Chapter 137: The Kettle Bearer

  I was okay with temporarily giving up my dreamscape amulet as I was not getting out of here alone. Castile robably our best ce if we had to front the summoner or if we eventually got into the dungeon, and for what it was worth, I trusted her. The temperature had remained cold outside, and the snow depth had not dropped, so we were uo walk out of the city anytime soon.

  After losing two games of checkers to an improved and somewhat smiling Maveith, I was ba my room with Mateo and Felix. Mateo was givihe stink eye, so I offered, “Castile has the amulet. Maybe she will let you try to use it.”

  His eyes looked hopeful and then fell, “Maybe after this mess. Is the wine giving you the squirts, too?”

  “What?” I was caught off guard and fused by the versation’s dire.

  Felix looked over and crified for me, “Some of us have been squirting out the arse after drinking the wine.”

  “It is not poisonous,” Konstantin said from the archway. “Most likely, it is because you are not getting enough solid food.” He directed his attention to me, “Castile said you are to start making the specter culling runs and bringing up more of the wine.”

  “Yes, I am to take the kettle of souls and use it in Castile’s stead while she works on solving another problem.” I answered him. Looking at Konstantin more closely, it looked like he had aged ten years i week.

  “Good. Get it, and we begin now. Brutus, Bze, and Adriah us?” I nodded. “I will collect them a you at the stairs.”

  I soon had the brass kettle in my hands. Castile had emptied the crystalized death esseo a bag, so it was currently empty. I tur over and over uhe light of a glow stone Bze was carrying beside me. The runic writing was on the inside of the device, and I couldn’t make it out very well. “Don’t damage that, Eryk. It is the only thing that is giving us a ce to get out of here.” Adrian said from behind me.

  I nodded, stopped trying to i it, and got a better grip on the device. We were all following closely behind Konstantin, who turned in the corridor and opened a rge door. The door creaked ominously, and light spilled out when it opened. Konstantin noted, “Castile has been charging the glow stones in the walls below as we explored. You should just focus on using your aether on that device. You start to get low, and we will asd.” It appeared Konstantin was in charge of the party over Adrian. It made sense, as Konstantin was the scout.

  Adrian said, annoyedly, “Konstantin, we are just making runs to the wine vault.” Okay, maybe Konstantin just thought he was in charge.

  Konstantin paused to front Adrian, “Even if Castile’s pn works, we still have to find the duo survive the wihe more specters Eryk send to their final rest every trip, the faster that will be.”

  Adrian flexed his grip on his sword, and we all felt some tension in the air between them. Instead of addressing Konstantin, he addressed me to avoid a frontation, “Eryk, let me know when you are too tired, or your aether gets too low, to tinue.” I nodded, not wanting an argument to break out. I think Adrian’s restraint was rooted in his knowledge of how the city was affeg him.

  We desded the stoairs into a well-lit corridor with glow stones every twenty feet. A single small elf girl specter was wandering aimlessly in the ter. Konstantin walked forward and unceremoniously cut her down in a fsh of sparks. It was weird how only his runic on seemed to give those special effects. I had yet to see any other on do something as fshy.

  I got closer to where the specter had dissipated. I aimed the kettle and eled aether into it like I did with the collector. The purple smoke rushed toward the kettle and was ed like a vacuum. A strange, cold, and wrongness pricked ay body. My breath was momentarily lost like I had stepped outside intid air. The ess permeated my lungs for just a breath.

  Castile had said it would feel slightly wrong, but that was a massive uatement and I had to wonder how high her aether tolerance was to feel just ‘slightly wrong,’ Maybe her aether resistance had something to do with it. It felt like I was bathed in the creature’s death aura as it was harvested. I shook the kettle to firm it worked, and a small amount of the purple-bck glittering sand was itom. Adrian was waiting on me, “It worked. How many of these did Castile do every day?” I had no idea how she subjected herself to that feeling over and ain. I was looking at Castile’s toughness in a new light. This was going to be very unpleasant for me.

  Konstantin answered, “Over a hundred every dest. How many you mah your aether, Eryk?”

  I examined my aether core, “It didn’t take a lot of aether. It is more of the backsh from using it. I don’t know how she ma so many times.”

  Adrian gravely voiced, “She is a tough one. Just let us know when you o asd, Eryk.”

  As we walked the corridor, Brutus and Konstantin were out front, Bze at my side, and Adrian guarding the rear. There were dozens e wooden doors lining the hallway. Konstantin passed them all by without hesitation. Four lone specters ter, I almost felt like asking to return to the tower. My lungs ached like I had run a marathon, and my fingers were numb. Konstantin stopped at the door, pushed it open slowly, and peeked inside, “Clear.” He entered, and we followed. Racks upon racks of witles were present.

  Brutus was the most flummoxed, “There has to be at least ten thousand bottles in here.”

  Adrian answered, “More. Eryk, fill your space, and Bze and I will fill our packs.”

  I picked up a green gss bottle and brushed the dust off. Imprinted in the gss was a se of an elf, hunting a gnoll. I remember Adrian said the gnolls were the mortal enemies of the elves or something like that. Each bottle was its own unique carved piece of artwork. Different css in innumerable ses. Every on a while, Konstantin said a bottle that I picked up was no good. His ability to know if something was an anic poison ing through, maybe? I added twenty-four bottles, and Bze had ten ed bottles in his backpack. Adrian had eleven. Konstantin and Brutus were not carrying packs as they were scouting ahead and o remain unencumbered.

  Adrian sidered our course of a, “Konstantin, we will swing by the children’s shelter, clear it, and head back to the tower.”

  Konstantin nodded appreciatively ahe way. It seemed we were heading back toward the tower, but I o spend more time in this unfamiliar underground maze to be sure. We desded a wide stairway inte chamber that was lit by only a few glowstones. Hundreds of small skeletons were scattered across the room. “We cleared this room of hundreds of specters, and now we usually fihan a dozeers here every dest,” Adrian informed the group.

  I sed the room and could see only a single specter in the er—a small boy, by the looks of it. Konstantin had us wait food twenty minutes before walking fidently into the room. Three specters of children rose out of the floor to rush us, as did the boy. Konstantin and Brutus dealt with them, and I pleted my task with the kettle, wing with each use. Konstantin seemed pleased, “Just four this time. That is a good sign.”

  “Leave it, Legionnaire!” Adrian barked, startling everyone. We turo find Bze sifting through the bones. “We don’t have time to loot the dead or the energy to carry the spoils unless it is a runic on.” Bze stood and dropped a ring he had picked up. The metal sounded louder than it should be oone. Four adult specters emerged from the wall to the right, their faces twisted in a silent scream.

  Adrian yelled, “Back up the stairs! It may be a rush!”

  As we retreated up the stairs, Brutus asked, “What is a rush?”

  We took positions at the top of the stairs to fight the four specters. Ohe four specters were dead, Adrian answered, “Sometimes something triggers a bunch of the specters to e at us at once. Usually, there is a peist or two in the rush. Though we haven’t seen a rush in the shelter in a while.”

  After I gathered the death essence of the four specters with the kettle, I broke down a bit. “Adrian, I think I am done. I am shivering untrolbly and have a pounding headache.”

  Konstantin frowned, clearly disappointed ihat was, what, thirteen? This isn’t going to work, Adrian. We need Castile.”

  I focused on Konstantin and angrily said, “’t you use aether as well, Konstantin?” I held up the kettle, it to him.

  Konstantin looked down at his runic on and then at the kettle of souls. “I o keep swinging my bde. You should push your limit, Eryk. Let’s find one or two more wandering specters before heading back.” He said, somehow sounding rationale.

  “It is up to you, Eryk. I know Castile found the experienpleasant, but I don’t think there is a limit on how many times she could use it,” Adrian said, deferring to me. I hesitantly nodded my sent.

  Six specters ter, we were climbing the stairs to the tower. My body was racked with chills that never seemed to end. Firth was at the top of the stairs, “About time you are back. We have five specters in the main library, and we have been subduing them, waiting for the kettle.” I groaned but turned around with just Konstantin and Adrian as support.

  After the library was cleared, I shivered untrolbly as we walked back to the tower. I didn’t think I could do this every day. I had no idea how Castile mahis. Adrian put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You did good work today, Eryk.” Leave the wine ale in Castile’s room. I will get you a double serving of tonight’s feast a you there.

  Castile rone on the floor, eyes closed, on the bedroll in front of the fire, gripping the amulet. Delmar looked up from his chair. He was watg over her and tending the fire. I pced the bottles from my dimensional spa the desk and the kettle while Delmar watched me.

  “Castile said she knew,” Delmar said ftly. I didn’t know what he was referring to, so I just nodded slowly. “You should go in there and bring her out.” He motioo Castile.

  My first thought was not a problem, but I would have preferred for Adrian to arrive first. I sat oher side of Castile. I stalled, “Adrian is bringing dinner. Right after I eat, I will retrieve Castile. Using the kettle takes a lot out of you.” Delmar shrugged and took the fire poker to stir the coals and add a board.

  We sat in silence, and Adriaered a few mier with both backpacks of witles and a bowl. He handed me the bowl, “Lirkin is stretg the ration bars. The men say this soup is not terrible.” He looked at Castile on the floor and sat on another chair. He addressed Delmar, “It went well. The specters seem to be thinning in the area we patrolled.”

  Delmar replied, “The Schor found a map of the city folded into one of the books.” Adrian immediately perked up. Delmar waved his hand dismissively, “He found what he believes is the dungeorance, but it is oher side of the city, just beyond the hearth tree.”

  I was a little surprised by this great news. “Damn it, really?” Adrian bemoaned. I didn’t uand what the problem was. “Do you have any good news?”

  “Nope, we are out of healing potions and salves. Donte and Remus’ frostbite is much worse. Might have to amputate their toes.” I tried the soup, and it reminded me of warm fig pudding. It robably wishful thinking, but I kept the imagery up as I ate.

  Delmar and Adrian tiheir versation, “Has she e out since we left?”

  “No. I was going to send in Eryk to get her,” Delmar respoly.

  I put down the empty bowl, “Why is it bad hat we know where the dungeon is?”

  Delmar shook his head like I was an idiot. “It is fantastiews, Eryk,” he replied a little too harshly for my liking. “It is just the fact it is oher side of a city ied with undead, and we are going to be surviving off of wine while we cross the city inch by inch while half of us lose our minds.”

  Delmar was not an optimist. “I think I will go che Castile now.” I said, sinking to the floor and toug the amulet.

  Castile was studying one of her spell books on a cou the entry room, looking very fortable. She had a coffee table in front of her with an assortment of food and beverages. She looked up, surprised, “Is everything okay?”

  I vented my frustration, “Other than Delmar being ready to snap, things are fine. Also, what the hell, Castile! The kettle of souls feels like it is sug the soul out of me! Konstantin is pushing me harder than ever before, and they found the location of the dungeon.”

  Castile slowly closed the spellbook and looked me over. “Do you feel better yelling that out loud?”

  “A bit,” I admitted. I probably wouldn’t get any ces to yell at Castile in the real world.

  “Using the kettle of souls works against your aether tolerance, Eryk. Your tolerance was twenty-two with a potential of fifty?” Castile recalled.

  “I think so,” I thought about it, “Yes.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have any trouble using it. I told you it would be unpleasant. You should also be able to train your aether tolerance by using it.” She said patiently. “Delmar will hold it together. I will handle him if he falls too far. The sooner I learn this.” She tapped the book, “the better off we all will be.”

  “How is a spell called nightmare going to help anyway?” I said, rexing some as I waited for her to answer.

  “I decide what the nightmare is when I cast it. It is like a predetermined dream. It is inteo break a person’s mind but doesn’t have to be used that way,” she expined. “Is the Shimmering Labyrinth where the Schor thought it was?”

  “No, it is not uhe hearth tree, but it is close, just oher side of it,” I reyed, and Castile winced.

  “Well, at least we know where we are going now. Hopefully, the undergrouwork has a path to it. As for Konstantin, keep an eye on him. I think his elven runic on may be influeng him.” Castile said indifferently. “Nothing to be too ed about at the moment. It was fed to kill the undead and may be encing him to fulfill its purpose. Have you noticed that his sword sparks when it es in tact with the specters? That is the sword enag its purpose, disrupting the enemy it was created to destroy.” Castile expined. “Adrian and Delmar already know to keep an eye on Konstantin. Is there anything else?” Castile seemed so calm it was almost disturbing knowing how dire our situation currently was.

  “They sent me io get you out for a while,” I said finally.

  Castile frowned. She tapped the spellbook, “Tell them I will be out in two hours and to have something ready to eat for me. I pn to e right back after eating. I hope to start practig the aether weaves soon. This is really a remarkable space, Eryk. It is so easy to focus in here. I might be able to learn the spell in just a few days.” She picked up something that looked like a cookie and munched on it.

  Seeing I had nothing else for her, she opehe spellbook auro studying. I felt like I was being abused a little bit. Then again, Castile had been the one using the kettle of souls repeatedly for days. This was her mini vacation at my expense. I exited the dreamscape and told Adrian and Delmar that Castile would be out in two hours. I also told them all they o do was remove the amulet from tact with her body to wake her. There was o go ihe dreamscape to retrieve her.

  I returo my room to find my roommates deep into their sed bottle of wine. Maveith ying checkers with Konstantin on my desk/bed, and Mateo and Felix were clearly intoxicated. They offered me the residuals of a bottle, and I passed. Konstantin ying with the steel spheres I found in the desk. He was rolling them in one hand.

  “ I have my balls back?” I said to Konstantin as I held out my hand for them. “Or do you enjoy pying with them that much.” Mateo and Felix looked up from the checker’s board between them and were holding back their ughter.

  Konstantin looked up, a single eyebr, “Did you know these balls are ptinum, Eryk?”

  ? Chted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne

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