Tristan

Sitting at lunch in the inn's central lobby the next day, Tristan felt strangely relaxed. There was a sense of readiness that he'd been missing for a while. Possibly even since the Crafting Ark. He also had that same sort of butterflies-in-his-belly excitement that he'd felt the day of the Primary Competition. Perhaps that was because, for the first time since his Path Quest had updated, he actually felt prepared to take the next step.

He felt ready to fight Timetwister.

It was a dangerous feeling, and he recognized that. But it didn't change the fact that he was more calm and relaxed than he'd been in weeks. It was the calm before the storm.

Sitting across the table from Tristan, Sophie had been working on helping Mister Biggs eat his meal from a standard plate on the table. It was apparently at Mister Biggs's request and an attempt to combat the innkeeper's earlier question about whether the astral was 'just a big dog or something.' His attempts to sit in a chair had not worked out, but at least they had caused the few other patrons in the room to move to tables a bit farther away, giving Sophie and Tristan more privacy.

"Hey, are you alright?" Sophie asked. "Are you worried about what happened, or--?"

Tristan smiled at her. "No, no, I'm fine. I'm great, actually. I had a really productive night."

Sophie blinked. "You what? You mean last night? When was this? And what do you consider 'really productive'? Should I be worried?"

Sitting just beside her elbow, Mister Biggs gave a deep and rumbling sniffle, but all Tristan understood was the final word, wine.

"What was that?" he asked.

"He asks why you smell like wine..."

"Because I went down to the wine cellar to work."

"This place has a wine cellar?" Sophie's eyebrows lifted, and Tristan couldn't help but think that she was reappraising the place in a positive way. But then her brow knitted again. "So what did you work on while you were down there?"

Excited to show off his most recent creation, he made a show of extending his empty hands before him and then summoning the [Bane of Time] into them from storage.

Sophie and Mister Biggs both gave very satisfying Oohs.

"You did all this last night?" Sophie asked, tilting her head. "How? You had to have started so late. When did you have time?"

Tristan kept the blade level to the floor with one hand while he used the other to point out a few details. "Well, I didn't actually make it all last night. I already had the base sword, which I upgraded last night. Mostly I increased the length, though it kind of doubled thanks to my Core. And then I added this second rune up here..."

"Wait, Tristan, really? You were able to add a second rune to an item?" Sophie asked, clearly excited. "That's supposed to be really tricky before you get second tier-equivalent skills!"

"It definitely wasn't easy," he acknowledged.

"And I guess that's why it looked so familiar. I thought I recognized this rune at the base of the blade. You're not kidding about its size! This used to be a shortsword before, right?"

Tristan nodded. "Yeah, exactly right."

"And it's unique now as well? Wow!" Sophie nodded appreciatively. "The combination of runes on this really looks perfect to take on a well-shielded time mage, too. But... This bit about it being consumed after 25 seconds still concerns me. I guess you weren't able to change that?"

"Didn't even try," Tristan admitted. "The other upgrades were more important. And if this sword does what it's supposed to do, then I won't miss it after it's gone anyway. If it doesn't, well, then I guess I might not live long enough to care that it's gone."

Mister Biggs grunted something angry in response to that, but Tristan didn't really get the words yet.

"I agree, that was too pragmatic and dark. Don't be morbid, Tristan."

"Sorry, sorry," Tristan said, bowing exaggeratedly to both the astral and astralist. But as he was about to put the new sword away again, Billy came strolling through the inn's front doors with a huge smile plastered across his face. "Good morning, you three! I hope we've all had a lovely evening!"

"You clearly did," Sophie remarked. "To what do we owe this great mood?"

Billy's smile only widened. "I'll have you know I spent a lovely and wholly-unexpected evening with an old friend last night! I didn't realize she was even in the region, but apparently she picked up some super high-value fare that needed expedited transport, heading out early this morning. I bet they're already gone, come to think of it. So rather than risk arriving late, she decided to push herself--even using one of her weekly cooldowns, she said!--to get in last night instead of this morning. And, gods, am I glad she did! My head might need the touch of a healer, but who cares?! Nothing in the realm could dampen my spirits after last night!"

Tristan tried to be happy for the half-elf, who was starting to feel like a genuine friend, but he couldn't help drawing connections to the conversation he'd overheard between Timetwister and the {Mistress of Plenty}.

A sudden fear gripped him, and he immediately opened his quest, focusing specifically on one line:

Timetwister -- in Surdenholm

It hadn't changed. The arrow, too, still pointed in roughly the same direction.

Thank the gods.

Sophie, meanwhile, actually did congratulate the driver. "It definitely sounds as though you had a great time. I'm glad you got to enjoy yourself some during this trip." She gave Tristan a brief, concerned look.

Tristan: She's still here. I checked. Sophie: Good, because I was worried. Tristan: But maybe the other one's gone now? Sophie: Do you think we could be that lucky? Tristan: Maybe we spooked them? Sophie: By almost getting caught? Tristan: Yeah, because of the 'almost.' We didn't get caught, and if they believe someone truly was there... Sophie: I see what you're saying.

Billy cleared his throat. "So, uh, I'm going to assume whatever private chat you just had wasn't meant to be rude, 'cause you two don't seem the type. And you know what else? I'm going to sit myself down right here and enjoy the best lunch this place has to offer!"

"Ah, sorry," Sophie said quickly. "Tristan and I were just trying to finalize some plans for today regarding..."

Thankfully she knew better than to complete the statement where others might hear, and Billy clearly caught her meaning anyway. "Right, right, your big objective. That makes sense. Is today going to be the day?"

"Yeah, I think so," Tristan said confidently. He didn't need to say more, as the driver just seemed to understand.

"Well alright then! Are you going to need my services today?"

Tristan considered that for a second, and he noticed that Sophie had turned her attention fully to him. Well, if it's my decision, he thought. "No, I don't think so. What we're going to do today, it might be better if you're not involved. In fact, it might be better for you if you were visibly somewhere else for the next hour, you know? Then meet back here?"

The driver gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I think I do know. In that case, I guess I'll just wish you all the best today. I hope this isn't the last meal we can share together."

"I'd love to drink to that, but..." Tristan eyed the water in his cup.

"Yeah, it would be awful luck," Billy said.

"You know what, though?" Sophie chimed in, "I do love the sentiment. In fact, if we get back here and nothing's gone too terribly wrong, then I'll buy the first two rounds."

"Of a whole lot more, I'm hoping," Billy suggested, "given what you're undertaking."

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"Definitely," the astralist said. "You hold me to it!"

- - - - -

With Sophie at his side and Sneakers flying above them, Tristan approached the warehouse with all the caution he could muster.

Sophie: Sneakers is going to check the windows again, and I'm going to fly with him. Tristan: Okay. I'll be your eyes down here then. Sophie: Thanks. Keep us safe. Tristan: Be careful, just in case she's on alert.

As Sophie's eyes went milky white again, and she began using [Astral Sight], their conversation moved to whispers.

"Well, it's definitely different today," she began. "There's hardly anything in there, for starters. Are you sure she's inside?"

Tristan checked his arrow, moving slightly to see how it changed again. "Yeah," he whispered. "She's in there. So you don't see her at all?"

"I don't see anything in there except the empty floor... Wait. The light just flared." She paused, perhaps communicating with Sneakers instead. "Going to move around a bit."

Tristan tried to be patient. He checked over his shoulder, as well as around the corner and out into the main street, just to burn a little time.

"Yeah... Someone's here. Oh wow, Tristan," Sophie whispered again. "She's standing in the middle of a super complex-looking magic circle and casting what must be a ritual! It looks--" She hesitated again, but only briefly. "It flared again! It's so far above me that I honestly don't have the slightest clue what it might be capable of."

"Great," Tristan replied. "And everything around her is clear?"

"It looks like she's created completely clear lines of sight to every wall of the building."

Tristan sighed. He wished he was surprised, but based on all their research, this wasn't wholly unexpected. Solve one problem at a time, he reminded himself. "Is it possible she might not be able to see the door we used yesterday?"

After a slight delay, Sophie said, "Not really. She's more or less facing that direction."

Tristan grumbled. This is not how this is supposed to go. Even if she can't see me, if she can see the door opening... "Okay then, time to consider different ways in."

"I don't see any other entrances though," the astralist began.

"Sophie, think about it. Have you ever seen such a big building with only one door? Especially if it's meant to be a warehouse. It would be utterly idiotic to have everyone and everything that needed to enter or exit come through that single, tiny door. Think about if they were transporting cargo or the like!"

Sophie's eyes returned to their normal shade.

Sophie: That's actually a good point. Let's circle the building and see what we can find. Tristan: Do you or Sneakers happen to have any skills I don't know about that might make this easier? Sophie: Sadly no. But if this is an illusion, then we can rely on our basic senses to help us out. Try to keep a hand on the wall all the way around, for starters. And focus on any part of the walls that seem off, like it might slightly distort a shadow, or appear too clean. Tristan: Will do. I'll head left? Sophie: Yeah, and I'll try not to draw attention on the street. Stay in the shadows if possible. Tristan: See you on the other side. Sophie: Or wherever we find another entrance!

Doing as Sophie had recommended, Tristan placed the fingertips of his right hand against the side of the building, feeling the odd combination of a once-smooth texture that had been both pitted and gradually worn down by time and the elements. He decided to keep his hand just below the level of his waist, since that was where doorknobs and the like tended to be. Then he began to walk forward.

He made it all the way to the far corner of the alley and then about two thirds of the way down the building's longer side before he noticed something off about the wall just ahead of him. It was a lot like Sophie had described: a place where the shadows didn't quite fit. It wasn't much, but when compared directly to the wall Tristan was currently walking beside, he couldn't help but notice that the shadows were at a slightly different angle. It was almost like the image had been made when the sun was lower in the sky.

Sure enough, when Tristan got to that part of the wall, his fingers immediately felt the difference. There was a hidden frame of some sort! When his fingers moved past its edge, tracing where the surface sunk in and revealed the door itself, they seemed to vanish into the illusion. It was honestly pretty freaky, and when Tristan saw that all the fingers on his right hand suddenly just seemed to end at the big knuckle, he jerked away immediately. Luckily there was no snare or pain, and when he pulled back beyond the illusion again, his hand was still whole. That was a huge relief.

As he traced the invisible outline, he realized that it was much larger than he'd expected, stretching well above his head and beyond the reach of his arms. The texture on the inside of the frame was also different, almost grooved or slatted, like it was made of panels that locked together but, given that this was a door of some sort, could probably bend inward to allow the whole surface to rise and fall.

Tristan: I found something. A huge door, I think. Sophie: Which side? Tristan: Opposite the main road. Sophie: I'll be right there.

Sophie arrived almost a minute later, walking at a surprisingly leisurely pace, until Tristan realized that she was probably trying not to appear to be in a rush.

Smart as ever, he realized.

Silently, he indicated with his hand the rough outline of the magical illusion, and then he pushed his fingers past the boundary.

Sophie's eyes widened, and Tristan nodded appreciatively as he withdrew his hand.

Tristan: I also had an idea, but I wanted to run it by you first.

He removed the [Bane of Time] from his storage and held it out for her to potentially use [Identify] again, if she wanted.

Tristan: What if I tried to cut through the illusion with the [Minor Rune: Dispelling Edge]? Sophie: That... could work. Tristan: Yeah, or it could potentially warn her, right? Sophie: Right. Tristan: That's why I didn't just do it immediately. Sophie: Well, thanks for that consideration. Tristan: Do you think I should? I'm up to try it, but I'd be putting you much more at risk than myself, since she can't see me.

There was a moment's pause as Sophie clearly weighed the circumstances.

Sophie: Yeah, I say go for it. But do realize that she very well might sense this, especially if it's her illusion.

Tristan nodded and took up a position with the cutting edge of his sword just a finger's width from the illusionary wall. It wasn't exactly hard to hold the sword still there. He'd trained long enough, and his Strength and Endurance stats were high enough, that he probably could have held that pose for hours if not days.

But he was nervous, and anxious, and excited.

Tristan: Alright. Here we go.

Slowly, deliberately, he let the blade's tip drop just slightly. At the same time, he pushed ever so slightly forward himself, forcing his blade to meet the illusion.

It parted like a piece of cloth that had been stretched taut and then cut, peeling back along the quickly lengthening seam. The cut revealed the truth of what lay behind the illusion. The door was just as Tristan had predicted: wide, and clearly able to be raised or lowered from within.

But how are we supposed to get through this?

As more and more of the illusion fell apart, he was actually a bit surprised to see it covered more than merely the full width of the door. He was also a bit ashamed to realize that, once he'd found this door, he hadn't continued his search, and there was another door--a standard door this time--just a bit farther along the wall.

Well, I guess that answers that question.

Tristan: What are the odds of her watching this door less carefully than the other? Sophie: If she didn't notice the illusion being dispelled? Probably pretty high. Tristan: Can Sneakers tell if she noticed? Sophie: Hang on.

Several tense seconds passed as Tristan waited, not quite praying, but anxiously gripping the sword designed specifically for this very day.

Sophie: She doesn't seem to have broken her ritual, and I don't see a marked change in her positioning or movements. I think we may actually be good.

Tristan sighed in relief.

Tristan: Then the plan still holds. I go in first. You and Sneakers hold until my signal or first strike. Then we let her have it. Sophie: Yep, we'll come in with talons and scrolls primed and ready.

Just as Tristan was about to reach out and grab the handle, Sophie stopped him by grabbing his wrist. He wasn't sure why until the message came through party chat.

Sophie: Wait, let's just be a bit more careful this time. Cut through the door and lock this time. Just in case it's a different trap mechanism.

Tristan almost wanted to thump himself in the head for not thinking of that himself.

Tristan: Oh, yeah, good idea.

Backing up again, he repositioned his sword, placing the cutting edge against the doorknob with the tip aimed squarely at the keyhole. Then he gently pushed forward.

He was immediately glad he did. A bright silvery light immediately shone out around the point of contact, reminding Tristan of sparks flying off heated metal, but they were far faster and more numerous. He kept his sword in position, pushing slightly harder and harder, until the spray of sparks stopped.

Tristan: Wow, really good call. Sophie: Yeah... I know we've been saying this a lot lately, but seriously: be careful. We'll be right out here. Tristan: I know. We've got this. Just as we planned.

Swallowing, and waiting for a confirming nod from Sophie, Tristan then placed his hand upon the doorknob and twisted.

It opened without a sound--and without any magical traps going off either.

Here we go, he told himself.

And he walked into the warehouse to finally face off against the {Legendslayer} known as Timetwister.

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