Chương 78: A Wellspring Which Waters Its Own Roots

As soon as they got Twitch set up with enough mana to get him to level 2, Zach and Thomas teleported back to Tahoe to check on the kids. Watching for the moment Twitch stepped out into the courtyard, alone, had taken hours, and Thomas could feel the day slipping away from him. Every minute they wasted was another minute Jo might be suffering. Part of him just wanted to start the rescue now and damn the consequences.

The other, rational part knew preparation was necessary to make sure they weren't captured along with her, or worse. Also, Derek still hadn't returned his calls. That was really pissing him off. Zach chose a teleport location about twenty feet away from the Chipmunk Forest Fire dungeon. The area was clear. There was no sign anyone official had tracked them there yet. The kids were likely at the lakeside beach, a couple hundred feet away. Thomas turned and started walking that way.

"This is risky, Mana Man," Zach said, falling into step next to him. Thomas glanced his way.

"I know, but it's a bad idea to head straight to Jo before we see what Hathas got us. We'll need weapons, and I plan on trying to reach level 4, if I can." Zach shook his head, hands stuffed deep in his pockets.

"No, that's the right play. It's just, that guy, Twitch. His vibe is all off."

"I mean, he's a criminal," Thomas said, though inwardly he agreed.

"If he's just going to take the mana we left him and run, I'd rather know now than later." Plus, he wasn't going to sit there and play prison warden.

"I'm not worried about him running off," Zach said unexpectedly, then paused, pursing his lips in thought. Finally, he shook his head.

"I'm worried about his mana. He's chose straight-up level 1 Earth to get to level 2, right? He declined the Water." Thomas stopped.

"That's right. Then once he hits level 2, I figured he could try the Metal mana we picked up in the last dungeon to go with the Earth. Why? You think that's a bad idea?" Zach looked up to the sky, considering. Finally, he nodded.

"Think of it like this: He's just been a prisoner. You saw how he freaked out about the ankle monitor, and when given the choice, the first thing he wants is Earth, which is stable and probably feels safe right now. But that guy is, like, super classic ADHD. He can't sit still for a second, and suddenly he wants an unmovable mana?" Frankly, Thomas's thought process went along the lines of,"Twitch will be our tank. He should have something solid," and Twitch didn't have any complaints.

He trusted Zach's insight on mana, though.

"So you think we should tell him to take Water for his next layer?"

"I think it should go further. You still got that Sound mana crystal?" Thomas shook his head.

"Gave it to Hathas, with practically all the rest of the loot. Plus, it was level 4. That'll knock him on his ass." They both had offloaded everything but the bare minimum they intended to keep. The only thing Thomas had personally kept was what he thought they could use to push Twitch to level 3 in a hurry, his old notice-me-not cloak, plus the vial of unicorn blood. He still didn't know what to do with Problem Child, long term, but figured he shouldn't get rid of unicorn-related items until then.

"Forgot that Sound was level 4," Zach said, with a shrug.

"If Air weren't opposite to Earth, I'd suggest that. He definitely needs something to balance him out, or I'm worried he'll get locked in the state he's in now, and I can tell that's not a good place to be." Thomas nodded.

"Okay. I'll talk to him when I get back, assuming he's still there," he added with a wry smile.

"He will be," Zach said confidently. Thomas shrugged in reply, and they turned to go check on the kids. The beach wasn't too far away, and the kids were all visible a little ways off, sitting in the shade cast by some of the pines. They all had ice creams in hand, and other than Braxton looking a little sunburned, none seemed worse for wear. On seeing them, Mariah perked up.

"Do you have any news about my mom?"

"Not yet, but we think we have a location for where they took her," Thomas said.

"Can I go with you if—""No," Thomas said firmly.

"You don't have your Gift yet, but we have a place to keep you all safe."

"We're not going back to the apartment?" Braxton asked.

"No, dumbass," said Kingston.

"Those fake cops will get Uncle Thomas and Zach. Then we'll be taken by CPS. Duh."

"Don't call him a dumbass," Thomas said, noting again that the kids hadn't brought up their father once yet. Zach gestured to the side with his head, and Thomas nodded at him: Yeah, he could take it from here. A moment later, Zach popped away. He wanted to go to his locker to grab Kevin and his stuff. Then maybe ask around and see if there had been any other raids for higher levels, or if they'd just gotten the short straw. Meanwhile, Thomas ushered the kids further up the beach to a nearby picnic bench.

The whole area wasn't as crowded as it would normally be on a summer's day, but there were still too many people to accidentally overhear something. After getting them settled and shooing away a Canada goose that was eyeballing them for treats, Thomas began.

"Like I said, we have a safe place for you, but... this is going to take a bit of explanation." It actually took less time than he expected. Mariah and Ashton had told the others what Mariah had seen when the elves took her mother, so the basic concept was already locked in their minds. It was left to Thomas to reinforce that Dark elves were different—and yes, they were aliens.

"And don't call them Na'vi," he added.

"But how do you know you can trust them?" Mariah asked flat out. She had been staring at Thomas the entire time with an unimpressed expression.

"Because these are Dark Elves, and they're our allies. The ones who took Jo were Light Elves and—well, they don't get along."

"But she's okay, right?" Mariah asked again. Thomas didn't blame her at all for being anxious.

"Yes. Zach can tell, and says she's still fine." At least, she was still alive. Thomas was certain he could fix the rest. Zach chose that moment to pop back in. He had his space-expanding messenger bag and Kevin on his shoulder.

"All right," he said with an enthusiastic clap of his hands.

"Who wants to go to another world? Wait, Thomas got to that part, right?"

"Just did," Thomas confirmed, standing.

"Will they have food there?" Braxton asked.

"Can I take Problem Child?" The unicorn was in his arms again, having a little siesta. Apparently, threatening everything within twenty feet of its charges was tiring work.

"Yes, please take Problem Child," Thomas muttered before adding louder, "The food's rainbow-colored but tastes just fine. And yes, I want Problem Child with you guys whenever possible. Its job is to protect you. Zach can answer your questions about Elf World. I gotta make a call real quick before we go." Leaving his friend out to dry, he quickly walked off and checked his phone. There were no missed calls from Derek, nor had he texted about his kids. Letting out an annoyed breath, Thomas called him.

The phone rang twice before it was sent immediately to voicemail.

"Are you kidding?" he muttered, then decided to text. Thomas: Pick up your damn phone. This is an emergency. A moment after sending the text, the indicator changed from 'delivered' to 'read'. Thomas waited a few seconds, hoping Derek would call him instead. The phone remained silent. He called again, and this time he was sent immediately to voicemail. Derek had turned off his phone. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

Jabbing the 'end call' button, Thomas resisted the urge to chuck the phone across the beach. It might scare the kids, and it wouldn't make him feel better. Could Derek have been taken by the elves? Thomas considered it but rejected it almost immediately. If that were the case, wouldn't he be answering the calls and trying to get him to go to a remote location somewhere? Something else was going on with his brother, though he could barely imagine what.

Thomas wasn't exactly going to text him and let him know he was taking his kids to another world. If he were compromised, they'd be screwed. Also, they were on the clock. He let out another long breath, put his phone back in his pocket, and relaxed his expression enough that he was certain when he returned to the picnic table, no one would know anything was up. Zach took one look at him and dropped Kevin on his shoulder. Damn it.

One teleport later and they were at the Reno Convention Center. The kids oohed and aahed at the instant location change, which made Zach preen a little. Apparently, this was much more impressive than just teleporting a mile to the lake. Thomas couldn't wait to see what their reaction would be to Aether. They led the kids around to a side entrance which kept them out of the actual marketplace and led straight to the back rooms.

The elfin elders had made an exception to keep the portal open during the daytime this one time for them. Just in case, Thomas checked his phone one last time before they hit the portal. No text or phone call from Derek.

"Asshole," he muttered. Then he put his phone away and helped herd the group into the hallway so they could cross over. Talia met them on the other side in all her elf glory. Thomas had the pleasure of seeing both Ashton's and Kingston's eyes bug out slightly at the sight of her. Braxton, bless his ten-year-old heart, seemed indifferent to her charms other than, of course, her being an elf. Thomas made the introductions and Talia smiled at the group in her bright way. Her attention focused on Ashton and Mariah.

"My apologies, I do not know human ages well. Are you two not diving yet?"

"Dungeon diving?" Ashton asked eagerly.

"I've been with Uncle Thomas a few times."

"They're both still 14," Thomas hastily explained. She nodded.

"Then perhaps it would be best to have them attend dungeon diving classes while they visit?"

"Wait, you have a school for dungeon diving?" Mariah asked.

"Oh yes, it is nothing compared to the Light of Ice elf's preparatory schools, of course, but anyone in this village who feels dungeon diving may be their path in life is encouraged to attend. There are three levels. You two would be in the eldest group. I believe Kingston would be eligible for the mid-level instructions while Braxton would receive the basics." She glanced at Thomas.

"As Mariah and Ashton are nearing the Gift threshold, they would be prepared with basic dungeon knowledge, tactics, weaponry, that sort of thing." As one, the kids turned to Thomas with pleading in their eyes.

"I actually attended it myself," Talia added, twisting the metaphorical knife.

"And through it, I learned that dungeon diving is not for me. However, it still contains valuable foundational knowledge, and I learned there are other ways to meaningfully contribute." Thomas held up his hand to stop her. He'd heard enough weirdness from Zach's childhood to be wary.

"Is this some sort of tournament deal where the kids have to fight each other for glory or to graduate? Because that's not happening." Talia gave a cheery laugh.

"I know of what you speak, and no. That sort of thing is reserved for special occasions among the high-ranking and nobility so the next generation may prove itself." Thomas still had no idea why literal children beating each other up would prove anything, but at least Mariah and his nephews wouldn't be involved.

"It's not that bad," Zach commented.

"I learned a lot."

"Additionally," Talia said, "while your children will be the only humans, they will not be the only non-elves in the school. We do have some dracon children, dwarves, and I believe a wraith-child." Again, the kids turned to him with big puppy-dog eyes. Kingston actually clasped his hands in front of him in a classic pleading pose. Thomas had never seen his nephews—especially Ashton—this enthusiastic about school, ever. Derek should be making this decision, but Derek wasn't here. Neither was Jo on Mariah's behalf.

"Then, yes, I guess they should," he said and hoped he wasn't making a huge mistake.

"Perfect," Talia said, over the nephews' whoops.

"I will escort them to your quarters and then get them enrolled. Elder Hathas, I believe, has returned from the marketplace. You should meet him in the conference room."

"Behave yourselves," Thomas said to the kids, not because he thought they wouldn't, but because it seemed like a good parental thing to say. It was surprisingly hard to turn away from them and walk down the hallway to the conference room. Kevin chirred, and Thomas absently reached up to pet his ridiculously soft orange tabby fur.

"Cheer up, dude," Zach said.

"I had lessons like that with cousins and branch families. It's good for kids to learn together."

"The older kids will be starting their classes at a disadvantage," Thomas fretted.

"Sure, but no one will have their Gift yet, so they won't be that far behind. They say dungeons are the great equalizer." He glanced at Thomas.

"So I take it your brother's still incommunicado?"

"Yup. It's weird. When I told him I had to get the kids out of the apartment, he said something about me babysitting. If the Light elves had gotten to him, wouldn't they want to use him to feed me misinformation or something?" He shook his head, not really wanting an answer.

"Something else is going on, but I don't have time for it." Specifically, Jo didn't have time for it.

"I'm sorry," Zach said sympathetically.

"I've never teleported the guy, so I can't key into his mana signature."

"I know." He let out a breath, then glanced over at Zach.

"Heard any news from the outside?" Zach casually looked around before stepping closer to Thomas, lowering his voice.

"No news of raids, but Twitch was right about prisons. They're emptying out big-time. No hint on why or where people are going."

"People are building private armies, you think?" Thomas asked. Zach hummed affirmatively but could say no more. They'd arrived at the conference room.

"Hathas," Zach said in satisfaction, grinning at the absolute spread of mana the elder elf had gotten for them.

"You're a real bro." Hathas looked like he wasn't sure if he should be offended or not. He settled with nodding in a dignified manner.

"I am very much aware of how to equip a team for a... dungeon dive." Right. They were going for a dungeon dive and officially not rescuing Jo from the Light elves because the Dark elves couldn't help them with that. They were playing a dangerous game with the System, but hopefully not as dangerous a game as the Light elves. And Hathas had really outdone himself when it came to shopping and had gotten more at better prices than Thomas was certain they could have if they shopped for themselves.

Thomas had received five more Mana crystals, all level five, which had probably come from the House of Healing, as well as level five Adaptation crystals and even two level five Light crystals, which was a big ask coming from the Dark elves. Of course, there was no Wellspring mana since that seemed to be restricted to High Nobility. Thomas had already counted on using his dwindling crystal to fill the gap.

Absorbing these level fives was going to be like getting punched repeatedly in the gut, but he would push through it. Zach had also received his fair share of Level 5 Teleportation mana, Fire mana, which wasn't as easy to procure here as it was on Earth (not that Level 5 was available on Earth yet), and Sky mana, which he was starting to prefer over Air mana. He had also received a bundle of dark sharpened blades, all neatly tied together.

"What are these?" Zach asked, hovering his hand over them.

"Shadow stilettos?"

"Shards of pure Shadow mana. Level three, of course," Hathas said smoothly, "in keeping with your planet's restrictions." Zach looked up sharply at him.

"There's no Corruption mana in this?"

"Corruption? No, something like that would eat away at any solid mana structure. While I know you have absorbed no Shadow mana, I was wondering if you would do a quick experiment? Throw the blade, but channel your Teleportation mana into it as you do." Zach's eyebrows rose, but he did as Hathas said, gripping one blade easily between two fingers and throwing it at the nearest wall with a practiced flick.

The blade seemed to tumble once in the air then disappeared before it stuck with a vibrating twang in the opposite wall.

"As I thought," Hathas said with satisfaction.

"Shadow and Teleportation are not in the same family, but they are cousins and will work well together."

"Sweet," Zach agreed.

"I notice," Thomas said, barely keeping his frustration down, "you did not purchase any weapons for me." Zach did a double take at the table, realized Thomas was right, and cocked an eyebrow at the elder. Hathas looked a little sheepish.

"As you can imagine, there are no weapons that will channel Healing mana. However, I was able to purchase this." He held up a small vial.

"It is a low-grade poison which will not harm an individual but place them to a dreamless sleep. If you have a dagger—""I do," Thomas said shortly, guessing he could just pour it on the blade or whatever and use it that way. While it wasn't the worst idea in the world, and would get around his restrictions, it wasn't the knock-out punch he was looking for.

"In addition," Hathas said, "Akilah wishes to speak to you. I believe he may have some suggestions." Thomas didn't have a lot of faith in what those could be, considering Akilah wanted him to be a pure healer apprentice. However, he kept his frustration in check and nodded. It wasn't Hathas' fault that he walked a path that traditionally didn't fight. Yes, he had Light mana too, but those types of weapons were equally hard to find in a Dark elf village.

In addition, Hathas had purchased them upgraded comms that actually fit well in a human ear and worked with sub-vocalization, two additional cloaks much like Thomas' Notice Me Not cloak, which would work well for Zach and Twitch, and a level two warhammer that was the size of a regular hammer until it was needed for combat. That would be Twitch's. It was a good haul, with the exception of no weapons for Thomas and a lack of a blink teleportation skill for Zach, which just wasn't available at any price.

As soon as he could get the new mana absorbed, he'd push himself up to level four. After Hathas took his leave, Zach sat cross legged in the corner to do exactly that. Meanwhile, Thomas went to go speak to Akilah, who allowed him into his office almost as soon as he knocked. The elder healer gestured for Thomas to sit in his usual chair by the fireplace then took a seat across from him. Akilah looked at him for a moment before he spoke.

"So you still intend to go into battle against sapient beings, even knowing the danger of soul damaging backlash." Thomas bristled.

"You're not going to talk me out of it. They have my teammate." Akilah didn't even react to that.

"I was also informed that the House of Healing does not have you waitlisted for any skill." A different sort of man may have snapped something rude but Thomas managed to keep his voice even.

"I'm pretty sure I told you I want my next skill to be combat-related." Was he just going to sit here and tell Thomas he shouldn't do this? If that was the case, he could go take a long walk off a short pier.

"You did say you wished to focus on combat for your next level," Akilah agreed. He looked at Thomas for another few moments as if weighing him. Then, with a nod to himself, he reached to open a nearby table drawer.

"I still believe you would be better suited with a healing type skill. They are vitally important, especially in your first five levels when the System takes your first class into consideration. With that in mind, I was wondering if you would consider this." He opened his hand to show a glittering skill shard. The System Tagged it as: The Wellspring Which Waters Its Own Roots.