The pounding from Russ’s hammer greeted us as we entered the vast hall that had once been the newbie skeleton area. It had been cleared out in minutes by either the Mistress or her Lich. I still couldn’t rightly judge how mana that would have taken or what kind of spell it would take to do such a thing in so little time. I looked up to see the same eerie light that filled the rest of the Mistress’ dungeon throughout its main corridors. The expanse between us and the ceiling varied . Near the entrance to our old base that contained the merchant shops, mess hall, barracks and armory, it only reaches about two stories high, but near the center of the room it climbed at least five stories in the air. As we had started construction, there always seemed to be numerous Light Orbs setting the room aglow, so seeing the heights of the room was now possible.

The dwarves seemed to work endlessly as they built the forge. Lydia, our alchemist, was always there and did very little fighting unless she had to, but it seemed her tireless work in alchemy gave her a fair amount of experience. She was undoubtedly the lowest level of all the captives, but still, she had nearly reached level 120, which was pretty impressive for a crafter.

I gave my Skeleton a mental command to head to Lydia’s lab. I always made a point to stop by and say hi to her, but she seemed to feel more comfortable with my minion than me, so I sent it to offer her the drops that might interest her.

We stopped by Russ, who was gripping a small blade in his tongs that glowed bright orange as he pounded on it with his hammer. Everything was in place. He had a stand that stood off to the side with three crafting books opened and lying atop of one another as if he used one book as a bookmark for the next. His furnace was alive with mature coals and each tool was hanging in its place on his tool rack.

Pooling mana around my eyes to connect with the magic around me had started to become an obsession. After feeling the connection I had with Lord Darius when I had used Force Learned magic on him as he died, I couldn’t get enough. After the battle, I had feared Blood Drain would cause me to lust for blood like a vampire, but that had proved to be untrue. The true danger was that I couldn’t get the memory of what it felt like to connect with the realm of magic. The worst part was that magic seemed to be everywhere and in everything.

The form of Creature Observation that gave sight into the realm of magic that required a constant flow of mana to keep active was Mana Sight.

Russ wasn’t capable of casting magic, but as he practiced his craft, I was able to see the subtle glow that exude from his large form. I amped the mana I used to 500 mana per minute to enhance my vision. Time seemed to slow as my senses became more aware of the magic around me. To use Force Learn as I had with Lord Darius it would take thousands of mana that had to be unleashed all at a single moment. I had already tried as much on Russ, but I suspected I wasn’t able to enter into the magic inside him because he wasn’t in a weakened state. I could be wrong though. It could also be that he hadn’t unlocked any magic alignment.

He had once been an overweight teen that dreamed of little else than gaming and the fantasies they provided him. This place had changed him. Russ had shed his body fat, but instead of losing weight he was transformed into a small titan of muscle. It wasn’t the shredded muscle of Skyler, our melee damage dealer, but it was firm and practical. His genius was his constitution. Mixed with his talent for blacksmithing, I wouldn’t doubt he could wield his hammer non-stop for forty-eight hours straight.

I could almost see visibly currently of magic flow through him, which made me suspect this is just how his body channeled the magic he possessed. Since I was barred from seeing everything, I could at least feel the magic as it worked with the muscles in his arm, shoulder and back to lift and direct his hammer. His connection with the hammer was the most interesting part. The magic inside of him didn’t so much as enter into the hammer but joined with it providing it fuel and purpose. This wasn’t one of the advanced hammers the dwarves had mentioned that could contain magic themselves, but a simple tool of steel and wood.

Drawing my eyes away from him, I once again looked up toward the ceiling. Magic floated about in clouds of dull, translucent color. I knew some of the magic was from the dozen or so light orbs that hung in the air overhead, but the blue and green currents between them and all around was something else entirely. I suspected that all matter possessed magic.

Turning to Aeris, she was looking at me with her hands on her hips, annoyed.

Before releasing the spell, I took a few moments, that would only seem like a second to her, and examined the silvery energy all around her. She had allowed me to do an experiment and I confirmed there seemed to be a barely perceptible breeze coming off of her, but I didn’t know if this was really magic or air itself. Since I could see in it using magic my best guess what that it was both. There was so much that we just didn’t know.

With a sigh, I lowered my eyes to the chains of shadow that was fastened around her neck. We each had one and I knew this to be the Mistress’ spell to funnel our excess energy from us to her. The chain was not perceptible without Creature Observation, but with it I was able to see it hovering in the air toward the Mistress’s chambers. The walls between us didn’t matter. It passed right through them like they weren’t even there.

One positive was that since I could see the chain, I would always know where the Mistress was. I didn’t know what use I could make out of it, but eventually it might come in handy. Not only could she use it to always track us down, but I could always find her.

“Sorry.” I said as I dropped most of the mana from my eyes. I kept 20 mana per minute funneled into the spell even if the mana around me was only barely visible while doing it. Time didn’t slow with this small amount, so it was worth it. I could still see enough that if there was anything strange change in the magic realm I should notice it. At least, that was my hope.

With a nod, Aeris lowered her hands from her hips and turned to Russ. “Hey big guy!”

He didn’t stop what he was doing immediately but pounded on the short blade two more times before lifting it from his anvil and examining it. With a nod to himself, he walked over to a thick wooden table, placed his blade in a vice and tightened it until he felt it was secure, then sat his hammer and tongs on the table.

With a big grin, he looked to Aeris and said, “Hey Aeris! How was the haul?”

“Better than the last one, I think.” She replied.

“Oh?”

There were five crates that stood open and came up to just over my knee that were already filled with different kinds of ore. We both took turns unloading the different kinds of ore we had picked up from the Rock Lizards.

“It looks like you will soon need more crates.” Aeris continued after unloading her inventory.

“So it does. Thank you again for clearing the place out.” Russ replied as he looked from crate to crate like a toddler with a new toy.

After saying our farewells, we headed toward the mess hall.

“You’re really quiet.” Aeris said, brushing up against me as we walked.

“I’m brooding over what to do next.” I replied.

She stopped and was looking at me like I had lost my bacon. “You can’t say you’re brooding.”

Raising a brow, I asked, “Why?”

“It just sounds weird. You can say that about someone else, but never about yourself. It makes you sound like a teen celebrity that is trying to say something really deep and fails terribly. Besides, the best brooding is done silently.”

“I get your point. So, your advice to me is to stop talking? That way my brooding will be more genuine…”

Aeris crossed her arms across her chest and glared at me.

Holding my hands up to beg for peace, I added, “I think I just need taquitos to dip in some ranch dressing to cheer me up.”

“I’m sure you do. We should hire an imp to follow us around just to carry all of your snacks,” she replied.

“You think we could do that?”

Her glare narrowed to a razors edge.

***

“Taquitos please!” I called as soon as we entered the mess hall.

Little had changed here. The eight stone tables with benches for sitting were now joined to the long table near the back of the room near the counter where our mostly friendly imp waited on us. The table had once held bread and water bottles for me and my fellow captives. We had quickly emptied it and just as quickly outgrew it, having plenty of coin to purchase our own food now.

No one else was here, but Aeris and me, not including our host imp. He had proved to be very helpful after my actions of warning the Mistress had delivered a bag of coins into his possession.

“Ello, sir!” The flying creature called from behind the counter. “Taquitos it is, with a bowl of ranch?”

“You know me so well.”

The imp made almost a choking sound as his chest vibrated in response to my compliment. Was he purring?

We walked through the mist of the tables and up toward the counter. As we did Aeris asked, “Do you have anything that could lighten a sour mood?”

She looked at me like I was a spoiled meat.

“I do.” The imp replied as he flew off to the side to prepare my snack in the kitchen.

“Really?” Aeris replied, looking to me wide eyed. “I was teasing, but if you really got something…”

“Ha!” I said sarcastically.

“Well,” The imp said from the back as he worked, “I’m not sure you humans could stomach it. The Mistress said that humans are picky eaters.”

“Oh. I guess that’s true,” Aeris replied, “But, since you mentioned it, what is it?”

“You have a few options. Dried Weat Mushrooms give good dreams but also cause drowsiness. Muck-cow Milk causes euphoria, but to the point of short term insanity. Although, if you use Muck-cow Milk to cook with, something like cave-swine hind chops will give you a mild dose without the insanity. There are a few other things, but that is probably your best option.”

“Did you say cave-swine?” I asked, suddenly more intrigued than grossed out.

“Yes.” He said, coming around the corner and rejoining us at the counter. “Did you want me to add some to your order? Its more expensive than what you are used to because of the ingredient’s properties.”

“What are cave-swine exactly?”

“You are seriously considering this?” Aeris whispered in my ear.

I gave her a wink.

“They are similar to what you would think of as pigs, except their first form is about twice as large. They taste very similar, but their ability to absorb the properties of other ingredients is top of the line. Most Underworld meat is like that to an extent.”

“Interesting.” I said, scratching at my chin. “Two things. What do you mean by their first form and can you make them into bacon?”

“They have at least two other forms. Their first evolution is into a humanoid type creature that is much smaller than their first form, but they’re are fast and vicious with their tusks. They don’t taste very good during their second form. In their third form they stand about a head taller than you humans and gain intelligence, including the ability to speak. Though I use the term intelligent loosely. They do taste the best in their final form, but its hard to come by so they become really expensive. To answer your second question, yes. In their first form they make excellent bacon.”

“I take some then.”

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Aeris said, wiping her forehead with her hand.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” the imp said. “I’ll give you the Muck-cow Milk in the form of a dressing so that you get the same mild effects I was talking about.”

“Uh. Okay. How much will it cost?”

“The taquitos will be 550 coins and the cave-swine bacon with Much-cow Milk dressing will be 2,200.

“2,200?!” I said, taken aback.

“Yes. I think you will find the effects worth the money.” He replied, making the same purring noise from before.

“Why not.”

***

“You are really going to eat that?” Aeris asked from her side of the table.

In front of her she had a plate holding half of the taquitos and a small bowl of ranch. I had the same, but also a separate place with three large strips that resembled bacon in look and smell. The only thing that was obviously different was the size of the strips. Each strip was about the size of my arm in length and three times wider than a normal strip. They were still cut in the same thickness common to bacon, so I wouldn’t need monster teeth to eat them.

The Much-cow Milk dressing smelled a lot like a creamy alfredo sauce. My interest was as much in it as it was in the bacon, although, my taste buds mostly just wanted the bacon.

“Nothing like having bacon for brunch.” I said, with a grin.

“I think its still too early for brunch.” Aeris said, sighing.

I nudged her with my elbow.

“Here goes nothing.” I announced.

Picking up my first strip, I took a small bite from one end. The juices that could come from nothing other than bacon filled the back of my throat as I swallowed greedily.

Looking up to Aeris, I chewed, trying to hide my excitement. The corners of my mouth turned up almost against my will.

“It’s so good!” I said.

“Really?” She said, shifting back in her seat.

“Seriously. I can’t tell the difference.”

She looked at my plate in suspicion, but also with renewed interest.

“Go ahead. I won’t tell anyone you ate cave-pig.”

She didn’t answer but reached toward my plate slowly. Not only did she take some, but instead of breaking off a small piece she took an entire strip. She nibbled on one end, then a few seconds later took a larger bite.

“This really is good.” She said with food still in her mouth.

“I’m curious.” I said, focusing my eye on my plate. I increased the mana flow to my eyes. As the world of magic became clearer, the food before me lit up like little strips of magic goodness. The taquitos also had a certain glow to them, but it was nothing compared to the Cave-swine bacon. There really was no color to the light, meaning it was probably just magical energy that had no real purpose. Immediately I speculated that because Underworld creatures were bred, born and raised around so much magic that their very existence possessed more magic than creatures from the world above.

The Muck-cow Milk dressing was just as bright but shone an amber color. Dipping my bacon in it, I took a bite while keeping the mana flowing to my eyes. In moments, the white energy that I saw coming from my own body started to turn the same color as the dressing. I realized in that moment that if we could digest magic and make use out of it that this could become a big source of progression for all of us.

In my excitement, I almost didn’t realize I had started to feel the effects of the magic the dressing had filled me with. I felt my ears and brow perk up and my spirit with them. I let the flow of magic to my eyes lessen as I looked up at Aeris.

“If you want to feel as beautiful as you look, you need to try this stuff.” I said, genuinely wanting her to feel this.

“Beautiful huh?” She leaned forward and put her chin in her hand. “Elorion, are you high?”

“I think so, but not in the way that you are thinking. My mind is clear, but my mood is, elevated. It’s more like the effects of caffeine than being drunk. Except, its not just my energy level that has peaked. It’s like the magic is flooding my system with a warm feeling.

“First, you’re brooding and now you are under a happy spell. Will this day get any stranger?”

“Yes. I can confirmed that there is magic in the bacon and dressing.”

She couldn’t help, but to burst out laughing. “Magic bacon! Its just what you always wanted.”

“I think it might be much more amazing than that. Not only does this food possess magic, but I think we might be able to manipulate it to make some kind of super food. Aeris. What if I can add healing magic to this bacon? Everyone could use it to heal and recover from exhaustion whether I was here or not.”

“You would really share so much bacon?” She asked, teasing me.

“Very funny.”

I hadn’t been paying attention enough to realize she had dipped her own bacon into the Muck-Cow Mild dressing. She took another bite and I saw her aura start to change color. Intensifying the magic to my eyes, I saw her silvery aura mix with amber.

“How does it feel?”

“If I really look at good as I feel right now, I think I’m probably too good for you.” She said with a snort.

Caught off guard, I found myself staring at her, my mouth agape.

With a charming shrug, she dipped her bacon strip back into the dressing and took a much more generous bite.

“This was a good idea, Elorion. I definitely don’t feel drunk, but I have a feeling I’m bound to make just as stupid decisions. Like watch this.”

She dipped her bacon in the dish again and took another large bite.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.

“Yes.” She said, pointing her bacon at me matter-of-factly. “The only problem is that I have a sudden urge to dance. Don’t mind me.”

Suddenly, she was standing on the bench she had been sitting on and hopped from it to our table.

“There is a problem with wearing all this armor. It’s so cumbersome” She said, beginning to unfasten her armor.

Her hands began to work faster than seemed natural. After her pauldron, shoulder armor, was removed, her vambraces, counters and rerebraces were off in seconds. After her arms were free she was out of her armor in moments. It was scary how swiftly she moved, and I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the bacon and dressing. Under her armor and gambeson she still had a pink long sleeve shirt and pants that resembled black sweat pants.

“Welp, if you aren’t going to get up here and dance with me, I’ll just have to dance by myself.” She said, with a smirk.

With that she was airborne. Flipping back, she moved as if she had spent her life as an acrobat. As she landed a table away, nothing but the ball of a single foot met the tabletop. She cradled herself with nothing but the strength of her calf muscle. I realized then that there wasn’t an acrobat alive that could land with so little effort. Remembering that her talent was in Dexterity as well as Wind Magic, I wondered if she had been hiding her ability.

She spun and leaped from table to table as if she was a child and gravity was her play thing.

It was a moment of silliness, but it sobered me enough as I watched her get faster and more creative with her flips. In time she would as elusive as the wind. Did she know how much potential she had? That was a dumb question. I knew that she had to have thought about it. There was nothing stupid about her. With increased Wisdom, it was probably something she couldn’t help to think about even if she didn’t want to. I seemed to be becoming even more introspective the more my mental stats increased, so I was sure it was the same for her.

Then suddenly, she bounded from one table to another on the far side of the room and then jumped. Landing against the wall, her momentum didn’t stop there, she launched herself back and flipped with a spin. Like a tumbling corkscrew, she floated back toward the table. As soon as she landed she was off again flipping sideways to take advantage of the spin. She neared until she was a table away.

With a final jump, her spinning stopped, and she launched herself high in the air. Her arms were out as she slowly flipped forward as if she was enjoying the feel of the air while she was along for the ride.

At the last moment, I realized where her momentum was carrying her. It was too late to move. A rush of wind surged down against my hair and all around me. I felt a chill go down my spine.

Looking up, I saw Aeris, who had landed on my head. I felt her foot move to my shoulder and then her other foot settled on the other. She had turned about and was bending down to look me in the eye. Her eyes were as full of glee.

“You’re upside down.” I replied. At the same time, I marveled that it felt like she weighed almost nothing.

Reaching down, I dipped my bacon strip into the dressing once more.

“I don’t know.” She replied with a wink. “To me, every direction seems like it’s right side up.”

“I’m second guessing whether this dressing is a good idea. If I have another bite, I fear I’ll start dancing on top of the lunch room table.”

“Oh. That doesn’t sound so bad. Eat some more. I would really like to see that.”

“You should have thought about that before you put on the greatest gymnastics routine in human history. Now all I want to do is sit back and admire you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, mister.”

“I think it will.” I said, giving her my creepiest grin.

“Maybe.”

Without another thought I took a bite. The feeling of levity increased, but only slightly. It seemed the dressing wouldn’t have an exact accumulative effect. Still, I took a few more before standing up from my seat with Aeris still on my shoulders.

“Where are you going?” She asked, mischievously.

“I really have a sudden urge to cause some trouble. Want to find Skyler’s group, go invisible, and steal their kills just to give them a hard time?”

“What?! No. Okay, yes. But, not all of their kills.”

“Right. Just enough to make them think they are going crazy. If we are found out when can give them some of our new magic sauce.”

“No to the sauce. I don’t want to share.”

I raised my brow in question.

Her mouth pursed as she shrugged.