Tad came through the portal to find Nico still holding one of the children who couldn't stand on his own. It looked like the child was missing a foot. Tad's face grimaced as he walked over and started casting heal spells till his mana was low.

He saw three smaller children, two adolescents, both injured, one missing a foot, another missing an eye, one older woman with a wound running up her side, and one man with a missing arm. The constant casting of his heal spell was tiring him. He was keeping an eye on the Kyon and also was watching him with his empathy. The creature was playing dead at the moment, lying there, very confused. Tad let him be till he had healed all he could.

Tad turned back to the Kyon his voice was like ice. He was trying to control his anger, "Nico, please take these people to the cook fire area and get them some food. I have some business to take care of. " He nodded to Lamruil, who had placed the unconscious man on the floor at some point while Tad was healing. Then he walked over to the Kyon on the path in front of the portal.

Tad almost shouted, "Stand. " He trusted his language charm to translate his command for him. He waited for the Kyon on the ground. The creature was still playing dead, so Tad pushed some energia into Galadinidú, his staff casting his spell Hotfoot, which created a four-foot-wide area that heated the stone. He tapped the flagon under the Kyon and waited. He could see smoke rise from its fur before the creature finally stood up, jumping out of the heated area. It tried to run, and two quick strikes later, it was back on the ground holding its knee Tad had struck with some force.

The Kyon barked, "I surrender, I surrender!"

Tad stood in front of the creature who was now trying to inch away from him. "I am going to ask some questions, and you are going to answer them. "

The Kyon shook its head in agreement several times. Tad could feel it was a ruse. Tad was going to try this the easy way first.

Tad spoke slowly, "Why did you attack the village and kill all those people?"

The Kyon barked its language, "The great Achon Yazkan brought us together to take back our ancestral lands from the cat peoples and their allies. "

Tad felt a flicker around the Kyon's mind when he spoke, "Who is this great Achon?" Tad didn't know what an Achon was, he assumed a leader.

The Kyon tried to speak, then it started having a seizure. Tad felt something in its mind then, and Tad pushed his soulmancy space out and latched onto it using his Hold Ssoulmancy Creature power. It was a small void creature, and it squirmed, trying to get away from his hold, but Tad held it there. Trapping it in his soulspace. The Kyon was now frothing at the mouth convulsing. The small void creature whatever it was, didn't want the Kyon talking, it appeared. Were these things in all of the Kyon or just the leaders? The other Kyon had fled when the void creature imitating their leader had been exposed. What was this thing?

Tad watched the void slug, or whatever it was. It was pure magic and not a corporeal creature like the larger void creature. For that matter, he didn't even know if it was alive.

He projected to Jack, "Jack, I could use some assistance. " It took several moments for Jack to appear.

"What is going on Kid? Whoa, what is that? " Jack trotted forward as his unicorn horn started to glow. Tad had never seen that before. What was he doing?

Jack moved forward and touched the tip of his horn to the void slug. The creature shuddered, and there was a scream in Tad's mind. Then in burst into golden flames and, in a few seconds, was gone from Tad's soulspace.

"Kid, your playing with fire, bringing that thing so close to your soulspace. Next time trap it where it is and kill it outside, don't bring it inside. They are dangerous. " said Jack.

Tad looked at the unicorn who had just walked in and killed his captive like it was just another day in the park. "What was that, Jack?"

"That was one of the many void creatures you want to avoid. I haven't seen one in a very long time. The last one was in a bar I used to own long ago. They are not to be played with, and they can cause you all types of problems if they get inside your soul. Like that bastard over there. " said Jack projecting an image of the now-dead Kyon.

"Where did it come from? And that Kyon there was serving a void creature, a much bigger void creature like the one…." Tad trailed off as his thoughts started to collect themselves.

"Jack, that thing was serving the void creature that had taken the place of its leader. That was the same type of creature I fought before at the World Egg and had almost gotten me killed when it masqueraded as the dwarf leader Yoroula. What is going on with these things? Is this connected to Samphire? " asked Tad, still thinking.

Jack turned back towards Tad, "Possibly, I've never heard of this many being outside the void. Yea, sometimes those slugs can turn up, but it is rare to see the larger creatures leaving the void. They start to disintegrate if they are separated from the void for too long. It is almost impossible to summon one too. Perhaps your goddess can give you more information, like how they aren't disintegrating. "

Tad nodded, "Thanks, Jack. I have to go help some folks. Then I'll see if I can get an answer." Then Tad closed his soulspace. He was still standing in front of the now-dead Kyon as blood flowed out of its mouth and its eyes staring off blankly. Tad could not sense life in it now.

Tad turned to help the rescued people. There was a small crowd of carnival and other folks forming around those rescued. Tad could see several of the beastkin and some of the new people helping escort the injured into the cathedral.

Tad had seen four people with injuries he could not fully heal. He had mushrooms growing down in the cavern that could help. He motioned to Nico and Lamruil, then went down the temple stairs.

They made their way down the long tunnel from the lower temple that led under the lake towards the ruined city.

Tad had spent most of the walk trying to figure out why they kept running into void creatures, "Fella's, I'm not sure where to start with everything going on right now. I don't think that will be the last void creature we see. "

Nico spoke up first, "That is three, right? Why was there one leading the Kyons? "

"No, it's the fifth if you count the slug I pulled out of that small one's head, " said Tad as he stopped in front of the construct repair room.

Lamruil looked questioningly at Tad, "Five? Even with the slug that is four, isn't it? " asked the elf.

"No, I haven't talked about this, but there was one when I was captured trying to find Beothorn. This was before you joined, but I was sent through a portal by Samphire to find Beothorn. I was confronted by a demon and a massive void creature, it was much larger than those we slew. I'm certain now the whole thing was a trap to capture Samphire. Instead of going through the portal he created, he sent me instead. " said Tad.

Nico looked surprised, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Tad frowned, he didn't know why really, "I didn't think it was important before. Or perhaps it was important, and I shouldn't talk about it, but I'm talking about it now. I can hardly remember it, but that void creature was much larger and stronger than these. Something is going on we are not aware of. Before, I was not putting it all together, but now I am certain they are all linked somehow. "

Nico whistled, "This is way out of our league Tad. We can barely deal with the small ones. All though I do like these new daggers. They build up venom, the creepy green stuff, and when I poked that last one with them, they did a real bit of damage to him. " Nico pulled one of the two daggers from his belt, holding it in front of him.

"Yea, those are going to be really handy. I think we should try to find an antidote, though, just in case of an accident. I'll see what Max knows when we see him again. Lamruil, I have something for you that might help. I know you have those blades, but I think we need to find something to make that bow work. If I'm going to be upfront keeping their attention. It would be handy if you could hurt void creatures from any location. " Tad reached to his belt and pulled out the Crystal dagger of the Drake. "I think this dagger has lightning magic like your short swords so that won't help you, but what we are going to do is go talk to my friend Jared. If there is anyone that can help us, he is the man."

Tad handed the dagger to Lamruil, "He has other items for sale. I will talk more about it once we see him. Right now, hang onto this dagger. Your magic will work better with it than mine. Also, when we get a chance, could you show me that haste spell you keep using? "

Lamruil took the dagger out of the sheath Tad had put it in. It was a thin crystal blade made from a drakes fang according to Tad's identify spell. It works with lightning magic, which Tad didn't have. Lamruil waved it around, and lightning started to run along its length. It was just a bit shorter than Lamruils short swords, which also had a lightning enchantment on them. Lamruil would have to test it and see if it works better.

"Ok then, let us see how this improved repair construct is doing. Gweleth said she improved it. Let's see how well it is doing. " said Tad as he pushed the door open. He stood there casting three more magic lights out across the room.

He nodded as he looked at the content. Where there used to be dozens of broken statues that Tad had released the free spirits from, he now saw dozens of statues that looked repaired and several piles of stone parts. Several of the repaired constructs had auras. Four of the constructs were repaired temple guardians that had been damaged by Samathe in their fight. Three of them were a different type. Tad brought the lights closer as he inspected them. These each had the strange six-fingered hands that Tad had first seen on the farm constructs in the valley. Well, they must be labor constructs then, that is good. The valley could use the help, and he hadn't even asked about the fields yet.

Tad looked over at the table in the corner, and the repair construct was just standing there. He looked at the construct through the control torque and with his magic sight. Tad saw that both of its hands glowed with the magic of enchantment.

Tad nodded to the repair construct, "Good job. Did Gweleth tell you anything else you could do with those enchanted hands? Can you repair the masonry or other stone? "

The construct just stared at him.

Tad sighed. Well, she didn't improve it's intellect. He would have to find out later right now he was happy to have these seven working constructs. He quickly told four guards to return to their alcoves in the temple and guard Zanna, who was still in the middle of the light and mana beam. He looked at the three farmer constructs.

Tad commanded the farmhand constructs to follow at ten paces, and then the three men filed out the door behind the temple guardians. They turned towards the mushroom cavern below.

It was only a couple of minutes of walking, but they had to stop several times. When you tell three constructs to follow at ten paces, they tend to shove each other, all trying to be ten paces. Nico found it funny until Tad finally gave them a command to march in order and set them two paces apart.

Constructs were very literal, it appeared. They had almost no ability to think beyond simple commands.

With their construct escort, the three made it down to the Blood Mushroom. "That is what I'm calling a Blood Mushroom. Those pods contain blood that Gweleth thinks will keep the vampires from eating real people. " Tad pointed up into the shadows cast by the blue light of the nearby mushroom caps.

Nico perked up, "Is that where those steaks came from? Those were amazing. " He was walking around looking at the several hanging pods above.

Tad raised his eyebrows, "Steaks? "

Lamruil was still looking up, "Those were a real hit at the party. They were cut up into smaller cubes and passed around in bowls. Everyone was trying to get some after a while. They had a pleasant flavor. Do they come from those pods? "

Tad sighed. He hadn't even gotten any, "Yes, there might be more tonight. I believe Kettle had to use some for that vampire we woke. "

Nico was looking for a way to climb up to the pods, "Well, they were a real hit. You might want to post a guard down here to keep folks from sneaking down and taking some. "

Tad nodded and turned to the lower plot of soil where the goddess had planted the smaller healing mushrooms. Tad had received the mushrooms as a gift from Naeryndam Balneiros, the heart guardian of elvin city of Balneiros where Lamruil was born. "Lamruil do you remember these? " Tad pointed at the dozens of mushrooms growing there. Then picked the largest one. He was looking at it with his magic site and could see the green and yellow mana flowing through the plant. Just one of these had restored his scarred ear and his lost finger. He was hoping they would work on the beastkin they had just rescued.

Lamruil was by his side in a second, looking down at the mushrooms sounding very enthusiastic, "You know what a magnificent gift this is? These mushrooms are so rare on my plane that only the most powerful of kings could have even a small number of them. Here you have dozens. How is this possible? "

"The goddess Niucrelath planted them after finding the older mushroom in my pouch. I think we need to spread the seeds out, except I am not sure where the seeds are, " said Tad.

Lamruil nodded and gently took the mushroom from Tad's hand. He walked over to the planter, tapped the area under the mushroom cap several times, then shook it gently as a small cloud of brown dirt fell from it. "Mushrooms grow from spores. The spores of this mushroom are from below the cap. When they mature, you can shake them like this, and what spores are there will fall. The older they get, the more they will have, but this is a great number. These mushrooms usually take many months to grow. I do not know what the goddess did, but you should not tell anyone about the wealth you have down here. You might have an invasion of elves to deal with if they find out. " He pulled a second mushroom out of the soil and walked over to another planter that was empty except for a large light-emitting mushroom stalk the size of a tree trunk, and he shook the mushroom around the soil below it.

"There, these two should be enough for six people. Each mushroom can heal up to three people if you cut it properly. I believe I can do this. I read about it extensively when I was younger in school. I didn't think I'd ever get to handle one. There is an Elvin tale for children that explains the steps on how to prepare them. " said Lamruil.

Tad smiled, "Great, you can show us then. We should get back upstairs, but let's see if I can get these constructs to tend the cavern first. "

Tad commanded each construct to work on different plants. One was to tend the Blood Mushroom, ensuring it had enough water and waste soil. The construct was to find Tad if it couldn't provide enough to keep the mushroom healthy. The second, he put to tending and spreading any mushroom spores from the healing mushrooms. The third, he set to tending all the other many planters in the cavern and keeping the floor clean of buildup. All three were told not to harm any of the plants, no matter what happened. He watched for a few minutes as the constructs walked around turning soil. The second one was picking up dirt that contained many spores and spreading it out in the planters. Interesting, perhaps there were more seeds than Tad had originally thought.

"Ok, let's get these mushrooms up top," said Tad as he led the way back up the stairs and into the tunnel.

***