Draconic Sphere Ω

Chapter 12: This Sunny Disposition Takes Maintainence

"Welcome back!" said Wintergreen sweetly as the party came into Feenschwanz's common hall by way of the kitchen. "Did the quest go well?"

"Ugggh," said Dandelion. "Kinda traumatic. No, scratch that... just traumatic, with no qualifiers. Get me my free beer, Winter. Human size, please."

"Of course," said Wintergreen, doing so.

"Just an almond milk for me, please," said Lacrie.

"Well, I think we fought valiantly. We vanquished all our foes!" cried Brunhild.

"That's nice," said Wintergreen, fetching Lacrie's drink. "The boss will be happy."

"Are we going to do this every day?" muttered Dandelion into her beer. "I'm going to need a therapist if I'm going to keep being comic relief for you guys. It might not look it, but this sunny disposition takes maintenance."

Kaergat and Brunhild asked for beers as well (Kaergat a Tödliche Riesenkatastrophe, and Brunhild a human-made beer called Sage and Thyme) and the four of them went to sit down at a table.

"I want to know more about the draconic spheres," said Kaergat. "Whatever is down in the sewers is no joke. We need to know what we're up against."

"Umm... the Draconic Spheres... what I know is that there are thirteen of them in the world. They can send you backwards or forwards in time. And, well, when you add their powers together they get stronger. If you have seven spheres then you have the power to go beyond the boundaries of time, before the beginning, or after the end... or to the Place Outside of Time."

"Who cares?" said Dandelion. "I mean... who gives a... no, that still came out wrong... I mean... what good is that?"

"I don't know," said Lacrie earnestly, "But my leader Cassandra says that if she can get to the Place Outside of Time she can become a deity."

The group was silent for a while. Finally Kaergat said, "And you want her to?"

Lacrie's face lit up. "Oh, Cassandra is the best! She's so special and so wise and such a good leader. Cassandra always knows what to do. And, well... we need a deity."

"Really?" asked Brunhild, through a mouthful of peanuts. "Don't you have one? The Light or whatever?"

"No," said Lacrie. "The Light is a Divine Principle. The clerics of the Brotherhood of Light draw their power from it, but we don't believe that any deity that currently exists reflects all of our beliefs and ideals."

"I see," said Kaergat, slowly. "So your Cassandra wants to get seven Spheres and become your goddess."

"She already is like my goddess!" squealed Lacrie. "But, yes, then she'd be able to grant our prayers and manage our religion from the other side of the Veil. It would give the Brotherhood a much stronger position in society, and in heaven too."

"Interesting... very interesting..." said Kaergat.

"I understand if that's weird," said Lacrie. "I would be cautious about helping to make a stranger I've never met into a deity too."

"The problem has never really come up till now," said Kaergat.

"What's for lunch, Wintergreen?" Brunhild yelled in the direction of the bar.

"Giant rat with a sauce made of smaller rats!" cried Wintergreen.

Lacrie looked nauseous. "Can we... go get a hot bunny?" she mumbled.

"And miss out on free rat?" protested Brunhild.

"Lacrie saved two of us from massive physical damage today – some of which might have been permanent," said Kaergat severely. "As far as I'm concerned we eat wherever she wants."

"Save me some rat, Wintergreen!" called Brunhild as they left.

"For me too, please!" added Dandelion.

"Sure, have a good time out there!" called Wintergreen back.

*

"Do you have a place in mind, Lacrie?" asked Dandelion as they stepped onto the street.

"I saw places selling hot bunnies in the main square," said Lacrie.

"Really, the main square? Isn't that a bit of a fancy-schmancy area?"

"They're just like stalls, I think it's because of the tournament that's going on there," said Lacrie.

Brunhild stopped in her tracks. After a few paces the others noticed and looked back at her.

"The tournament! We were so busy adventuring that I forgot!" cried Brunhild. "We have to go! It's nearly starting!"

"You like tournaments, Brunhild?" asked Lacrie.

"I have to go! This is like the event of the year, no, the decade! All of the coolest fighters will be there! You'll come with me, right?"

The others looked at each other a moment and shrugged. "No problem," said Kaergat.

"So long as I can smoke weed," said Dandelion.

"You are not allowed to smoke weed in the tournament," said Kaergat gruffly.

"Did I ask you if I was allowed to?"