Dreich Cheerless's Arc

Chapter 8 of 10

Dreich returned to the market at dawn, determination pushing her forward. She needed allies again, people who could help spread confusion about the ruins. Three traders stood near the fountain square, their carts loaded with cloth and metal goods. She approached the first one, a woman sorting through colored fabrics. Dreich offered to trade information about safe paths through the meadow in exchange for the woman mentioning false rumors to travelers. The trader agreed, nodding once before turning back to her work. By midday, Dreich had spoken to five more people, rebuilding her network one conversation at a time. Each person would tell a different story about the ruins—some would say they were cursed, others would claim they were empty, and a few would mention treasure in the wrong direction entirely. Her enemies would hear contradicting tales and waste time chasing lies. The mirth spell would stay hidden while she rebuilt what she'd lost, stronger and smarter this time. But words alone wouldn't be enough. Dreich needed real tools to protect what mattered. She spent the afternoon building a signal system near the ruins. The dark stone kiln sat beside her work area, its metal door open to reveal a strange bluish-green glow inside. She placed damaged books from the old library inside to dry them out, saving what knowledge she could. Next to it, she set up a wooden table with a slate top and racks underneath for drying herbs. She mixed preservation solutions on the surface, combining ingredients her network had gathered. The herbs would help restore the ancient texts and strengthen her defenses. As the sun dropped lower, Dreich tested the final piece. She loaded dark powder into a tube and aimed it at the sky. The flare shot upward, burning a vibrant lime green against the evening clouds. Anyone watching from the meadow's edge would see it clearly. Her allies would know to come if enemies approached. She fired it twice more to make sure it worked, each burst of green light cutting through the dusk like a blade. Dreich stood back and studied her work. The kiln glowed softly in the shadows. The table held fresh solutions ready for the next batch of books. The signal flare rested nearby, loaded and waiting. Her network would spread lies while these tools gave her real protection. She had failed before by building defenses that hurt her allies. This time, she'd built something that helped them work together. The mirth spell was safer now than it had been in weeks.