Chapter 94: The Isle Turtle
The walk back to Serenia was much quieter than the run out.
I carried the heavy blue water stone in one hand. In the other hand I dragged a makeshift leash tied around the neck of a very depressed magical beast.
The Isle Turtle trudged along the mud. It let out pathetic little squeaks every few steps. It was a massive fall from grace for a being that used to vibrate my skull with its thoughts. The tiny patch of moss on its back drooped sadly.
We arrived at the agricultural fields just outside the city borders. The large stone kiln we used to fire magical bricks was burning hot. The workers were busy stacking the hardened clay. The heat radiated through the cool evening air.
I tied the turtle to a sturdy wooden post right next to the irrigation ditches.
"Listen here," I told the tiny turtle. "You are going to water the crops. Just spit a little bit of your magic water into these trenches every day. If you do a good job and hit your quotas I might consider giving you your stone back."
The Isle Turtle looked up at me with big teary yellow eyes.
"Squeak."
"I do not speak squeak anymore," I said. "Use your words."
The turtle cleared its tiny throat. A very weak and squeaky telepathic voice entered my mind.
"That stone is my literal magic core. All five of the Four Heavenly Kings have so much magic power that our bodies reject it. We have to split it into a core to survive."
I crossed my arms.
"Interesting lore drop," I said. "But what about the Gryphon? We killed that guy a while ago. He definitely did not drop a shiny rock. Arlene blew him to bits but there was no stone anywhere."
The Isle Turtle shook its tiny head.
"The Gryphon is different. Its magic stone is unique. It allows them to come back to life from the ashes of their defeat. The core takes the form of an egg."
Nea tilted her head. She looked genuinely confused.
"Wait," she said. "If the Gryphon does the resurrection from ashes thing then what does the Phoenix do?"
I looked at Nea. The Isle Turtle looked at Nea. We both stared at her as if she had just grown a second head.
"What Phoenix?" I asked.
"There is no Phoenix in the Four Heavenly Kings," the turtle added in my mind. "And there are five of us."
"But..." Nea started. She looked between me and the turtle. "Never mind. I will just keep my mouth shut."
She decided not to dissent. It was a smart move. Magic ecosystems were weird and I was not about to question the lack of a legendary fire bird.
We both shrugged. So the Gryphon’s egg was its magical core. That meant it might hatch and come back to bother us later. A problem for future Axel. Present Axel had a city to run.
We left the depressed Isle Turtle to its new job as a glorified sprinkler and finally walked through the gates of Serenia.
The city had completely transformed over the last few weeks. It was a genuine sight to behold. The magical bricks from the kiln had been used to lay down smooth and sturdy roads. But the architecture was what really stood out.
The concrete and bricks were completely merged with the massive roots and trunks of the Ents. The buildings spiraled up alongside the ancient trees. Branches acted as natural rooftops providing shade and a beautiful green canopy over the brick houses. Vines wove through the concrete walls creating a seamless blend of nature and civilization.
Glowing moss had been carefully planted along the walkways to provide a soft blue light as the sun began to set. It was weirdly pretty. It felt like walking through a fantasy painting. The harsh edges of human construction were completely softened by the living breathing forest.
The people of Serenia were already waiting for us in the town square.
The moment they saw us the cheering erupted. The citizens poured out of their tree houses and brick homes.
"Lord Phantom has returned!" a man shouted.
"Vice Captain Nea!" a woman cheered throwing flower petals.
"All hail the Mayor!" someone else yelled.
They all knew my real name was Phantom. I had established that alias firmly to maintain my terrifying aura. Even though Nea had learned my actual name of Axel long ago she still called me Axel all the time. It was our little thing. But to the public I was the mysterious and powerful Lord Phantom.
The Garden Gnome soaked up the praise. He stood on top of a stone fountain and waved his tiny rocky hands at his adoring public. He really thought he was the mastermind behind the entire operation. I let him have it. Being the mayor sounded like way too much paperwork anyway.
"You are a hero again," Nea smiled at me.
"We are heroes," I corrected her. "You did half the work. Plus your cooking is officially classified as a weapon of mass destruction."
She elbowed my ribs hard enough to make me wheeze.
We parted ways near the center of the city. Nea went to check on Keith and the other knights. I had a very specific delivery to make.
I walked up the grand steps of the Grim Palace. The halls were quiet. The usual chaos was contained entirely in the east wing.
I opened the heavy wooden door to the laboratory.
Weiss was standing over a massive table covered in blueprints and disassembled magical artifacts. She had dark circles under her eyes. She was completely engrossed in researching the terrifying weapon we had encountered before.
"I brought you a souvenir," I said.
I tossed the glowing blue water stone onto her desk. It landed heavily on a stack of scattered papers.
Weiss blinked. She looked at the stone. She felt the massive aquatic mana radiating from it. Her tired eyes slowly widened into massive saucers.
"Is this an elemental core?" she whispered.
"It belonged to a giant turtle," I said casually. "Figure out a way to hook it up to the city plumbing. I want hot showers by next week."
I turned around and walked out before she could start asking a million questions. I was tired. I was covered in dried mud. I had kissed a beautiful girl and fought a giant monster and I just wanted to sleep.
I walked to my room and closed the door behind me. I took a long bath and finally scrubbed the smell of Nea’s terrible turtle stew out of my hair. The hot water relaxed my aching muscles. It was a genuinely good day.
Night fell completely over the Grim Palace.
I put on my comfortable sleepwear and collapsed onto my large soft bed. The sheets were cold and perfect. The sounds of the forest outside were peaceful. No giant roars. No telepathic screaming. Just the quiet rustle of leaves against the window.
I closed my eyes and let out a long satisfied sigh.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
My eyes snapped open. I stared at the dark ceiling of my room.
There was a knock on my door.