "The highest tier allowed to participate is Authority, and in some weaker regions even that is considered controversial."

Antha nodded eagerly, relieved that the tension was passing. "We were hoping you could contribute resources again," she put in. "Even if you dislike the methods, this will be a way to make some of the strongest soulcrafters on the continent even stronger."

"I'll do what I can." Theo rubbed his eyes as he thought over his inventory. It might not take much from them, because at his current stage he might throw away materials that would be valuable to younger soulcrafters.

Problem was, if he was really taking this compromise seriously, he didn't want to just throw them trash. He needed to think of a way to make this tournament actually work, despite the flaws in the plan. It occurred to him that if he could figure out the secrets of the deadgold, that might actually reinforce the continent's armies significantly. Of course, that was easier said than done...

"Please do what you can." Dhan inclined his head in the subtlest gesture of respect. "Not as a minion of Blacksilver, but as a key leader in the House. All the major factions on the continent are contributing sublime materials, and how much we can contribute to the war effort will have a huge impact on how broadly House Blacksilver is respected."

"I meant it when I said I'd do what I can." Theo made himself smile at the entire group. "I might have turned up something useful against Tymetron, I just need to learn a little more. I'll get back to you about this later."

"Some of our soulcrafters could use advice to prepare for the tournament..." Karchibol started a new plea, but trailed off as Theo's gaze fixed on him.

"I'll help if I can," Theo said dryly, "but I think the sublime materials for the House are more important, right?"

They agreed to that, and hopefully tacitly affirmed that he wouldn't have to get too involved. It wasn't so much that Theo hated tournaments, and more that having been in so many, he had strong opinions about how they should be run. Given his current tier, he was a regional power but wouldn't be able to influence the tournament format, so he would just get frustrated by a bunch of Fithan combat circles and melees.

It seemed like his answers had satisfied them, because the group departed: Karchibol escorted Antha skyward in a chariot while Dhan nodded slightly and then flew in the other direction. That left him alone again, and in theory he could have gone back to soulcrafting, but Theo couldn't summon his former mood.

Even if he'd advised against it, he had to admit the tournament had one thing going for it: this was a bold move. If they managed to pull it off without retaliation, Norron would finish the tournament more unified and with stronger soulcrafters to fight Tymetron.

He knew it just couldn't be enough, not against enemies like these. So if he wanted to be a good ally, Theo needed to do more than they had asked, he needed to go above and beyond. That was going to require calling in some favors and taking some risks.

Fortunately, he was about to go meet with allies who should help him reduce his problems instead of increasing them.

-

Chapter 9

The original plan had been to meet at the State of Rest with just Fiyu and Nauda, but the way Theo's schedule went, he ended up inviting Navim as well. Fortunately, the restaurant was able to accommodate Mundhin; the front entrance might be narrow, but they had a second entrance facing the Arbaian quarter that made it easier for large bodies to enter.

Now that they were some of the most powerful soulcrafters in the city, able to take on any of the old Houses that had once ruled, Theo and his allies merited one of the back rooms. That mattered less to Theo than just being together with friends. They might be there to discuss all of their problems, but for a time they could just enjoy the company and the food together.

Well, Navim was rather obviously left out of one of those. "Are you sure we can't get you anything?" Nauda asked. "I feel like we're being bad hosts."

"Mundhin do not share your customs of consuming sustenance together," Navim pointed out, "and thus we do not share any intuitions related to being excluded. This is simply a conversation to me, and a welcome one. You all have been rather too busy since I moved back to Norro Yorthin."

"Yeah, that's been the case for everyone."

"I feel like we have not spent enough time together lately," Fiyu said with a slow shake of her head. "But we have now, even if Theo very much wants to discuss his plans."

"I didn't want to bring down the mood," he said, "but if you insist..."

Nauda smirked. "Yes, please, we demand that you bring down the mood."

So he explained the situation as he saw it, and it was nice not to have to hold back his opinions or explain any background information. They knew exactly how much of a threat Tymetron was and how the continent was ill-prepared to take on aeon-class threats. All he needed to do was add in new information about the planned tournament as well as deadgold.

"Actually, I have a contribution at this point," Navim said as Theo finished. "Deadgold may not be common enough to appear regularly, but it is referenced in some circles of armament crafters. Its value is given as extremely high in regions with Tymetronese contact, and minimal otherwise."

"Reinforcing the theory that it's a specialized weapon," Theo said with a nod.

"Just how much is it going for?" Nauda asked.

"Ah, I fear I have given you the wrong impression." Navim shifted his position to regard Nauda. "It is never sold on the open market, only traded as a war asset between nations. Its value comes up, primarily, when the owners want it to be used for armaments. Incidentally, my information comes from craftspeople in the Wavefront, where they seem to have slightly more exposure to the material."

"So is it a sublime material better suited for armaments, not put into soulhomes?"

"I fear that my experiments were inconclusive, without larger quantities. It could be an effective part of an armament, yes, but I cannot evaluate that use compared to others, or determine how much value it would add."

"That's good to know," Theo said, "but I think that's our second concern. Our first objective is clear and it hasn't changed: we keep working on getting Nauda up to Stronghold. That will benefit us no matter what path we take."

Nauda merely nodded, only a little uncomfortable at the focus. Meanwhile, Fiyu pursed her lips as she considered. "I agree completely, of course," she said, "but you implied that deadgold would be our second objective? How, when we know so little about it?"

"Because I want all of us to go to the Gold Wastes together." Theo smiled across the group. "It's been a while, but remember that we were planning a meeting. If we show up with a group of Strongholds, plus Guchiro if possible, I think they'll take us more seriously. That's our best opportunity to get information directly from the Gold Wastes, and maybe even a key ally."

"Isn't Giatrice already our ally in practice?" Nauda asked.

"Yes, but it would be better if we could coordinate. I think this is one of our top priorities, because their leader is one of the few people who we know has fought Plutalgion successfully. But we can't assume that will work, so we need to try some of everything."

"If I had reached Stronghold, we could already be there." Nauda shifted to rest her head in her hands and massaged her forehead. "I've placed all the materials, I'm sure the blueprint is sound, I just want to be sure I have all the secondary soulcrafting ready before the ascension..."

It was a shame that she was still feeling that way, but Theo could understand that she carried a legacy of those fears of being left behind. Fiyu touched the other woman's arm as if to encourage her, though it didn't seem to work in a way that surprised Theo. He had already done everything he could, so he doubted he could cheer her up.

"Yes, we are all very disappointed in you." Navim spoke up dryly, drawing everyone's surprised attention. "You are such a slow soulcrafter, only now considering the ascension to Stronghold."

For a moment silence gripped the table, then Nauda smiled wryly. "Alright, that's fair. Sorry, Navim. I didn't mean to disparage you in any way."

"I felt nothing of the sort, I merely wanted to encourage you to consider your situation from a more rational perspective."

"Well, I appreciate the reminder."

"Navim..." Fiyu turned to him, setting her hand on one of his rocky limbs. "How much do you require to reach Authority? Theo told me of your plan for the sapphires."

"Only minor details remain." Navim waved one smaller limb, brushing the issue aside. "It should not be a priority, not given the scale of the present crisis. Please, ignore me and continue your plans."

Theo wasn't so sure about the Mundhin's assessment of himself: Authority-tier crafters were rare throughout the Nine Worlds, particularly ones who knew them so well. He wanted to get Navim to Authority, and not just because that would be useful... he still remembered Navim's body exploding in the tournament on Tatian, and he didn't want his friend to risk that again. Perfect protection was impossible, but at Authority Navim would be far less vulnerable to collateral damage.

"There's one thing I disagree about," Nauda spoke up. "You think this tournament is a bad idea, and maybe you're right that it's a strategic mistake. But if you're right, it isn't just politics and distractions. It could be very beneficial... not for us, for our allies."

"Huh." Theo sat back as he considered what she meant. "You don't mean Fithans, you mean other allies?"

"That's right. For example, last I spoke to Nanjuma, things were calming down in Nlukoko. I think he'd be willing to join an Authority-tier tournament, because he'd never have an opportunity to do that under the Landguard. Bringing allies from other worlds would support House Blacksilver and improve the tournament."

"Unless they're viewed as taking away desperately needed resources."

"We're not going to recruit selfish people, obviously. I think a lot of them would be willing to contribute to the conflict, particularly if they get a sense for how much of a threat Tymetron poses."

"I'm not disagreeing, I just think we need to phrase it the right way." Theo smiled as he began thinking along Nauda's lines. Yes, that opened a lot of options. He needed to return to Deuxan anyway, so he should definitely invite Victon to the tournament.

So long as he was able to protect it from a direct strike, which he needed to do anyway, he could use the tournament to support various allies. If he was locked onto this path, it was only logical to add as many benefits as possible to outweigh the sunk costs.

"But that alone will not be enough," Fiyu said quietly. "We can raise an army to fight Tymetron's army, but not aeon-class soulcrafters. Even our group and my relative are not enough for that. This soulcrafter from the Gold Wastes may be strong, but she also cannot fight an empire alone."

"Plutalgion is beyond us, but we're not irrelevant," Theo said. "Remember, we have some of the big aeon-class organizations paying attention to us now. I don't think that we can pull the same trick twice and get them to threaten Plutalgion, but we can still approach them directly. For example, the Orphic Cabal has really been helping House Blacksilver."

"Not enough to raise any of their soulcrafters past Dominion," Navim pointed out.

"That's true, but all of this means they're invested in us. Even if they aren't willing to fight directly, we may be able to get information that will lead us to an aeon-class ally. They may be rare across the Nine Worlds, but they're not nonexistent, and Plutalgion has probably made enemies of some of them."

"We should talk to Kathina and the House of Coin," Nauda suggested. "The Eternal Spectrum might be rich jerks, but they're one of the only forces we might have a chance at buying. Provided that we can convince them their investment won't be wasted."

This was exactly what Theo had hoped for: a livelier discussion of all their options. There were the big organizations, of course: the Orphic Cabal, the Eternal Spectrum, even the mysterious Demonstalkers. They discussed how much support they could get from Dave and the Mercury Court, or Guchiro's allies, or even wildly unlikely options like recruiting the Worldguard from Tatian. Navim joined the conversation with surprising ease, having apparently absorbed all the information about aeon-class organizations.

There was one option that Theo kept silent about: technically Senka was an aeon-class weapon. The problem was that searching for her rivers could burn a large amount of time, and even if they found one, she wouldn't be as useful as an uncursed aeon-class soulcrafter.

"But this all starts with us," Theo reminded them at the end. "We can't fight forces like this, but we can make ourselves formidable enough that they take us seriously. That means using every tool available to us."

"I already know what I need to do," Nauda said. "You have a clear idea for yourself?"

"My singularity might be enough, and I have plans to upgrade it again, if I can pull something off. What about you, Fiyu?"

She bobbed her head in agreement. "I have plans for my fifth floor that are underway. But... it occurs to me, there is more that I could be doing. My mask and my bracers are old armaments now... Navim, do you think they are overdue for work?"

"I wouldn't dismiss them so quickly," Navim said. He extended smaller limbs with lenses on the end to examine the silver bracers over her wrists. "These are still enhancing your cantae in an effective manner and are not in need of an urgent upgrade."

"But what of my mask? It is rather old..."

"We could recreate it with stronger materials, but I contend that would be thinking too small. You have long ago surpassed the need to filter light from your eyes, yes?"

"Oh..." Fiyu wilted into her seat. "That is technically correct, light cannot impede my vision now. But I rather like the mask... it provides a layer between myself and the world, and prevents others from seeing my eyes..."

"I didn't mean to discourage you." Navim pulled a scroll from within a compartment in one limb and began to sketch with a delicate limb. "If you want to continue using such an armament, you should make it more than a filter. Instead, you could use basically the same model to produce something more potent that would provide you with additional benefits."

This encouraged Fiyu and she eagerly began sketching some ideas onto the paper. Nauda watched them with a fond expression, though Theo thought he saw a hint of discontent. That might have been due to her own armament trouble, which she seemed to confirm when she brought out her gauntlet.

"What about this?" she asked. "I always intended it to be temporary, but perhaps I can go back to using my warding staff now?"

"I think that might be premature," Navim advised. "If you want another armament to carry you into the aeon tiers of soulcrafting, you will need extremely powerful sublime materials. Perhaps it would be best to gather those while you find a way to make the gauntlet usable for now."

That settled the two of them, and Navim seemed to consider the pattern before turning to Theo.

"No need." Theo raised a hand and gestured vaguely at his coat. "My blueprint was never intended to rely on armaments, and this coat is already about the limit."

"Perhaps a prudent decision," Navim said, "but consider it. At the rate things are moving, you may need to make changes sooner than you think."

That was true, though Theo's mind was stuck on the threats ahead of them that might mean that they never got to that point. He thought the coat would still protect him well enough, except against threats where no armor would do much good. For the time being, he was better off finishing his Stronghold floor and figuring out the singularity within.

Yet now, as many different things as he had to tackle, he felt as though it might be within his ability. Within their ability. It was a lesson he needed to learn over and over again: the lonely "efficient" path he had once sought would never have led him here, to something much better.

There was enough of his old self left, however, to remind him that there was no guarantee that this would be enough.