Prophecy Approved Companion

“Ah, that makes sense,” Sencha Bard said, his brow clearing. “I’d been attempting to work out how they’d managed to — ah, we must be disrupting their story even more than I suspected.”

“If that’s the case, then…” Sexy Screamy Spider Briar reached into one of her body pockets and pulled out a book. Qube wasn’t entirely sure where she’d gotten the book from. “Hm, this’ll be harder than I thought,” the Hunter muttered to herself. “I’ll need to get him to give me those sooner rather than later.”

“This does not invalidate my hypothesis,” Definitely Bad Guy said, pulling out a book and flipping through it as he continued to placidly jog along. “The Constructor made his constructs to fulfil a specific purpose. We could just as easily be fulfilling whatever experiment the Devs are running as constructs as any other manner of being. Though, naturally, we are immensely more complex than those poorly-made creations.”

Qube barely heard their replies, she was so busy trying to make sense of her revelation.

Just like Slate and Zincy, they’d transcended the bounds of their existence, their affinities. Did that mean the Constructor was a Dev? No, but the constructs had been simple things, comparatively speaking. Hadn’t they? Yes, they’d been unable to look outside their own blinders to realise that Slate and Zincy were alive and well. They hadn’t been able to break free of whatever restrictions the Constructor had placed on them in order to see what was actually happening.

Thinking about the constructs’ restrictions, or affinities, made Qube uneasily aware that the constructs might view their affinities the same way the party viewed the Golden Prophecy. They’d been given their affinities to make sure they did what they were supposed to. The comparison was too apt.

But the party was special. For the most part they’d broken free of the grip of the Golden Prophecy, and were now capable of contemplating ascending to a whole new realm without its influence. They’d smashed through the Devs’ expectations of them, and become something more.

They’d broken through the roles the world had tried to place upon them.

…The Chosen One liked to break things.

Had he broken them?

She needed to go to Construct Crossroads, to see the constructs, and figure out how they were different from the party. That wasn’t the only reason, of course, but it was the only one she could articulate.

And she wanted to talk to the Constructor.

The Chosen One moved out of his meditation as they reached Cobbletown.

“I want to go to Construct Crossroads,” Qube said the instant he was alert.

“Huh?” the Hero blinked at her.

“I agree,” Sexy Screamy Spider Briar said, instantly throwing her support behind Qube, even though she hadn’t been at all part of the Healer’s internal logic chain. “However, I would dearly love to get my hands on those books you promised us, my former love,” she said to the Chosen One.

“The plight of those two young, star-crossed lovers weighs on me as well,” Sencha Bard admitted. “But I was under the impression that we were going to save the kingdom first, before checking in on our erstwhile pair.”

“I would not object to allowing more time for the Evil Emperor to return to his castle,” Definitely Bad Guy said. “I also would not object to my doubles going to the Wizards’ Academy and awaiting us there. If nothing else, the Head Mage should be able to glean more information from them than I am capable of doing without devoting much-needed resources to them.”

The Hero blinked harder. He glanced at Reddi and Bluey.

“You two got any clue what’s going on?” he asked them.

Despite standing next to each other, and the Chosen One clearly using the words “You two,” the Mages didn’t exchange glances. Instead, they started to speak at the same time.

“We have arrived at Cobbletown,” Bluey said at the same time as Reddi sneered; “Of course I do. Do you not?”

“Right, they don’t know what’s going on. So only you guys got to talk during fast travel. Interesting,” the Chosen One said, looking at the party.

“Did you want to fast travel to Construct Crossroads?” Qube asked the Chosen One. He frowned.

“I don’t know if we actually have time to go there,” he said surprisingly.

“I know we need to save the kingdom,” Qube started, only to have the Hero wave that point away.

“That’s not the problem,” he said. “It’s just I really wanted you all to have completed the castle before the review.”

“What review is this?” Sencha Bard asked, instantly alert.

“About, uh, ascension stuff,” the Chosen One said, looking caught out. “Didn’t I mention it to you guys? Where I’m going to make sure it’s all of you who get to talk to the peeps rather than them singling out any one of you?”

“You have mentioned similar things before, yes,” Sencha Bard said slowly. None of them questioned the word "peeps". No doubt it was slang for the Devs who were chicks.

“But I thought time flowed differently here?” Qube said, before stopping herself. She swallowed her disappointment and summoned a smile. “But if we don’t have time, then we just don’t have time. I really would have liked to go, though.”

The Chosen One scratched the side of his face. He looked stressed. “How badly did you want to go?” he asked. Qube opened her mouth, though whether to emphasise her desire to go, or downplay it in the face of the Hero’s obvious reluctance, she wasn’t sure. She never got a chance to find out, as the Hero shook his head, and cut her off.

“No, you wouldn’t have asked for it unless you really wanted it. You never ask for anything.”

“I ask for lots of things!” Qube said indignantly. “I’m always asking you to do things for me, like not destroy stuff or upset people!”

“You know what I mean,” the Hero said.

“No, I don’t! And, in fact, I’m going to ask you to explain it to me!” Qube replied stubbornly.

“You went and infiltrated a Thieves’ Guild and accidentally got a house just because you didn’t want to ask to buy a book. A book you could easily have bought with your fair share of the party loot,” the Hero pointed out. “You don’t ask for [snacks] for yourself.”

“We’re going to Cobbletown!” Qube declared, asserting her desires in the face of the Chosen One’s obvious displeasure at the deviation from their path. “As long as it doesn’t cause the kingdom to fall,” she added, slightly reducing her assertion. “And everyone’s happy to go,” she continued. “If it’s not too much trouble,” she finished.

“You had a strong start at least,” the Chosen One said with a sigh. He rubbed his face, suddenly looking tired. “Don’t worry; we can make it work. I’ll just be a bit tired, but that’s okay. I can make it work.”

“What will be involved with the review?” Sencha Bard asked, only to have the Hero halt him with a raised hand.

“Hang on. You two, go wait for us at Wizard's Tower. If you can't get into Cobbletown then go to the Wizards’ Academy. Talk to the [dingus] in charge, head-man or whatever, and get him to examine you so we can see what you are.”

“Copernicus, the Head Mage of the Wizards’ Academy,” the three Mages corrected in unison.

“Yeah, him,” the Hero said, waving away the correction.

“I would be glad to,” Bluey said as Reddi replied with a: “If you insist”. As the two men walked away, Qube caught the edges of a whispered conversation between Sencha Bard and Definitely Bad Guy.

“—useful,” she heard Sencha Bard say. She turned around and was struck by how seriously and urgently the Bard was speaking to the Mage.

“I would prefer if they had my guidance,” Definitely Bad Guy replied quietly.

“We don’t have time,” Sencha Bard insisted, his voice slightly raised in his agitation.

The former advisor sighed. “Very well,” he said, watching as the two versions of himself walked towards Cobbletown. “Chosen One,” he said, flagging the Hero’s attention. As the Hero turned to face Definitely Bad Guy, Sencha Bard slid away from the party and hurried after the two Mages. Sexy Screamy Spider Briar grabbed onto Squiggles, stopping the excited sharktopus from chasing after him.

“What’s up, Sparky?” the Chosen One cheerfully asked his fellow party member.

“I desire to know what will be required of us in this review,” Definitely Bad Guy said, his gaze flicking between the Fighter and the Bard, who’d now caught up with the two Mages. The Chosen One, distracted by the question, didn’t notice. He rubbed his chin.

“I’m not sure,” he said at last. “I’ve never done one of these before, but I think it’s going to be a bunch of higher-ups debating what’s going to be involved with you all ascending. I know there’s some tech issues that the Devs gotta deal with — uh, by that, I mean…” He paused, clearly searching for the right words.

In the distance, Sencha Bard pulled out his lute before the two Mages. Qube heard the Hunter next to her sharply inhale, before bending over to fuss with Squiggles’s ribbon, the movement keeping the Hero’s attention even more focused on the people in front of him.

“You know how they have to make an avatar to come into this realm? That’s why they keep reusing the same bodies.”

Qube was very aware of the bodies they keep possessing.

“Well, they gotta make reverse avatars for you all and in order to do that they need special, uh, spells that may or may not work too good.”

Qube watched magic flare around Sencha Bard as he played, but the trio was too far away for her to hear what he’d done. The two Mages rocked back on their heels as whatever spell he’d just cast hit them.

“So, like, I know you guys are excited to ascend, but you gotta keep in mind that the avatars aren’t gonna be as good as what you’re used to. I think.”

“Constructs,” Qube said absently as she watched the two Mages in the distance stare at each other as if seeing their twin for the first time. What was the Bard doing? “We’ll be possessing constructs.”

“Yeah! Pretty much!” the Hero said, pleased. Qube felt a warm glow from his approval that she immediately tried to capture and examine. Was this the Golden Prophecy giving her positive reinforcement?

No, it just felt nice to be helpful and correct.

Unless that was only what the prophecy wanted her to think!

Qube, her attention now split in three places, was starting to get the tiniest bit overwhelmed.

“Is that why you want to see them?” the Chosen One asked her. “I promise you guys won’t be like those constructs. You’ll look completely different.”

“But the bodies the Devs possess are not constructs,” Definitely Bad Guy said, painstakingly accurate as he cut off any potential reply from the Healer. “For example, you destroyed the spirit of the person whose body you now inhabit. Would we not also be possessing and killing people to ascend to the Devs’ realm?”

Qube felt her attention split even further as the echo of pain at remembering Felix travelled down her connection to her inner self, which instantly flared, sending anger back to her, attempting to smother the grief. She soothed the anger, almost missing Sencha Bard finishing his spell and broadly gesturing as he rapidly spoke to Reddi and Bluey.

“Yeah but those were specially prepared,” the Chosen One said, looking uncomfortable at the reminder that he was technically puppeting the corpse of Qube’s childhood friend. “We don’t have that kind of thing in the Devs’ realm. Well. I don’t think we do. Actually, this could probably be reverse engineered…” he devolved into muttering to himself. “That mermaid thing and the Deep Ones memory stuff could maybe… but the connection would need to be continuous, wouldn’t it? Urgh, I am not smart enough for this.”

“You’re smart enough!” Qube reflectively supported her friend. The Hero gave her a wry look. Behind him, Sencha Bard left the two men, and rejoined the party.

“When have I ever given you the impression I’m smart?” he asked her.

“You knew that there was something hidden behind a waterfall instantly,” Qube plucked the first example that came to her mind. “And you’re really good at spotting things that’re hidden! If you just focused, then you’d be able to figure out almost anything!”

The Chosen One pulled at his face.

“Now you sound like my tutors,” he complained. “Come on, let’s go do your detour! Your own personal side quest,” he said. “I’m honoured you trusted me with it.”

Sexy Screamy Spider Briar snapped upright.

“What?” Qube flushed bright red. “This isn’t my personal side quest! I just want to talk to the constructs! Don’t say things like that Chosen One! Chosen One, stop laughing at me!”

“To Construct Crossroads!” the Hero said.