[Omen of the Witchblade] Chapter 138 – A Friendly Chat

Once inside the Rook, the sound of the crowd outside dimmed considerably. Mel felt a faint tingle run across her skin like a static charge. It reminded her of a privacy spell going off.

“He’s responsible?” Gwen asked, anger and aggression bleeding into her voice, threatening to be unleashed.

“Don’t,” Miranda warned her. The vampyr stared down Gwen, and some unspoken language seemed to pass between them. She put an arm around Gwen’s shoulders and guided her in.

Mel was surprised to find the ground floor of the place had several tables and chairs. It even had a long bar, but of course the would-be tavern was dry. The shelves looked awfully barren and lonely.

Deklin would love this place, Mel thought. She could almost see him behind the counter, mixing his famous drinks. The man had a talent, and he did not squander it.

Mel pressed Teddy down into a chair. It squealed from the force she was exerting on his shoulders. “Teddy here has something he wants to say.”

Teddy looked like he was about to wet himself. “Y-you can’t do this! I’m a full citizen of the Seabrim Crater! I’m not a filthy competitor. You can’t hurt me.”

Sylvie slapped her bloodied “wand” into her palm. “We have many ways of making problems disappear.” A red-smeared orc fang was still stuck in the wood, making it look even more sinister.

“This is us being nice,” Mel explained. “You see, Teddy. I know that you had an arrangement with Dernerd. You don’t just leave an Iron ranker in your basement with high grade potion ingredients and lock up shop for nothing.”

Charlie sauntered into the Rook, accompanied by Hal, who was watching everything warily. Every Iron orc the Magi had defeated was now turned into a dutiful undead skeleton. The minions followed the two Asletons like an honor guard.

Teddy laughed nervously. “It’s my shop, right? I can rent it out to whomever I want.”

Mel squeezed, digging her fingers into his bony shoulders. Teddy whimpered in pain. Mel’s title worked in her favor. “I don’t care if it was illegal. I want to know how you managed to get an Iron to partner with you, in my shop.”

“Hold up, that’s not–Oh. I see.”

Two orc skeletons appeared on either side of Mel, staring down at Teddy.

“I think he’s finally understanding,” Sylvie said with a grim smile.

“I could call the guard,” Teddy said unconvincingly.

Charlie laughed richly at that, then lingered by the bar, staring at it like she was thinking of somewhere else.

Mel took one hand off his shoulder and set a single [Copper Rune Coin] on the table in front of him. “Here’s what’s going to happen, Teddy. You are going to sell your shop to us for this coin. Because if you don’t…” She took out her [Simple Knife] and put it beside the coin. “I’ll be forced to use this. I am very good with a knife, Teddy. You get to choose. Like you made the mondoceros choose.”

“This is extortion!”

The smiling faces surrounding him made the message crystal clear. There was only one way he would be walking out alive.

“You’re going to go far away,” Mel said. “And if I ever even hear a whisper of your name, a rumor of a plot, I will come for you.” Mel squeezed until she felt something snap in his shoulder. “Trust me, Teddy. I would love nothing more than to hunt you down and skin you alive. My all-time record is thirty-six hours. I’d love for the chance to beat it.”

More intimidating undead surrounded him, stepping between the Magi, driving the point home. Every skeleton Teddy looked at was a former ally.

Teddy’s face was pale and slick with sweat. He licked his lips as if he was going to make some sort of plea or comeback, but realized there was nothing he could say.

With a motion of his left hand, a deed appeared in the air and unfurled as it settled onto the table. “You’ll spare me?”

“Against my better judgment,” Mel assured him. “I have enough reason to kill you without the Irons you called on us.”

“I swear I didn’t know it was you!”

“I believe you. And that, plus the sweet loot we got from them, is the main reason I’m letting you live.”

Besides, Mel thought privately, I can’t advance to Iron from a jail cell. If there weren’t a thousand eyewitnesses placing us in the same location together, I would gut you like a pig and force feed you all your shitty potions without a moment’s hesitation.

Some things were bigger than vengeance, and technically, nobody had died.

Mel glanced at the orc skeletons.

Nobody that mattered.

With a shaky hand, Teddy signed over the deed and took the coin.

Mel let up and took the deed.

[Pete’s Potions Shop Deed]

(Iron Rank, Item)

(Rare)

A magical deed outlining the current owner of Pete’s Potions. With this deed, you now legally own the property and may do with it as you wish.

“Can I grab–?” Teddy started, but Mel was already hauling him to his feet.

“You’ve got everything you need on your back,” she explained, turning him around and dusting his shoulders. She straightened his collar and lapel. “You have until sunset. Be gone, or I’ll find you and I will enjoy it.”

“I can’t charter–”

Mel pressed a finger to his lips. “Bup-bup-bup! No excuses. If you gotta swim, then swim.” She looked at the fading afternoon light coming in from the single large window. “Might want to get a move on, pal. Daylight’s wasting.”

Turned and shoved, Teddy staggered forward into one Magi after the other. They seemed to always find a way to get in his path without actually moving. He had to sidle and inch around each of them, grasping his wounded shoulder.

To his credit, he didn’t try to talk back or threaten them. He didn’t say a word and kept his head down as he went to the door and fumbled with the handle.

Once he was outside on the steps, he kept his head held high and slinked into an alleyway. Several newshogs went after him.

Shrubley approached one of the Necromancer’s skeletons. He put out his twiggy hand, not understanding that they weren’t thinking creatures like his friend, Cal. “Hello, new friend!”

Some of the Magi watched this with pained fondness. Cal, the tiny skeleton in mage robes, fiddled with his staff. For some reason, he was watching Charlie nervously, rather than the skeletal minions.

At least, as far as Mel could tell. He had a surprisingly expressive skull. Those tiny blue eyes of fire moved remarkably like eyeballs. Even snuffed out sometimes like he was blinking.

Shrubley was delighted when each of the minions shook his hand and patted him on the bushy back.

“So what’s the plan?” Hal asked, looking around the tavern. “This barren place is our new home?”

“It’s not the Starling Tower, but it’s all ours. We can lock the doors and keep people out.” Mel lifted the deed in her fist. “And we’ve just gotten our first expansion. Corner lot, here we come!”

“And we can make money off our fame,” Charlie pointed out. “That’s more than the Starling Tower could ever do for us. Ritual scrolls, advancement materials, training manuals, and crafting ingredients will be at our fingertips.”

That went over well with a lot of the Magi.

If there was one thing the Magi prized above all else, it was autonomy. Even when it was necessary and served a purpose, every Magi hated the feeling of being exploited for another’s gain.

Now exploiting themselves for their own gain…that was a whole other pobul.

Komachi naturally figured this was the time to sniff Mel’s ankle. She took one whiff, then another, and did that loud, stretched out surprised squeal that bugged out her eyes.

“Komachi?!” Sylvie cried, scooping her up into her arms. “What’s wrong?”

“Eeee!” Komachi squealed.

Hal eyed Mel suspiciously.

Mel rolled her eyes. “Now…where do I feed this to…?”

Her eyes fell on the cold hearth. She quirked a blonde brow, stood up, and approached the fireplace. Without a word, she tossed the deed into the fireplace.

A golden flame sprang to life and consumed the deed. The building rumbled and stretched, with them still in it, absorbing the corner shop next door.

All the destruction from Mel and Charlie trashing the place was on full display. A few Magi laughed at what they had done. Mel didn’t particularly expect Ashera to join in with Thomas, Sylvie, and Adam.

“Damn, didn’t think about that,” Mel said as she watched the tide of soiled boards, twisted chains, and broken cages flow across the floor.

The gravestones were missing since they were formed from mana, but the dirt was churned up, and any semblance of a basement was utterly ruined and caved in.

Charlie sighed heavily. “Somehow, this isn’t the first time this happened.”

“Why, you frequently leave ruined destruction in your wake?” Gwen asked. She probably meant it to sound threatening, but her heart wasn’t in it.

Charlie seemed to genuinely think about it. “Yes. If I’m with Mel. Not like you’re any better. Oh, don’t look at me like that, Otenreng. It’s not a bad thing.”

“Don’t worry, we got this!” Shrubley waded through the trash.

He lifted his pink sword and set it down on the ground. It morphed from a pink blade into a translucent pink slime. The tiny creature began to eat the refuse with gusto. No matter how much he ate, Smudge never grew bigger.

And the junk was disappearing fast.

Scooting around with gleeful exclamations of, “Pyuu!” the little pink slime devoured the trash and debris that would have taken days to remove properly.

Much like Shrubley, Smudge was well-loved by all the Magi. Mel could see now that the exchange students were more than mere guests.

They were family.

Cal, the skeletal Sorcerer, used his magic staff to conjure a swirling funnel cloud. It touched down and swept up the larger things that Smudge couldn’t or didn’t want to eat.

Aspect Skill: [Tornado]

With Cal and Smudge on the job, helped by the rest of the Magi, the new expansion to the Rook was cleaned up before the sun set. Magical lanterns illuminated in response to the impending darkness, casting a comforting glow in the barren and half-destroyed Rook.

They would need to find some way of fixing the other half of the floor, but the majority of the damage was contained, and they had two more floors above them to explore still.

There was only one thing left to do to complete the Rook.

The [Son of Cluckley Egg] was reverently set out by Miranda. Gwen placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The two of them embraced, sharing a tender moment.

The Fire Oppa padded over, heading into the fireplace. He curled up in the flames as if he always belonged there.

A Pyre was birthed in its crackling flames.

Charlie knelt before the Pyre, offering a colorful mixture of Grave, Fairy, Bone, Life, and Mythic aspect mana to the Fire Oppa.

With an incline of his head, Fenris accepted them all into the Pyre.

Mel wasn’t the only Magi watching with rapt attention. As each Magi stepped forward, she realized what was happening. The Magi arranged themselves in a wide arc. Somehow, Mel ended up right beside Charlie.

Mel stepped forward, knelt in front of the Pyre, and offered up her own aspects to strengthen and bind this place to herself. It was far more draining than she would have expected, even after accounting for the battles she’d endured.

Once Mel stepped back, Gwen, the next Magi in line, stepped forth to offer her aspects. Silvery Moonlight blended beautifully into golden Primal, bluish Winter, purple Gravity, and red Wolf.

With each Magi offering their aspects, the Pyre grew in strength and form until it filled the cold fireplace with a warmth that banished the very memory of chill from their bones.

I’m home, Mel thought to herself.